Actopan

Actopan is a small city in Central Mexico in the Mezquital Valley in the state of Hidalgo. It is 35 km from the state capital of Pachuca and 125 km from Mexico City. It is a lively city with several festivals, known for its colonial heritage and for its tasty local cuisine, especially variations of barbacoa.

Understand
Actopan has a population of about 30,000 (2020). The city lies within the Trans-Mexican Volcano Belt and occasionally experiences earthquakes and tremors.

The area was first settled by the Otomi indigenous people. It was conquered by the Chichimeca in 1117, by the Tepanecs in the 14th century, by the Mexicas/Aztecs in 1427, and by the Spanish in 1546.

The first orders of business for the Spanish were to build an aqueduct and a church (some of the oldest structures in town). The first major church to be built was San Nicolás de Tolentino, an Augustinian monastery, which was constructed between 1550 and 1570. During the 17th and 18th centuries many local indigenous people were taken to other towns in Hidalgo as forced labor for mines (the ugly side of Mexico's "proud silver mining tradition").

The 1910s was a period of revolution in Mexico and several actions took place in and near Actopan. Since then, the town has continued to grow slowly as a peaceful and somewhat prosperous community.

The climate is temperate and semi-dry. The coolest and driest months are December-February while summer is the wettest season of the year with May being the warmest month.

By taxi
A taxi from Pachuca to Actopan will cost about M$200 for the 30-minute ride. This is the easiest, fastest, and most flexible way to get there.

By bus
From Pachuca, Ovnibus has a direct route from Villas de Pachuca to Actopan with one bus at 6pm daily arriving one hour later in Actopan. The fare is about M$100.

From Mexico City, take Metro to Indios Verdes where you can catch a Futura bus to Villas de Pachuca, then take the 18:00 Ovnibus from there to Actopan.



Get around
The town is compact and easily walkable, though taxis will be useful for getting around outside the central downtown area.

Do



 * Feast of San Nicolas, held on September 10 (or days earlier), the festival honors the town's patron saint with many activities taking place at the Church of San Nicolás de Tolentino and the Plaza Juarez. There are religious ceremonies, traditional dance and music, regional food, and carnival rides and midway games.
 * Day of the Dead (Dia de Muertos), November 1-2, Day of the Dead is celebrated throughout Mexico, but particularly in towns with a large indigenous population. The holiday is taken seriously in Actopan with people trying to outdo each other to create the most elaborate ofrenda (altar).

Buy

 * Wednesday tianguis, tianguis are market days that often follow pre-Hispanic indigenous traditions. In Actopan, Wednesday has been the traditional market day for more than 500 years. Vendors arrive early in the morning to set up tables and canvas awnings. They spread out just about anything a person might want, from sweet pecan rolls to engraved leather belts. Food vendors set up grills and barbecue pits offering a taste of secret family recipes.
 * Wednesday tianguis, tianguis are market days that often follow pre-Hispanic indigenous traditions. In Actopan, Wednesday has been the traditional market day for more than 500 years. Vendors arrive early in the morning to set up tables and canvas awnings. They spread out just about anything a person might want, from sweet pecan rolls to engraved leather belts. Food vendors set up grills and barbecue pits offering a taste of secret family recipes.

Eat
Pit-barbecued pork is delicious no matter where you find it. Barbacoa is popular everywhere in Hidalgo, but in Actopan, a peculierly local style of pit-barbecued pork has been made by the indigenous Mexica peoples since long before the arrival of the Spaniards. The Actopan specialty is called Ximbo. It is flavored with chiles, oregano, and cumin and cooked with nopalitos (prickly pear cactus leaves) and onions in agave wrappings. Ximbo is seldom seen far from Actopan and a curious traveler will want to seek it out.



Drink
As in most of Central Mexico, pulque is the traditional drink to try.

Go next

 * Ixmiquilpan
 * Pachuca
 * Mineral del Monte