Tlayacapan is one of these secret weekend getaways that's not that secret. For jaded Mexico City visitors, that means it's actually home to a bunch of good hotels, and finding one that's affordable can feel like quite a victory. It's do-able. Found in 1539, it's also a heavy duty cultural destination, and it's all set in a magical fantastic landscape of green not too distant mountains and poetic desert planes and meadows.

The town is perhaps most famous for the brinco del chínelo dancers. They perform especially during Carnival and again at Holy Week. The fusion of indigenous and colonial impunity make the performances spectacular. Dancers do jumps to the rhythm of the music in colorful costumes and masks. La Banda de Tlayacapan is said to be the oldest Banda group in Mexico, established in about 1870. They break out their mix of brass and reed music for just about every major civic event. They've also toured most of the Western World. They're widely recognized and award winning.

The town was laid out well before the arrival of the Spanish. Organized hikes often arrive to the cave paintings and the Tlatoani archaeological corridor. The San Juan Bautista monastery is a rather mandatory visit. It includes a striking museum, and it's a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Tlayacapan is arguably most famous for the red pipián. The green pipián is sometimes offered as an alternative. But the local culinary scene is also big on mole de fiesta, and the bean and salt tamales.

Local artisans are celebrated for the wax flaked pottery, engravings, wood carvings and for everything related to the chínelo costumes. That means embroidery and the masks themselves.

Annual festivities most noted are as follows

Carnival of Tlayacapan
Feast of San Juan (June 24)
National Encounter of Banda
Festival del Barro (Clay Festival in October)

Visitors most frequently arrive to Tlayacapan via the Terminal Central Del Sur outside of Metro Taxqueña. Ómnibus Cristóbal Colón (OCC), Pullman de Morelos, and Transportes Estrella Roja de Cuautla all run direct buses to Tlayacapan. Trips generally take about 2.5 hours or a little longer.