You do not want to miss the magical town of Xilitla, San Luis Potosi, Mexico -- here's how to do it on public transport on a budget!
In my opinion Xilitla (hee-leet-la) is one of the most worthwhile, tucked away pueblo magicos in Mexico. I have long had this place on my radar because it is one of the more off-the-beaten-path destinations that is frequented by Mexican vacationers, but is still rising in foreigner travelers’ itineraries.
Have a look on the map and you’ll see why… Xilitla is about 6 hours away from a major city, and takes driving in curvy mountain roads to arrive to this wonderland! I don’t live too far from Xilitla now, so I decided to make the mountain journey via bus and it was worth every bit of motion sickness.
Xilitla is considered the capital of the Huasteca Potosina, aka the jungley mountains that stretch the southern end of San Luis Potosi state, all the way up to the capital city of San Luis Potosi. This place is full of a brilliant, colorful, traditional culture seen in the street art, the huapango music and dance, the local artesanías, and a Sunday market that fills the whole town. The rich climate gives way to locally produced coffee and dozens of caves and waterfalls, even in walking distance! Compared to other regions of Mexico, the place has not been very gentrified / price inflated and it is refreshing to find a touristic spot that stays that way. Be prepared for the elements as the days got real hot and humid and the nights are pretty chilly by Mexican standards.
How to arrive:
If you are coming from CDMX, you got a long journey planned for you (like 10ish hours eek)! I would recommend you split up the journey with a stop in Queretaro or Jalpan, which are on the way.
If you are coming from Queretaro, you still have a long journey of about 6-7 hours! I recommend you stop at Pinal de Amoles or Jalpan on the way up. From either starting point, you can just take a bus that is destined for Jalpan or Xilitla. In the Jalpan bus station, there are buses for Xilitla every hour. The whole journey from Queretaro to Xilitla should not cost more than 300-400 pesos.
(Jalpan is a pueblo magico with 1 of 5 UNESCO World Heritage Franciscan Missions, a pretty reservoir, and some beautiful waterfalls nearby! Pinal de Amoles is a nearby village in the pines that could be its own pueblo magico too, with its own charm and forested hikes.)
Where to stay:
Congrats, you made it! If you arrive in daylight you will instantly see why arriving here is well worth your journey. With a kind of mountain air and architecture that reminds me of villages in the Andes mountains, this place instantly feels special. If you are a backpacker, I can’t say enough good things about Hostel Sukha. I arrived on a long weekend in May and there were only 3 guests and 2 lovely young staff, and you could tell they were the kind of travelers that again, like to get off the beaten path. For just $10 a night I got a bed with a charging port and fan and access to the most stunning rooftop that overlooks the valley.
It didn’t appear that there were many other hostels in town and this place was beautiful and clean, so I will definitely be staying there again!
What to do:
If you have done a tiny bit of research on this town, you probably have Edward James’ Sculpture Garden on the top of your list. This place is ethereal and makes you feel like you are indeed in the opening scene of Indiana Jones, a forgotten world covered by vines and greenery. I will let the pictures speak for itself... Edward James, an old English writer, spent the later half of his life building this place built on his funky surrealist visions. The mandatory tour will explain all that to you and more, but here is the stuff you gotta know before you go…
Do NOT just show up! You need to either buy tickets in advance online (they sell out fast!) or do what I did and go at 7 or 8 AM to the main plaza (not the garden) and line up to buy will-call tickets. The cost is 160 pesos ($8 USD) and you have to pay the obligatory guide at the garden an additional 25 pesos. If it’s a busy weekend, the earlier you line up the better, I got there at 7am to line up and secured a ticket for 9 am entrance.
The tour at the garden is in Spanish, by default! However, I heard one trick to securing a ticket is actually to go on the English tour which is only offered a few times a day, so I would recommend you try that!
You can walk there from the pueblo but it is very hilly and takes a while, so give yourself time to arrive by your ticketed time!
The crowds! I honestly could not really enjoy myself because I was neck-and-neck with other tourists for our whole 2 hour tour, and only managed to get my own pictures and peace by lingering behind my group. I totally get that crowds are part of things nowadays, but I honestly couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed by all the people. (The locals tell me it used to be even more crowded before they had ticketed tours and the pandemic, so quien sabe?!)
Leaving the garden, you will wanna take advantage of the other food and souvenir stands at the exit, or just walk a few meters down the road to go to the Cascada Comales. I didn’t go this time so that I could leave myself an adventure for a future trip, but it is just a short hike down and a 70 peso entrance and a lovely fall!
I walked back to town from there and on the way, there is another (free!) waterfall at La Cebolla. I went here on an afternoon and took a little dip all to myself but be warned, the water is freeeezing
If you coincide your trip with a Sunday, you’re in luck because Xilitla has a beautiful tradition of putting on live huapango music and dance in the main plaza in the afternoon. Elderly couples with some awesome dance skills dance the afternoon away, and learning the basics of huapango is so easy! Try out the zapateado step for yourself just by feeling the flow of the music. Afterwards, cool off with some local fruit juice and foods in the market, which is one of the most impressive markets I’ve seen in a pueblo.
Other activities I didn’t get to try this time were going to a nearby rock cave, another waterfall, or going to Edward James' castle in town. As with a lot of places, probably the best thing to do in Xilitla is simply go for an aimless stroll up the hilly streets, tuck your head into artisan shops, and grab a coffee because most of the coffee beans are locally grown! If you are traveling through Mexico with a car or hopping around on transport, you'll likely keep heading north after Xililta because you still have the whole rest of the Huasteca to explore.
Me with the traditional embroidery of the Huasteca, and a group of huapangueros!
Where to eat:
You can't go wrong with a cafeteria here, and I got really lucky walking into Terraza Cafeto in the town center which had a stunning balcony.
For about 120 pesos I got a coffee and some food here and was in heaven reading my book among the glorious view. Admittedly, I cooked just about all the rest of my meals in my hostel, so you will have to visit Xilitla and give me your food recommendations!
In conclusion...
Xilitla was awesome and even though it was great for a weekend away, it would also be the kind of place I would gladly stay for a couple of weeks just to enjoy the vibes, beautiful weather, views, and the culture. If you're gonna make the journey to get out there, you might as well stick around and enjoy the views, right?
