Zacatlán, Mexico: Part 2 -Local Cusine & Unique Traditions
In part two from Zacatlán—a Pueblo Mágico tucked in Mexico’s apple-growing highlands—David sits down with Angelica Herrera, owner of Casa Madera, to unpack the region’s soul-warming cuisine, misty canyon scenery, and adventure options that have long made this town a beloved escape for Mexicans. Expect talk of apple fairs and parades, glass-balcony waterfall viewpoints, and rustic-modern stays perched right on the cliff’s edge.
Top Things to See & Do
- Barranca de los Jilgueros (Canyon Viewpoints) – A sweeping cliff panorama that often fills with morning fog—one of Zacatlán’s signature sights.
- Waterfalls Circuit –
Cascada San Pedro: Close to town and easy to reach.
Cascada Las Brisas: Features a glass lookout balcony with dramatic canyon views.
Cascadas de Tulimán: A towering, multi-drop fall and a local favorite for hikers.
- “Piedras Mágicas” Off-Road Route – Rugged forest outcrops and stone columns reached by razor/ATV or 4×4; otherworldly rock formations and riverborn springs tucked in the woods.
- Caves & Ziplining – Guided cave treks through underground rivers plus zipline runs over the canopy—easy to pair with a waterfalls day.
- Apple Culture – Cider tastings, apple wines, and seasonal specialties echo the town’s heritage (and make great souvenirs).
When to Go
- Best months: April–June for clear skies and fresh mountain air.
- August: The beloved Feria de la Manzana (Apple Fair)—parades, performances, and yes… people on floats tossing apples into the crowd. Bring quick reflexes and a sense of humor.
Where to Eat & Drink
- Casa Fernández – A local favorite for regional flavors and inventive plates (look for the mole lasagna and excellent cocktails).
- Casa Orno – More international leaning (handmade pastas, wood-fired touches) at fair prices.
- Mi Viejo Pueblito (at Casa San Miguel) – Charming courtyard setting for Puebla-style comfort food.
- Apple Everything – Try pan con queso (cheese bread served at the start of many meals), tlayoyos (stuffed corn-dough triangles with salsas, cheese, and crema), plus ciders and apple liqueurs from local producers.
Where to Stay
- Casa Madera – Cliff-edge, rustic–modern boutique with minimalist design and 180° canyon views that often float on a sea of fog. Perfect for “slow mornings, big views.”
- Casa San Miguel – An 18th-century home turned boutique hotel (spa, temazcal, cowork, onsite restaurant). Central, atmospheric, and lovingly restored.
- Montra Glamping – Design-forward domes and tiny-home chalets on the ridgeline, plus a spa—ideal for a cozy, Instagrammable mountain escape.
Important to Note
- Easy pairing with Mexico City – Zacatlán is about 2–3 hours by car from CDMX and pairs beautifully with a capital-city itinerary for a deeper, non-beach look at Mexico.
Final Thoughts
Zacatlán trades surf and sand for mist, moss, and mountain air—with hearty Puebla cuisine and adventure at the doorstep. It’s the perfect counterpoint to Mexico City: creative, calm, and proudly local.
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Transcript
Foreign.
Speaker B:This is part two of our look at Zacatalan, Mexico.
Speaker B:And if you had a chance to join us last week, you're going to know Zacatalan is definitely a bit of a different side of Mexico somewhere.
Speaker B:Quite different than most of the typical Mexican holiday destinations.
Speaker B:Today we're going to be getting a little bit about the unique regional gastronomy here, some of the unique traditions in the area, as we sit down with another one of the locals here in Sakatalan.
Speaker A:My name is Angelica Herrera Saucedo and I am the owner of Casa Madera.
Speaker C:For people who have never been here before, can you maybe just paint the picture a little bit?
Speaker C:What is it like here?
Speaker C:I mean, why would people want to come here?
Speaker A:Zacataran, you know, it offers a unique, wonderful experience in the mountains.
Speaker A:The place itself, the whole town is very magical.
Speaker A:I know it received the title Pueblo Magico and it has one of the biggest cliffs called the Barranca Los Figleros in Mexico.
Speaker A:It's one of the biggest ones.
Speaker A:It is breathtaking, definitely.
Speaker A:I highly recommend you visit it.
Speaker A:It has so much to offer.
Speaker A:The culture, you know, gastronomy experiences, adventures.
Speaker A:It has it all.
Speaker A:It really does.
Speaker C:I think this is, I mean, when a lot of people think of a Mexican holiday, this is not necessarily the first thing that comes to mind.
Speaker C:They're thinking of beach holidays, they're maybe thinking of Mexico City or some of those types of destinations.
Speaker C:This is, I mean, from what I've seen, at least in the short time I've been here, very, very different.
Speaker C:I mean, it's an apple growing region for one thing.
Speaker C:So you've got, I'm assuming from what we've seen here this last week, a much more moderate climate.
Speaker C:When is the best time to come?
Speaker A:The best time to come is definitely in April, May, June, you know, August.
Speaker A:We have our town fair and we really go out loud.
Speaker C:Tell me a bit about it.
Speaker A:Well, that's when you crop the apples and it's also very religious town, so we celebrate our Virgin.
Speaker A:And so a lot of famous groups come, a lot of ceremonies and we have a big, big parade, Huge parade.
Speaker A:Was my first one this year and I was in awe.
Speaker A:It, it, it really blew my mind.
Speaker A:I highly recommend you come in August.
Speaker C:Tell me a bit about that.
Speaker C:What's, like, what is a parade here like?
Speaker C:What's, how's it different than a, than the Rose bowl parade?
Speaker A:You know, it's kind of like a lot of businesses participate.
Speaker A:It's a competition, there's a prize, and they become very creative.
Speaker A:And very, like, very artistic, very, very competitive.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:And the fun thing is that on the floats, they have a lot of apples.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:And they throw them at people.
Speaker A:And I said, oh, my God, would people not get hurt?
Speaker A:Well, you.
Speaker A:You have to be ready.
Speaker A:And, yes, you do get hurt.
Speaker A:You know, you get hit on the eye, on the head.
Speaker A:But it's part of the fun, you know, it's part of the full.
Speaker A:You know, it's part of the show.
Speaker C:This sounds like a few weeks ago, I was in Ecuador and they were doing fireworks at a festival there, and it was almost like the running of the bulls.
Speaker C:Everyone tries to get very close to the fireworks.
Speaker C:And I thought, oh, I'm sure you won't get hurt.
Speaker C:I went right to the front of the line.
Speaker C:I literally had my pants caught on fire.
Speaker C:He gets one of the fireworks.
Speaker C:So I am afraid of the apples.
Speaker C:Now this sounds.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:You have to be really, really ready to catch.
Speaker C:Ready to dodge.
Speaker A:Ready to catch.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Or Dutch.
Speaker A:Yes, either one.
Speaker A:But then you keep those.
Speaker A:Those apples and then you go home and you make your apple pie.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker C:And that seems to be a huge part of the cuisine.
Speaker C:Like, apple is used in everything here.
Speaker A:Everything.
Speaker A:Sauces.
Speaker C:Hot sauces, cider, ease, apples, wines, even.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker A:And so a lot of cidery tasting.
Speaker A:There's so much.
Speaker A:You really have to come and experience it and live it.
Speaker A:Live the experience.
Speaker C:My sense is, from talking to people here, is that Puebla is also quite known from a gastronomy standpoint as well, that this whole region seems to be quite known for its cuisine.
Speaker C:And it's quite unique cuisine.
Speaker A:It is very unique.
Speaker A:Very soul food per se.
Speaker A:You know, for better choice of words.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:It's very homey, very delicious.
Speaker C:Is there a dish that someone should absolutely try if they.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:La coyos.
Speaker B:La coyos.
Speaker C:I haven't tried that yet.
Speaker A:Of course, mole is, you know, one of the main dishes for Puebla as a.
Speaker A:As a whole, as a state.
Speaker A:But, you know, tacoyos, and then there's.
Speaker C:And what is La coyos?
Speaker A:Tacoyos is like a little triangle.
Speaker C:Oh, I have tried.
Speaker C:Yes.
Speaker A:It's like a dough.
Speaker A:Corn dough filled with.
Speaker A:I think it's chickpea.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker A:And depending on.
Speaker A:On who's making them, you know, it could be with, you know, chickpea or also potato, mashed potato, or.
Speaker C:It seems to be breakfast, popular breakfast dish.
Speaker A:Cover with green sauce, your cheese and your sour cream.
Speaker C:There's also, I notice, everywhere I go here, it seems that every meal they serve a cheese bread that seems to be very popular here as well.
Speaker A:Oh my God.
Speaker A:Well, Zakatlanis known and the creators of Ban con Queso.
Speaker A:Yeah, it's everywhere it's offered and they.
Speaker C:Seem to serve it at the beginning of every meal I have.
Speaker B:It's delicious.
Speaker B:That's great.
Speaker C:In terms of like top things to do in the area.
Speaker C:Any, any ones that kind of jump to mind right away.
Speaker A:Well, for sure.
Speaker A:Things to do if you're here.
Speaker A:Depending on how many days you really need to come, minimum two days.
Speaker A:If you are the adventurous type of.
Speaker A:I highly recommend you do the abts.
Speaker A:Here they call it four wheelers.
Speaker A:You go on a route.
Speaker A:It takes you to different parts of town and its surroundings.
Speaker A:But the main thing you need to and you must, must, must experience is the waterfalls.
Speaker A:We have three of them.
Speaker A:We have one that is literally five minute drive with San Pedro waterfall.
Speaker A:But if you want to go to the main, main one, it's called Las Brisas and it has a glass balcony like a.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:So it's very, it's very, very nice.
Speaker C:And is that the one I read somewhere in the area is the second highest waterfall in Mexico.
Speaker C:Is that the one?
Speaker A:Okay, that's the third one I was going to mention.
Speaker A:Tuliman.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:It's a must see is quite the.
Speaker C:Aspect and it seems like lots of.
Speaker C:I mean as you wake up here, you're.
Speaker C:You're in the mountains.
Speaker C:You're often surrounded by sort of the, the fog in the mountains.
Speaker C:A lot of mountain adventure activities around.
Speaker C:We did a great cave trip here a few days ago to a nearby cave Exploration, ziplining.
Speaker C:There's, there's a lot going on here from an adventure travel standpoint it seems.
Speaker A:Did you do the sight line?
Speaker C:I haven't done the ziplining.
Speaker A:Yes, no, please do.
Speaker A:Don't go, don't go without doing it.
Speaker A:It's.
Speaker A:You feel like you're flying.
Speaker A:It wasn't scary at all.
Speaker A:It looks scary, but it's actually liberating.
Speaker A:That's how I felt.
Speaker C:We talked a little bit about what to eat.
Speaker B:What about where to eat.
Speaker C:Have you got any local favorites maybe that people don't know about?
Speaker A:Well, believe it or not, my favorite is Casa Fernandez.
Speaker C:Is that the one?
Speaker C:The fastest street from wherever we go.
Speaker C:Yeah, it is delicious.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:Great restaurant.
Speaker A:Every dish I've tried most of them.
Speaker A:They're really good.
Speaker A:They don't disappoint.
Speaker A:And the drinks are really, really.
Speaker C:The drinks were very good.
Speaker C:I confess to that.
Speaker C:And bartender, I heard I didn't get to try it.
Speaker C:But I heard they have a very good mescalina.
Speaker C:Well, mescalina and a very good mole lasagna.
Speaker C:Somebody told me it's very good as well.
Speaker A:There you go.
Speaker A:Last night, I'm more of a tequila mezcal girl.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:But.
Speaker A:Yeah, another one is called Casa Orno, but that one you find down the block.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:And it's.
Speaker A:It's about the same price, and the food is really good.
Speaker A:It's more international.
Speaker A:It has more pastas.
Speaker A:You know, if you're trying something, it's more like for the locals, they want to eat something different, you know?
Speaker A:But Casa Fernanda has more of the dishes of more traditional.
Speaker C:The traditional and regional dishes that.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:And then Ami Viejo Poblito, which is by Hotel Casa San Miguel.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:It's a really nice one, too.
Speaker C:Is that the restaurant that's right.
Speaker C:In the hotel there?
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:I had lunch there the other day.
Speaker B:It was lovely.
Speaker C:It's very nice.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker C:And a really nice setting as well.
Speaker A:Very, very elegant, very clean.
Speaker A:Everyone's very hospitable.
Speaker A:Everyone's.
Speaker C:That was a beautiful hotel.
Speaker C:My understanding is that one's been there for a very, very long time.
Speaker A:The building itself.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:As a hotel, I think they've been there for five years.
Speaker B:Very nice hotel and spa there.
Speaker C:Your hotel had a chance to see a little bit of today.
Speaker C:Looks phenomenal.
Speaker C:Do you want to talk a little bit about that?
Speaker A:Yes, of course.
Speaker A:Casa Madera.
Speaker A:We've been in the market for two years now.
Speaker A:And what's unique about Casa Madera is that we're right on the edge of the cliff, and you get a whole, like, 180 view of the whole majestic cliff that you already saw and of the city also.
Speaker A:What's beautiful is that the fog comes and fills it, and it looks like an ocean you want to throw yourself, but please don't.
Speaker A:And so it's one of the beauties.
Speaker C:Of Casa Madera and really kind of very modern design.
Speaker C:Minimalists, I would say, sort of design.
Speaker C:Very Instagrammable.
Speaker A:Thank you.
Speaker A:Yeah, it's very.
Speaker A:My.
Speaker A:My idea was to have a rustic, modern concept.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:And, you know, a luxury in the moun.
Speaker A:And, you know, you're home away from home and, you know, so that you have a really nice rest after all the adventures.
Speaker A:A lot of people that have come.
Speaker A:A lot of my guests say, oh, my God, why have I been going to the beach when there's such a beautiful.
Speaker A:There's more to Mexico than beaches.
Speaker A:You know, there's so much more.
Speaker A:Mexico has so much more to offer.
Speaker A:And Zacatlan definitely has.
Speaker A:I'm not going to say it has at all, but you know, we're so near Mexico City.
Speaker A:We're two hours, two hours and a half ride to Mexico City, to Puebla City, to Veracruz.
Speaker A:The beach is three hours away.
Speaker A:You can go and come back, you know, spend the night over there and come back.
Speaker A:I think the location, Zacatlan's location is privileged.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker C:And it seems to be a big weekend destination for people living in Mexico City.
Speaker C:My sense is it would be a really good place that, you know, if you're going to explore Mexico City to pair together with.
Speaker C:I mean, to do a two or three day trip here together with a trip to Mexico City, you would get two very different sides of Mexico and two sides of Mexico that are getting you a lot deeper into the culture than the beach resorts and really getting in a different side of the side of the country for sure.
Speaker A:Absolutely.
Speaker A:Yes, I agree.
Speaker A:Thank you.
Speaker C:Terrific.
Speaker C:Thank you.
Speaker A:Thank you.
Speaker B:Well, I hope you enjoyed today's conversation in Zacatalon, Mexico.
Speaker B:Next week I'm going to be back together with Tim.
Speaker B:We're going to be heading off to another destination around the world.
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Speaker B:And as always, we'd love to get your comments, your suggestions, your questions and let us know what you think of the show.
Speaker A:Dad.
