Explore Tecozautla: Hidalgo’s Hidden Hot Springs & Colonial Charm

The hot springs that proliferated around Tecozautla are the perfect excuse to plan a vacation in this municipality in the state of Hidalgo, which was included in the Pueblos Magicos program in 2015.

 

Located about 150 kilometers ( 93 miles ) from Pachuca de Soto, Tecozautla perfectly combines the charms of a colonial-era enclave with the natural attractions that surround it. The word Tecozautla is of Nahuatl origin and means “Place where the yellow earth abounds”.

 

The town's most emblematic monument stands in the middle of its main square and is El Torreón de Tecozautla, a monumental clock 31 meters ( 102 feet) high, of neoclassic style, built by President Porfirio Diaz in 1904 and inaugurated in 1910 to celebrate the first centenary of Mexico's Independence.

 

Nearby, El Templo y Exconvento de Santiago Apóstol (Temple and Convent of Saint James the Apostle) built by the Franciscan evangelizers of Valle del Mezquital at the beginning of the 17th century, with a facade with inscriptions in Latin and anagrams, is a must. From the same period is the Los Arcos aqueduct, the work of the presbyter Graciano Agüero, which currently functions as an irrigation system.

 

A curiosity of Tecozautla is the more than 180 vaults of the 16th century that are still standing and are known for their rare style. About six meters ( 20 feet ) on each side, with thick walls of stone, mud, and lime, without windows, topped by vaulted ceilings, with a narrow entrance framed by jambs and a lintel of pink quarry, they are a mystery because it is not clear for what purpose they were originally built, although most of the work nowadays as houses or chapels.

 

But besides the charm of its cobblestone streets, Tecozautla is located in a privileged environment where besides visiting the thermal water spas, you can swim in natural springs, navigate in the Zimapán dam, see cave paintings, and the interesting Archaeological Site of Pahñú.