Speaking N' Listening In Puebla : CUETZALAN

Cuetzalan is a small town set high in the hills in the north of the Mexican state of Puebla, 183 kilometers from Puebla, the state capital. It is located in the Sierra Norte region. The town itself is characterized by sloping cobbled streets and numerous rustic buildings. It serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding municipality of Cuetzalan del Progreso.

Cuetzalan was named a "Pueblo Mágico" in 2002.

The town center is composed largely of handicraft markets as well as numerous stalls selling every-day necessities. As a tourist attraction, the town also has a few bars, restaurants and nightclubs. Getting to Cuetzalán from Puebla takes around four hours. The best route is by getting a coach from central bus depot in Puebla.

Cuetzalan's panoramic view

Tourist attractions in Cuetzalan.

Archaeological Zone Yohualichan

Located 7 km from Cuetzalan. Cuetzalan, Puebla. Also known as the House of Night, was the first place that lived the Totonac. The highlights of the architecture is its similarity to El Tajin.

Archaeological Zone Youalichan.

Caves In Cuetzalan

At 80 meters from Zempoala River. Cuetzalan, Puebla. The area has several caves; some can be visited without special equipment, others only with the help of a guide. The most prominent are: Aventura, Chivostoc and Ampolihui.

Rivers and Waterfalls

30 minutes south of Cuetzalan. Cuetzalan, Puebla. Cuetzalan is crossed by several water-bearing streams, these include the Apulco and Cuichatl Rivers and Waterfalls Las Amacas, Atepatahua, El Salto,La Encantada y Velo de Novia.

The parish of San Francisco

Data from 1790 with successive adjustments, until 1942; since 1902 has a basilical plant with a shot coffered plaster nave with an excellent finish. On the side walls reliefs with the life of Christ and the sides of the main altar holds large frames within the "Canticle of Brother Sun" are observed; has a clock tower eclectic style that is the highest in the state. Attached to the parish has the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception Church or Conchita since 1913.

Traditions.

15 to 18 July: Feast Yohualichan headline. Part of the celebration will be a display of traditional dance in dances where they can be seen as Quetzalines, the Miguelines, the Negritos and recognized Papantla Flyers.

First week of October: National Coffee Fair.

From 1 to 9 October, this festival with traditional music and local dances as the Quetzal, the Flyers, the Toreadors and held Santiagos. The National Coffee Fair began its celebration in 1949, while Huipil Fair since 1962, the first being the main coffee growing Cuetzalan, and the second to heighten the cultural values of the region, including tradition of representative garment of indigenous woman.

Huipil Fair.

1st to 8th October: National Fair Huipil : Indigenous Party begins with the invitation of the mayor to each of the Auxiliary Boards to nominate a young indigenous woman who represents your community.
The conditions for the young to be registered is to speak Nahuatl , that is native and it look authentic Native costume Cuetzalan.
Each participant has a different color of ribbon . The juries have carefully observed each participant placed in a xical ( basket for tortillas) color Batten maid deserves to be the winner for them, collects the strips accompanied by outgoing queen tatiaxcal ( mayor) who is shown tossing the winning color.
A winner will be dressed in costume gala to scroll through the main streets of the town and people know and applaud ; the end of the walk will be installed in what would be his throne to any state authority in its place maxtahuátl ( touched ) the quexquemitl , symbolizing the dignity of the race; once the mayor hands the tonahuati ( baton ) . The festival continues with a musical literary program .
When the program comes to an end , the authorities invited maiden goes to deliver a crate with flowers and fruits of the region and thereby acknowledge his presence.

Activities to do in Cuetzalan.

There is much to be done in Cuetzalan, the "Reserva Azul" is a coffee farm. This place also offers accommodations in the so-called "palafitos", which are a luxury tents to ask for nothing in any hotel room. At the end you can do a tasting coffee. It turns out that if the coffee is best enjoyed sipping and the more foam then, the quality is higher.

"Palafitos"

For breakfast you can visit the Chihuanime Cooperative. This place is an organization of women who have a typical restaurant, a craft shop and cabins. "Chihuanime" means indigenous women weavers of dreams, and to test their beans you will understand the meaning.

The tour of the stone walkways and landscape with the ancient ferns of different species take us to ancient times. In the middle of the cloud forest, one of the hills of the Sierra Madre Oriental, in the town of Cuetzalan, Puebla, is the botanical garden Xoxoctic.

Colorful flowers decorate and perfume the site, butterflies flying among the orchids winding in the fresh air, like avoiding getting wet with the mist.

For many months, Xoxoctic fog covered the evenings ... it's like a dream come true.

Welcome to "Xoxoctic" Botanic Garden.

"Xoxoctic" Interior.

Cuetzalan's Gastronomy.

The gastronomy of Cuetzalan is the result of happy encounter between two different culinary traditions; the Spanish and the indigenous syncretism that has evolved over time without losing their ancestral essence; among the most representative dishes include:

Smoked jerky and mushrooms with tlacoyos
Acamayas (crustacean, like Big Shrimp and Lobster)
Chilpozole
Tayoyos (sort of stuffed "gorditas" of alverjon with avocado leaf)
Pipián.
Chayotestle (root chayote)
Exquíhitl.