Xilitla, a town of 10,000, located 3,281 feet up the slopes of the Sierra Madre, has a 16th-century church and mission. It's in the tropics; the best weather is found July through February. To get there, fly to Mexico City and catch a connecting flight to Tampico (about one hour) on Mexicana Airlines. In Tampico, rent a car. Arrive early in the day, as it's a good four-hour drive to Xilitla— or spend the night at the Hotel Camino Real, which has a pool, or at the Best Western Inglaterra Hotel, on Tampico's town square. The first stretch of the road is potholed; later it winds into the mountains but is in good condition.
WHERE TO STAY
Posada El Castillo
Ask for Carmen Arroyo or Henry Miller, the managers. There are eight rooms. One overlooks a swimming pool, another faces the courtyard and its concrete footprints. On the second floor, three have cathedral-like windows and high ceilings. Delicious dinners can be ordered in advance and are served in the communal dining room. Breakfast is usually huevos rancheros and tortillas huastecas.
DOUBLES FROM $45. 105 CALLE OCAMPO, 52-489/365-0038; www.junglegossip.com
Casa de los Peristillos
Recently restored by architect Christopher Owen in the Surrealist manner, this house on the ground of Las Pozas is now available for rent.
www.architecturalescapes.com
WHERE TO EAT
Tacos are sold on the main square all week long; market day is Sunday.
Cayos
A large restaurant on the main square, with a jukebox, a view over palm trees, and good, basic food: tostadas, carne asada, and fantastically crunchy fried chicken. Enchiladas huastecas—fried, cheese-filled tortillas topped with red salsa—is one of the house specialties.
CALLE ALVARADO, NO PHONE
La Curva
This restaurant in Huichihuayán, at the foot of the mountains before the climb to Xilitla, serves delicious seafood. (Ask for directions at La Posada.)
ATTRACTIONS
Las Pozas, just down the hill from town, can be reached by car (park at the main entrance), on foot (a 20-minute walk through the woods), or by communal taxi (near the main square— pile in with eight or nine people, and it will cost $5). There is a terraced café overlooking a waterfall just past the admission booth. (You could spend the whole day there.) It is best to avoid the site on weekends, when crowds appear. If you follow the loop clockwise you'll see most of the structures. The stairs can be steep, and most have no railings; some spiral upward and are not recommended for anyone prone to vertigo. A thorough tour will take a couple of hours. See the house called Homage to Max Ernst, across the street from Las Pozas: make an appointment through La Posada.
There are many waterfalls in the region, including the 345-foot Cascada de Tamul; set aside a full day for this excursion, as it takes two hours just to cross the river. The Huastecs have inhabited the region for thousands of years. Huastec women can still be seen wearing quechquémitls— folded white cloth head-wraps. Visit the village of Aquismón, a 45-minute drive, with its pink-and-white church and enchanting park and waterfall, on Saturday, which is market day; see Tancanhuitz, or Ciudad Santos, a town tucked into a narrow tree-covered valley, on Sunday.
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