Discover Tlaxco: Mexico’s Charming High‑Plateau Pueblo

The cold air of the high plateau, the beautiful surrounding landscapes, cobbled streets and colonial architecture have earned Tlaxco a well-deserved place in the Pueblos Mágicos (Magical Towns) program since 2015.

 

The word “Tlaxco” comes from the Nahuatl word “tlachco”, which means “The place of the ball game”. 45 kilometers from Tlaxcala, 75 from Puebla and 160 from Mexico City, it’s usually a perfect weekend getaway for those looking for something authentic and with many options to try rural tourism or adventure sports.

 

Tlaxco’s heart is its quiet main square and its traditional kiosk, escorted by the beautiful 17th century Parroquia de San Agustín, in whose construction Vicenzo Barroso de la Escayola, Morelia cathedral designer, participated.

 

The town has two other great interest and beauty religious buildings: the pink stone-made Capilla de Lourdes (Lourdes Chapel), and the 80-centimeter-wide-walls Capilla del Calvario (Calvary Chapel).

 

Next to the main square, the City Hall, inaugurated by President Porfirio Díaz, is a must that can be visited and houses a collection of paintings, photographs and mirrors. Another place to learn about Tlaxco history and natural environment is the Carlos González Museum, known as the Museo de Historia, Artes y Tradiciones (Museum of History, Arts and Traditions).

 

But on any walk, the delightful bread is going to propose an improvised stopover to taste some sweet Tlaxco specialties, such as cheese bread or cocoles bathed on maguey honey.

 

In addition to the bakeries, the places that best preserve Tlaxco traditions are workshops. It’s exciting to visit them to see the wonders they produce every day.

 

Thus, in this Pueblo Mágico (Magical Town) you have to stopover at a cheese workshop, a silver workshop, and at the Taller de Madera Artesanal (Artisan Wood Workshop), where they have an original animated model (wood made, of course!) and a “vochito” (a classical VW Beetle known as Bug) with shiny new bodywork.