Huamantla
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◈Watched over by La Malinche volcano sits Huamantla, a festive and colorful town where inhabitants’ lives are centered by worshipping Our Lady of Charity. This is especially visible in August when they stay up all night creating sawdust rugs that stretch on and on.
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It echoes with bullfighting and a history of pulque production, as several neighboring haciendas attest. The rest of the year, puppets, golden canutillo embroidery, mole stews, and outings up the volcano will enchant visitors.
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◆ Sample the rich matuma mole stew and sour corn atole drink in Hacienda Soltepec’s restaurant.
◆ Take part in a group horseback ride through the surrounding area.
◆ Climb Malintzin or La Malinche volcano.
◆ With the last sip of pulque, do the “alacrán” test and look for the scorpion shape.
Every August, the celebration of the patron saint, Our Lady of Charity is held. Festivities kick off with Carreras de Carcachas, a race featuring beat-up cars on an off-road circuit. Several days later the Desfile de las Flores is held, in which colorful dance troupes parade. And of course, the transitory rugs are made during the Noche que Nadie Duerme on August 14th.
❖ La Malinche National Park
In this magnificent nature park you can take in stunning scenery on horseback, bicycle, or by foot, and you can try your hand at rappelling, camping, or renting a cabin.
La Malinche National Park is a protected area spanning 45,711 hectares that is 31 miles from the capital city. It is the perfect spot to lose yourself in nature and enjoy outdoor activities, such as heading up to its higher points to enjoy the views of the Pico de Orizaba, Iztaccíhuatl, and Popocatépetl volcanoes.
❖ Tlaxcala’s Haciendas
Discover Tlaxcala’s haciendas, such as Soltepec, Tenexac, and Casa Malinche. They are lovely, historic settings with stately buildings that evoke eras of abundance. Here, you can enjoy good food, pulque, fun outings, and even go up in hot air balloons to get a look at the four volcanoes.
❖ Climb La Malinche Volcano
This national park offers gorgeous views. You choose if you want to enjoy them from horseback, bike, or on foot. You can hike, rappel, camp out, and rent cabins.
❖ Taste Mole de Matuma Stew and Other Traditional Dishes
The Sunday morning buffet in La More, in Hacienda Soltepec, offers multiple original versions of complex mole stew, including the one from Ixtenco, a brick-red matuma mole, with guajillo chili peppers, cloves, cinnamon, coriander, and beef. And of course, try the hot atole drinks made with native corn: the sour one and flavored versions are classics. Or, order the tender, steamed mutton mixiotes and Tocatlán-style chicken (a kind of mixiote with nopal cactus paddles and serrano chilli pepper) from Casa de los Magueyes. Los Balcones restaurant also serves regional dishes such as maguey worms and ant eggs. As long as you’re in the neighborhood, head to Apizaco (17 miles away) and its Evoka restaurant led by chef Francisco Molina, who truly does Tlaxcala’s contemporary cuisine justice.
❖ See How Pulque is Made
Starting in Hacienda Soltepec, tours of Casa de Don Vale are led, where a very special pulque is made. It is one of the very few that have what is called the “semilla,” or seed. This is the purest aguamiel juice that ferments into pulque spontaneously outdoors in the shade. Ask to see how to make the alacrán test with the last sip left in the glass. If the shape of a scorpion doesn’t come out, it isn’t a good pulque.
❖ La Huamantlada and Noche que Nadie Duerme Festival
The Virgin Mary, dressed in new robes, is the queen of the midnight procession. Everyone gathers with singing, praying, and candles, creating a very moving experience.
Every August, the celebration of the patron saint, Our Lady of Charity is held. Festivities kick off with Carreras de Carcachas, a race featuring beat-up cars on an off-road circuit. Several days later the Desfile de las Flores is held, in which colorful dance troupes parade. And of course, the transitory rugs are made during the Noche que Nadie Duerme on August 14th. This night is given the colorful name Night When No One Sleeps because whole families of artisans spend the night creating rugs out of brightly-dyed sawdust and flower petals, covering almost four miles of streets to honor their patron saint.
The Gran Desfile de Burladeros is held a few days later, when traditional mojiganga, huehue, and matachin dancers parade to music with gigantic balloons. Meanwhile, rudimentary shelters are installed along the circuit where the Huamantlada bulls will run, and houses on the route are decorated with bullfighting motifs, all in an atmosphere of festive nighttime celebration.
For over 60 years, La Huamantlada has been the popular celebration featuring the region’s love of bullfighting. Everything revolves around this day. The bulls run through the streets and everyone dashes madly in front of them. The bravest come out as champions.
