Mazamitla

Mazamitla is a 1,000-year-old small town in the mountains of Jalisco, Mexico. With its abundant forests and rugged terrain, it is a popular weekend destination for active outdoorsmen and for young couples looking for a romantic small town getaway. The town has been designated as one of Mexico's Pueblos Mágicos.

Understand
The town of Mazamitla was founded by the Aztecs in 1165, conquered by the Purhepecha 300 years later, and a century later, conquered by the Spanish conquistadors. It's a peaceful place today, with very little conquering going on, but a lot of cool mountain air and cool traditional vibes. About 8,000 people live in the town itself with another 3,000 or so in the outlying farms and villages that are part of the greater municipal area.

The town is set in a mountainous area known as the Sierra del Tigre. Most of the landscape is pine forest hills. The highest mountain in the area is about 2800 meters (the two highest points are Cerro El Jackal and Cerro del Tigre). The climate is warm in the summer, but quite cool in fall, winter and spring. You'll want a jacket in the evening, which can get downright cold. The area has several springs, streams and rivers in it. The area gets quite a bit of natural rainfall with the wettest months from June through October. The mountain forests have quite a bit of biodiversity, from deer to porcupines, while bird watchers can find more than 100 avian species living in the pine and oak forests, including wild turkeys (which the locals call guajolote) and chachalaca.

Get in
The town is located about 140 km from Guadalajara, south of Lake Chapala.

By bus
Mazamitla has frequent bus service to and from Guadalajara through Autotransportes Mazamitla. It is a second-class bus line with older buses that are often dirty and that stop frequently in every small town and anyplace someone on the side of the road waves a hat. As a result, the trip takes almost 3 hours. Tickets cost M$150 (Nov 2023).



Get around
Uber and its fellow ride-hailing apps don't work in Mazamitla, but local taxis work, though there aren't enough to meet demand when weekenders arrive. Sitios are outside the bus station and in the town center at the zocalo. Fortunately, the town is small, compact, and very easily walkable, though you will want a taxi or a tour to visit the nearby forests, dam, and the El Salto waterfall.

Do





 * Outdoor activities in the nearby forests include: hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, climbing, and zip lining. Tours in town can be arranged that include guided trips to these places by horse or in safari trucks or ATVs.

Festivals

 * Festival de las Flores - last 2 weeks of October, includes flower shows, parades, and special events throughout town
 * Fiestas de San Cristobal - the town's patron saint is celebrated the second week in July

Buy




Sleep
There are hotels in town, but much of the magic of Mazamitla is its setting amid forested mountains. There are many cabanas that resemble Swiss mountain chalets or rustic log cabins. Many couples stay just outside Mazamitla for the romance and privacy of these cabanas.

Connect
Cell coverage is good in Mazamitla with 4G service available everywhere in town and reliable coverage on all roads heading out of town (though it might drop to 3G if you head south of Mazamitla). Internet and WiFi are available in most hotels and restaurants in town so you should have no trouble viewing Wikivoyage pages for more entertaining and informative travel info.

Go next

 * Ajijic
 * Colima
 * Volcan Nevado de Colima National Park