Zacatlán

Zacatlán is a city, and the surrounding municipality of the same name, in the northern region of the Mexican state of Puebla. It is renowned as one of the country's foremost apple-growing regions, and is so sometimes called "Zacatlán de las Manzanas". The local cider is famous, as is the traditional "pan de Zacatlán", sweet pastries with cheese fillings.

Name

The name "Zacatlán" comes from the Nahuatl "zacatl" ("zacate", a type of grass) and "tlan" ("place"): it thus means "place of abundant zacate".

Geography

:Coordinates: 19° 55' N, 97° 58' WZacatlán is located at a height of 2,010 m above sea level in the Sierra Norte de Puebla, on the left bank of the Río Laxaxalpa. It is surrounded by the municipalities of Chignahuapán, Aquixtla, Tetela de Ocampo, Cuautempan, Tepetzintla, Ahuacatlán, Chiconcuautla, Ahuazotepec and Huauchinango. The municipality covers a total area of 512.32 km².

The climate is wet, with year-long rains.

In the 2000 INEGI census, the municipality reported a population of 62,788, with 28,773 in the municipal seat.

Points of interest

*The Franciscan Convent, work on which began in 1562.
*Municipal Palace, built in the neo-classical style between 1876 and 1896.
*The floral clock in the main square, the only one in the world with two faces moved by the same mechanism.
*"Relojes Centenario": Clock factory and museum, manufacturers of the floral clock and many other monumental timepieces found across the country and overseas.
*"Los Claustros": The former cloisters of the Franciscan Convent, now used as a community cultural centre.
*"Casa de los Tormentos": A colonial house used as the local headquarters of the Holy Inquisition.

References

*
*http://www.zacatlan.gob.mx Website of the municipal government