11 Best Things to Do in Chignahuapan
Christmas spheres and hot springs: These are only two of the things that Chignahuapan is known for. The Magical Town (“Pueblo Mágico”) lies high up in the mountains of the Sierra Norte, only 15 km away from another Magical Town: Zacatlán de las Manzanas. Like in Zacatlán, you can buy cheese bread (“pan de queso”) here, but also fig bread. Factories for Christmas spheres are spread all over town, and their products can be bought at small shops all around the main square with its beautiful wooden Mudejar-style gazebo. The largest indoor Virgin Mary sculpture is featured in one of its churches, and a museum displays various species of the axolotl, a paedomorphic salamander endemic to Mexico. Chignahuapan lies at a small lake, and you can find rivers and waterfalls close by. So you’ll find plenty of things to do that make this town worth a day trip!
At a Glance: Chignahuapan’s TOP 11 Highlights
- Relax in the Hot Springs
- Buy Ornamental Christmas Spheres
- Eat Fig and Cheese Bread
- Visit the Main Square with its Wooden Gazebo
- Visit the Santiago Apostol Parish Church
- Take Pictures of the Town Hall Murals
- Visit the Axolotl Museum
- Admire the Largest Indoor Virgin Mary Sculpture in the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception
- Take Pictures of the Murals at the Lake
- Visit the Wood-Ear Fungus in the Honguito Sanctuary
- Celebrate Day of the Dead on November 2 in Chignahuapan
1. Relax in the Hot Springs
This is probably not the first thing you do when you arrive in Chignahuapan. But if there’s only one thing you can do, then make sure you visit the hot springs. The Aguas Termales de Chignahuapan spa and resort offers various pools with hot thermal water. You can buy a day ticket for around 130 pesos (about 8 USD) or book a room at the hotel of the same name. Relax in the pools, enjoy the view over the mountains, and enjoy the buffet.
2. Buy Ornamental Christmas Spheres
Not just around Christmas time is it worth appreciating Chignahuapan’s art of making ornamental Christmas spheres. Hand-painted blown glass in all colors makes it hard to decide which one to buy. The art of making these spheres goes back to Rafael Méndez from Pátzcuaro. He taught the people from Chignahuapan this art, and the town has been famous for it ever since.
3. Eat Fig and Cheese Bread
Like in Zacatlán, you can buy the traditional “pan de queso” (cheese bread) in almost every bakery. But you can also find the “pan de higo”, fig bread, what Chignahuapan is especially known for. You can also find “pan de cuelga”, which used to be given away as a synonym for commitment. It’s a typical gift to take to a birthday or a festive day, to share with friends and family. It can be filled with cheese and nuts, chocolate, figs, or whatever you order at the bakery. Fig and cheese bread is also sold at small stands around the main square.
4. Visit the Main Square with its Wooden Gazebo
In the center of the main square, the Plaza de la Constitución, a wooden pavilion built in 1871 in Mudejar style with a fountain below it features the center. Nearby are a pair of busts paying homage to Rafael Méndez and Ildefonso Illescas. The former brought the art of ornamental sphere-making to the town, the latter is the priest who erected the Basílica de la Inmaculada Concepción. In the southwest corner of the square, a sculpture of the comedian Gaspar Henaine, better known as “Capulina” commemorates his birthplace. In front of the gazebo, the giant letters for Chignahuapan are a perfect picture opportunity.
5. Visit the Santiago Apostol Parish Church
Founded in the 16th century, this baroque church has a beautiful facade where the indigenous hid some of their old gods among the litany of Christian images. For example, hidden among fruits and reliefs, you can find the god Tlaloc. The gargoyles have the shape of serpents, a reference to the serpent god Quetzalcóatl. St. James the Apostle himself can be found at the top of the relief, riding on a horse with his sword unsheathed.
In the tower on the right-hand side, you can find the first clock made by the famous Zacatlán clock company Centenario. It’s Alberto Olvera Hernández’s first official work, and it has been working now for over a century.
6. Take Pictures of the Town Hall Murals
Héctor Castilla Arroyo painted the murals that depict the town’s history from the pre-Hispanic legend of the town’s founding, over the dance for the town’s patron saint performed by the “santiagueros”, to the offering of a thousand lights that is carried out on the Day of the Dead on November 2.
7. Visit the Axolotl Museum
What’s not to love about these cute creatures? I mean, look at that face! As you see, I’m very biased when it comes to the Axolotl Museum (Museo Mexicano del Axolote (MUMAX)). For 50 pesos (3 USD), you get a short but interesting guided tour about this incredible amphibian explaining its possible metamorphosis from an aquatic to a purely terrestrial amphibian (but not reverse) if need be. Not to mention its regenerating capabilities! After admiring these little creatures in their fish tanks, you can have a coffee in the museum’s little coffeeshop, or buy some souvenirs.
8. Admire the Largest Indoor Virgin Mary Sculpture in the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception
The Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception houses the largest indoor Virgin Mary sculpture. The image is 14 meters (46 feet) tall and made of cedarwood in the 1960s by José Luis and Carmen Silva. The virgin with her waving blue veil carries the baby Jesus in her arms, who in turn holds the white dove of the Holy Spirit. Please be considerate and enter outside of mass hours to take pictures.
9. Take Pictures of the Murals at the Lake
Just a 15-minute walk from the main square, you get to the lake Chignahuapan that gave the town its name. In the indigenous language Nahuatl, Chignahuapan means 9 springs. Here, you can find colorful murals that depict axolotls and water-related themes. If you walk along the pathway along the murals, you’ll get to a clock monument at its end, passing small fish ponds where trout are being bred. This is all in preparation for September when the trout-fishing tournament takes place.
10. Admire the Murals in the Plaza Mural Mall
If you’re into murals, you’ll find more in the town center at the Plaza Mural mall. On Romero Vargas Street just 1.5 blocks north of the main square, the mall houses various shops with Christmas spheres and souvenirs. If you enter the mall and follow the path to the left, you’ll get to the murals depicting Day-of-the-Dead and other themes. Take some pictures, and consider buying some spheres on your way out.
11. Celebrate the Day of the Dead on November 2 in Chignahuapan
The Day of the Dead is celebrated everywhere throughout Mexico, but in Chignahuapan you can find a special way of celebrating this day. The Light and Life Festival (Festival de la Luz y la Vida) begins in the evening with a pilgrimage from the church along the Calzada de las Almas street, to Lake Chignahuapan and the theater next to it. Over a thousand torches are handed out making this pilgrimage a very special spectacle.
…What Else Can You Do in Chignahuapan?
Visit the Church with the Wood-Ear Fungus (Honguito Sanctuary)
2.5 km from the main square, you’ll find the Honguito Sanctuary (“Sanctuary of the Mushroom”). It’s called that because the church houses a petrified wood-ear fungus found in 1880. Depending on the worshipper that’s looking at the mushroom, several images can be seen in it, for example, a crucified Christ, also called “Our Lord of the Mushroom or the Wood-ear.” However, the church is only open for mass on Sundays from around 9-11 am, so I don’t think it’s worth a detour to just look at the church from the outside (although it’s got a nice architecture). Half an hour before and after mass, you can look at the mushroom inside the church. To the left of the church’s main entrance, there’s a small barred corner with images of saints and a picture of the mushroom. A small consolation for those traveling to the church to find it closed.
Cross the Waterfall Salto de Quetzalapan on a Hanging Bridge
Around 7 km (5 miles) from Chignahuapan, the 200 m (656 foot) high waterfall Salto de Quetzalapan is a great destination for nature lovers. You can cross the waterfall on a hanging bridge or zipline your way across it. There’s also a camping area.
Visit the National Christmas Tree and Ornamental Sphere Fair
From the last weekend of October to the first weekend of November, the sphere-making and the Christmas ornaments that define Chignahuapan are being celebrated. Join the festivities with music, handicrafts-selling market stalls, the crowning of the queen of spheres, and a parade of floats on the lake.
Visit Zacatlán de las Manzanas
Most tour providers combine the tour to Chignahuapan with a detour to Zacatlán. As both towns lie only 5 km (3 miles) away from each other, that’s just reasonable. So once you’re here, consider visiting the other magical town to buy some apple cider and enjoy the mosaic murals.
Where to Eat in Chignahuapan
Casa Rosa
On the main square’s south side, the Casa Rosa restaurant offers a nice view of the Plaza de la Concordia with its gazebo and the Santiago Apóstol Parish Church from its terrace. We only had coffee and cake here, but they also offer main dishes. The prices are very reasonable, and the ambiance is very nice.
Rincón Mexicano
2 blocks from the main square to its southeast, this restaurant offers typical Mexican dishes. On Sundays, they offer a breakfast buffet for around 210 pesos (12 USD) without beverages. During the week as of 2 pm, they have a 3-course daily menu for around 130 pesos (8 USD). The service is very friendly and the food is “bueno, bonito, barato” – good and inexpensive.
Where to Stay in Chignahuapan
One thing to consider before you book: Do you want to be close to the city center for sightseeing? Or do you prefer to be close to the hot springs for some wellness? Based on your preference, here’s some tips. Be aware that most hotels don’t have heating; it’s better to travel when it’s not too cold.
Hotel y Aguas Termales de Chignahuapan (Close to Hot Springs)
4 km from central Chignahuapan, this hotel is the best place to stay if you’re mainly looking to enjoy the hot springs. The hotel has an outdoor pool and offers services such as massages, a sauna, and a hot spring bath. The suites have a private pool and mountain view. There’s a restaurant with Mexican food and typical dishes from Puebla. Don’t expect the best internet connection – you’re far in nature in the middle of the forest in a valley. The rooms can be chilly in wintertime.
Casa de Descanso Chignahuapan (Close to Hot Springs)
If you like to be in nature and still close to the hot springs, this is your place to be. Don’t count on an internet connection. There are 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, a fully equipped kitchen and a balcony with a great view. And a plus for Chignahuapan (as it can get cold at night or in the winter season): There’s heating!
Hotel Los Portales Chignahuapan (Close to the City Center)
This 3-star hotel is directly in the city center and has a terrace and a Mexican restaurant that also serves vegetarian and vegan options.
Hotel 9 Manantiales (Close to the City Center)
This restaurant lies directly on the shores of Lake Amoloya. It has a spa and a bar-restaurant with panoramic lake views. The rooms are spacious and have tiled floors. You can rent fishing equipment from the hotel. It’s about 1 km (a 15-minute walk) from the city center.
Hotel Nube Nueve (Close to the City Center)
A small cozy hotel directly in the city center with small rooms. Some rooms have a balcony. The beds are comfortable, and you can park your car half a block away. It’s quiet and only 3 blocks by foot from the main square.
How to Get There
Chignahuapan is about 140 km (87 miles) to the north-east of the city of Puebla, and about 200 km (124 miles) from Mexico City. Compared to other Magical Towns like Cuetzalan, Chignahuapan is easy to get to. From Puebla, buses leave from the CAPU terminal. You’ll need around 3-3.5 hours to arrive by bus; by your car, it takes only 2-2.5 hours (if you take the toll road). Here you can see which bus line goes from Puebla to Chignahuapan.
So…Is It for Me?
If you want to take a relaxing day at the hot springs or are heading anyway to Zacatlán, then Chignahuapan is worth stopping by. However, the city center isn’t as charming as Zacatlán’s, so if you have only time for one of the two Magical Towns, I’d always prefer Zacatlán. Probably also because of Zacatlán’s view into the Goldfinches Canyon. If you love nature, you can take tours to the waterfalls in Quetzalapan or Tuliman from either town.
