During your visit in Zacatlán you should visit: the ravine ” los Jilgueros”; eat typical food; visit the region’s waterfalls and walk through the city’s murals.
“Those who came to Zacatlan and did not drink wine look like they did not come”, This is a popular saying in the magical town of Zacatlan.
In order to enjoy local drinks and food there is a new way to live the experience: through bike or by walking tours.
Running from june to september, different tour operators offer to know Zacatlan through a different method, one they have called “cyclotourism”.
This tour includes a visit to apple orchards, where the travelers can see 20 different apple varieties including 3 original from Zacatlan: striped, ashed, and wax.
In the orchards, the visitors can also observe fruits like: blueberries, avocado, plums, peaches, pears, blackberries and even quince. When the tour ends, the visitors can take part in the apple harvest.
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All the bicycle trips can be made alone, as a couple, or as a group of up to 8 people. Visitors can take their own bikes, but if they don’t have one, this will be provided.
Another bicycle route goes through the mountain’s trails where you can admire the natural landscapes, which can be matched by banks of fog.
This natural landscape can be seen from the ravine “los Jilgueros”, which has a crystal bridge with a viewpoint towards the Tres Marías waterfall.
The tours last approximately three hours and have a cost of 350 pesos (17.64 dollars according to the 29th of july official exchange rate).
Walking through the murals
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the touristic guides had had to renew their products, explains Alma, a tour guide from “Vive Servicios Turísticos”, who explains the challenges that face the industry in town whom dedicated -mostly- to turism.
For example, they have reduced the amount of tourists who take the tour reducing the possibility of contagion.
It is mandatory to wear a facemask always, use antibacterial gel and keep meters of distance among the tourists.
Following all the sanitary measures, different walking tours are offered by the tourist guides with a maximum of 15 people per group.
These are the tours available in Zacatlan:
- Route of life: Walks through the alleys of Zacatlan which includes a visit to the trencadis-style vitromurals.
- “My memories of Zacatlan”: During the walk you will visit murals that picture iconic moments of the town’s history.
- México lindo y querido: Tour to the new murals, which features 32 altarpieces representing each one of Mexico’s states.
- Cultural flavors: This is a night walking through Zacatlan’s center and their murals. The tour also includes sipping local food.
- Legends show: “My grandpa’s tales”: This show is at night and the Zacatlan’s legends and foundation are explained to the visitors.
Additionally, some tour guides offer visits to Jicolapa (a community known for its water pools and the town’s church).
If you want to live these experiences, you can contact Vive Servicios Turísticos to take one of their tours, you can get it by calling to: (+52) 797 113 21 63; (+52) 797 109 59 10 and (+52) 222 119 83 15. Or check their Facebook fanpage: Vive Servicios Turísticos.
Things to do in Zacatlan
The vitromural in front of the ravine “los Jilgueros” it’s the most impressive tourist Zacatlan’s attraction.
This mural has a length of almost 100 meters and it was built with thousands of pieces of crystal, talavera and mirrors.
Interesting fact: It contains 12 mosaics within representative figures of Zacatlan such as: apples, clocks, prehispanic marks and indigenous communities.
Besides visiting the murals, there are many things to do in Zacatlan like:
- Visit the crystal balcony in the ravine ” los Jilgueros”. Below the balcony you can visit the little market with local handcrafts and typical products.
- You can visit the “Alberto Olvera Hernández” clockmacking museum, this is the fabric of monumental clocks and the floral and musical clock located downtown.
- Eat the typical cheese bread and drink local wine, liqueur or apple cider in the wine museum “La Primavera”.
In the wine museum you can book tours where the local producers explain the elaboration process of liqueur and wine, which has different flavors such as: blackberry, apple, prune, passion fruit and many others.
“La Primavera” wine museum is the first wine and liqueur fabric established in Zacatlan. Their address is Corregidora #11, between Dimas López and Ignacio Allende, in Zacatlan’s downtown.
To find more information, you can visit their website: www.laprimaveravinosylicores.com
Zacatlan: Waterfalls and natural valleys
Puebla’s Magical Towns have an attraction in common: the waterfalls.
The river mouths with great waterfalls make a spectacular show that must be seen and heard. You can hear the water’s even before you see them.
While in Zacatlan, you can visit famous waterfalls: “Salto de Quetzalapan y San Antonio Amatla” and “Tulimán”, both of them are 20 minute ride from the city.
If you are planning to visit the waterfalls, you must wear a comfortable outfit , because you will need to walk the mile in soil and stones trails to enjoy the attractives.
These locations have an adventure circuit with ziplines, trekking points, hanging bridges, climbing walls and food service with Puebla’s gastronomy as quesadillas and memelas.
Located near Zacatlan is the “Piedras Encimadas” valley, a space dedicated for recreation to enjoy nature.
In this valley you will be able to enjoy an astonishing visual show thanks to the big rock formations, one upon another, without explanation about their positions and shapes.
Many legends have been told about the “Piedras Encimadas” valley. One of them says that the rocks were made by aliens, others believe that Hercules ordered the rocks at his will.
Finally, it is believed that this is meant to be a punishment by the mesoamerican God Quetzalcóatl. Though, all of these are all legends.
How to get to Zacatlan?
Zacatlan is located 2 hours and 15 minutes away from Puebla’s capital city.
To arrive you need to take the Puebla-Tlaxcala highway towards Apizaco where you have to take the Tlaxco-Apizaco highway towards Chignahuapan.
Coming from Mexico City you need to go north to Ecatepec, where you need to incorporate to Ecatepec-Tulancingo freeway, take the detour to Huauchinango and then take the Huauchinango-Zacatlan freeway.
The trip should take around 3 hours and 45 minutes.
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POB/RPC
