As you approach the entrance to this town you will notice the curious welcome that the people of Xicotepec give people with a sign that says: “Welcome to Xicotepec de Juárez. If you don’t like the weather, come back in 20 minutes”. And they are not exaggerating! One should leave home warm but light, ready for the rain but also with money for ice cream.
We could consider Xico as a small but very entertaining town, with delicious hamburgers, some of the best I have ever tasted, with secrets hidden in each of its sculptures and with a highly interesting mysticism that emanates from one of the rarest stones I have ever visited.
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What is Xicotepec de Juarez Puebla like?
Check out our video to get a better idea of what this magical town is like.
What to do in Xicotepec de Juárez
To make the most of your visit to this magical town it is important that you know what Xicotepec has to offer and what attractions you should consider.
St. John the Baptist Parish
An activity to do in Xicotepec is to visit the Parish of San Juan Bautista which evokes the viewer to the beautiful Nottre Damme of France for its towers that end in a peak and the prevalence of triangular figures.
Admiring the Monumental Virgen de Guadalupe
Less than 3 minutes walking from the cross, you will find another important attraction of Xicotepec Puebla: The Monumental Virgen de Guadalupe.
This 23-meter sculpture is one of the largest structures in the world in honor of a Virgin; in this case, the Virgin of Guadalupe.
Admiring its great size and taking pictures are something you must do.
The Carranza House Museum
This small museum talks briefly about the life of Venustiano Carranza, his political career and his death.
It is a small museum that consists of an exhibition room, we would not put it as a priority of what to do in Xicotepec, but it is an interesting place if you want to visit and learn about Venustiano Carranza.
Xochipila Ceremonial Center
Full of mysticism, undoubted energy for the visitor and black birds around it, this huge stone is one of the things you can do in Xicotepec.
In this enormous stone the god Xochipilli was worshipped until the conquistadors consecrated this ceremonial center to San Juan Bautista.
To this day, different rites such as limpias, festivals or pilgrimages are performed to praise Juanito Techahalco.
You can visit it whenever you like as it is an open space.
Taste the gastronomic specialties
The dishes you must try in this destination are:
- Molotes stuffed with tinga
- Mole Poblano (It is said that the one from xico has a spicier variant).
- Empanadas stuffed with sweet cheese
- Coffee: Xico is a coffee town, so be sure to try their coffee.
- Las Chícalas (Golden ants, only in season)
- Las Acamayas: (This is how they call river prawns).
Xicotepec Pueblo Mágico has a great gastronomy and that is why we recommend taking the time to try these dishes.
Visit the Mural City
Before reaching the Xochipila you must pass through the Mural City.
In this corridor you will find colorful murals which were made with the effort of the Xicotepenses to capture the legends and basic aspects of their culture.
Bring your camera ready and even a tripod because I assure you that you will want to take your picture in more than one.
Search for the collection of faces hidden in the fog and stroll in the center.
This was without a doubt one of my favorite things to do in Xicotepec.
Around the center of Xicotepec there are different sculptures that belong to the collection of “Faces that the fog hides” which deal with the folklore and culture of Xicotepec. My favorites were “Rayuela” and “Los Huapangueros”. I invite you to find out which one is your favorite.
Finding the sculptures involves strolling through the center of town and allows you to have a great time discovering local handicrafts and more.
Eating a Charcoal Burger
Around 7 p.m. in the zocalo of Xicotepec Puebla, they start preparing the most delicious hamburgers we have ever eaten; we ate from the stand right in front of the Casa Carranza museum, but I’m sure they are delicious at any of them.
The Celestial Cross and Mirador Xicotepec
Probably the most important attraction of Xicotepec and the most impressive. Although climbing up to the lookout requires some effort, it is completely worth it.
To get to the xicotepec viewpoint you can ask a cab to take you or you can get there by public transportation (it is very close to downtown and anyone can give you directions).
Once you reach the beginning of the trail you will need to walk a 1400 meter path and climb 750 steps. The tour lasts approximately 45 minutes.
When you reach the top you will first encounter the imposing 53-meter cross and, as you walk to the right, you will come across one of the most impressive viewpoints in all of Puebla: A lookout with a transparent floor and a spectacular view of the town that will give you the impression that you are in the clouds.
How to get to Xicotepec de Juarez Puebla
To get to Xicotepec de Juárez you don’t have to worry, as it is a very well known magical town, it doesn’t present many complications.
To arrive by bus
From Puebla
Getting there by bus is relatively easy. To do so, you must take a bus from the Puebla bus station (CAPU). Remember that you can find the best prices on buses here.
Anyway, here is some important information to get there in case you can’t find the runs.
The bus line we took to get from CAPU was AU buses and the cost per person is between 160-200 pesos.
You must be attentive and calculate the travel time (approximately 3 hours) because the bus makes several stops before passing through Xico and this place is not the final destination of the route.
Yes you are going to Xicotepec de Juárez
Find the best bus fare here
The AU Corrida leaves you right at the entrance of xico but does not arrive at any terminal. We asked the driver to please let us know when we arrived as we did not know where the stop was.
You arrive at your destination and you are dropped off on the highway, don’t worry, the center of Xico is very close, getting off the bus to your left you will see a bridge, you must walk towards it and when you get there you must go to the right, the rest of the way is a straight road until you reach the center of Xicotepec de Juarez. Should be a maximum of 500 meters
From Mexico City
It turns out that it is easier to get to this magical town from Mexico City than from Puebla, when we realized this we could not believe it; in fact, we believe that the trip is shorter from Mexico City.
Buses from CDMX to Xicotepec can definitely be found here (Don’t forget to compare prices). Most of them leave from the central de Camiones Norte in the CDMX and take you directly to Xico.
From Veracruz
It turns out that this magical town is very close to Veracruz and it also happens to be easy to get to from Veracruz.
To do this you have to go to Poza Rica Veracruz, from there you can take the bus to Xico or one that passes through there on its route.
As with the other options, I recommend you look for your tickets on this site.
▷ To get by bus to this destination, we recommend you to look for your tickets here
How to get there by car
To arrive from Puebla
You will take the Tlaxcala-Puebla highway and head towards Apizaco, Apizaco is your first objective. Then you must take highway 119 until you are near Tlaxco, there will be a point where you must take highway 119D that will take you to Chignahuapan. You will continue past Huauchinango and finally reach Xicotepec de Juárez.
You can also arrive from Mexico City or Veracruz, I suggest you to use the gps of your cell phone so there is no error.
Where to Sleep
To make it easier for you to find a hotel and after having evaluated the lodgings in Xicotepec, these are our recommendations:
San Carlos Square
Hotel with excellent location (in the center) and ideal for couples.
Probably the best option in Xicotepec
Villa de Cortez
Ideal for couples, families and tourists.
Villa de Cortez offers quality and comfort at an excellent price.
🏨 If you need accommodation, we recommend looking here 🏨
Weather in Xicotepec de Juárez
Of all the places we’ve been so far, Xicotepec de Juárez earns the number 1 spot for craziest weather. It is impressive to see how many times the weather changes during the day. You find everything, storms, rain, heat, humidity, sun, fog. Everything!
Best time to travel
It is said that the best dates to visit this beautiful destination are between mid-February to mid-late May; however, I believe that any date is good.
If you are looking to avoid the rain…. better forget about that goal, the weather in Xicotepec de Juárez is the craziest you can find.
Clothing to be used
We recommend wearing light clothing, the humidity is impressive so be prepared to sweat; however, don ‘t forget to bring a good sweater, jacket or raincoat because the weather can change drastically at any moment, watch our video to understand what we mean.
Very important! take headache pills with you. In this place I got one of the strongest headaches I have ever had, this does not mean that it will happen to you too, Danny for example did not get any; however, we believe that the altitude and the radical change of climates are factors that can decompensate you and cause headaches, especially if you decide to climb the hill.
Other destinations in Puebla you may be interested in
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