The Villa del Carbón is a high mountain town of Otomi history and people. It\'s nearly always cooler than Mexico City and gets far more rain than many other places in the greater Mexico City area. For all that water, it\'s a major source of trout, which is also a mainstay on local menus. People come to spend time by the lakes created by the dams at Taxhimay, El Llano, Molinitos, and Benito Juárez. The lakes provide a nice setting for all kinds of outdoor activities, among them mountain biking, hiking, rappelling, swimming, jet skiing, kayaking, canoeing, sailing, and sport fishing, to name just a few.
The town has a great selection of hotels and vacation rentals, but people come to camp out or hook up their RVs. The Taxhimay Dam dates from 1934 when the little town of San Luís de las Peras was lost to the waters. The church tower, still visible, provides the iconic photo opportunity although it\'s probably only the second most famous flooded church in Mexico. (The Temple of Quechula in Chiapas is arguably more famous, but only when the reservoir water levels drop.)
Villa del Carbón is one of numerous localities in the area and acts as a central meeting place for nearly all of them. Very much a ranching town, in addition to the coal mining that put it on the map, the town hosts the most important women\'s charrería events. Located somewhere between rodeo and dressage, charrería events for male and female riders are big in the area and attract horse-riders and trainers and enthusiasts from all over the country.
The anniversary of the town, each 10th of March is likely one of the biggest celebrations. No matter when you visit, you\'ll find something so far afield from Mexico City, you\'ll wonder that it\'s so close.
Visitors who aren\'t driving will find transit options from Tepeji de Ocampo. It\'s a town to the north in Hidalgo with regular bus service. A taxi from there takes about 35 minutes. Taxis from Villa del Carbón also circulate as far east as Tepotzotlán. A taxi from Tepozotlan takes a little longer, but one can also find combi service running regular routes from here.
