Ixmiquilpan

Ixmiquilpan is a town in central Hidalgo, Mexico. Set in the heart of Mexico's volcano belt, this picturesque riverfront colonial town is famous for its hot mineral springs. This is the weekend playground of Hidalgo. Dozens of spas and water parks in and around the town make it a popular family destination.

Understand
Ixmiquilpan is a small city with a population of about 37,000 (2020 census). It was settled by the Hñahñus, a subculture of the Otomi indigenous people, along the banks of the Tula River. The Otomi would later be dominated by the Toltec and eventually the Aztec, but all of these peoples shared some common culture, and all spoke the Nahuatl language (and as much as a third of the town's population still do).

Spanish invaders moved into the area and established Ixmiquilpan as a town in 1530. Augustinian monks settled in the area and established the Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel in 1550 (though the church and monastery were big projects that wouldn't be completed until the early 1600's). The Chapel of Nuestra Señora del Carmen was built by Patricio Joseph Tovar between 1752 and 1772.

By car
Ixmiquilpan is 164 km (102 miles) from Mexico City; 76 km (47 miles) from Pachuca; 64 km (40 miles) from Tula; and 149 km (92 miles) from Querétaro.

By bus
From Pachuca, Ovnibus operates up to 5 buses per day (5 on weekends, 2-3 daily on slower weekdays). Prices vary from M$80 to M$200 for the 2-hour ride.



Get around
Walking is the best way to get around within the town but taxis are a necessity for exploring the areas outside of town. A taxi sitio is at Plaza Juarez, in the heart of Ixmiquilpan’s centro historico.

Water parks
Hot mineral springs provide 38 °C water that's perfect for relaxing the muscles. Spas have operated in the town for decades, but since 2000, they've been eclipsed in fame by large water parks that cater to families. Some of these have big water slides, lazy rivers for floating along in inner tubes, and big wave pools that mimic the feel of being at the beach. Most provide campgrounds. There are also cabins for rent nearby.



Caves
Several caves are close to town. Xoxafi started out as Grutas Xoxafi, offering cave access for spelunkers as well as basic tours for the general public. Those are still available though they now offer many other activities.



Festivals

 * Feast of Santo Niño de Atocha, last weekend in January. Includes amusement rides, traditional dances, cultural events, and lots of food and music.

Go next

 * Pachuca
 * Tula