Calpan is a small town in the mountains of Puebla in Central Mexico. It is best known for its historic 16th century monastery, Convento San Andres Calpan, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It lays claim to being the cradle of Chiles en Nogada, an iconic dish of the state of Puebla.
Understand
[edit]The town is officially named San Andres Calpan after the 16th century monastery that is its most famous feature. As always though, nobody but the mayor ever uses the pompously long name. It's just Calpan. The town was initially settled by Nahuatl-speaking peoples long before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors and missionaries, Franciscans in the case of Calpan. Most people in town are of Nahua (Aztec) heritage and a large percentage speak Nahuatl, but of course, also speak Spanish. The town's primary industry is agriculture, particularly walnuts and fruit orchards.
Get in
[edit]The closest airport with commercial flights is Puebla International Airport (PBC IATA), also known as Hermanos Serdan Airport. From Puebla, the easiest way to get to Calpan is to simply take an Uber or taxi for the 30 km trip, which typically takes 30 minutes and costs about M$400.
Get around
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See
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- 1 Ex-convento San Andres de Calpan (Calpan Monastery), 16 de Septiembre. Historic 16th century Franciscan monastery established in 1548. The church features four processional entries called capillas posas as well as a dizzying array of relief sculptures depicting biblical scenes. The main altar includes a portrayal of St. Andrew (San Andres) made from bird feathers. The two-story convent features arched walkways facing outwards. The complex is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
- 2 La Rotonda, Fco. Madero 306, Primera Secc. Traffic roundabout with a bronze sculpture in the middle depicting the legendary love story of Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl with the two volcanoes visible in the background.
- 3 Capilla De Nuestra Señora De Guadalupe (Virgin of Guadalupe Chapel), Avenue Narciso Mendoza 35, Primera Secc. Small 17th century chapel.
Do
[edit]- 1 Cabalgatas Pueblo Calpan, 5 de Mayo, ☏ +52 227 105 1458. Daily 10ː00 - 19ː00. Horse stables offering riding lessons and guided rides on the trails near the Iztacchuatl and Popocateptl volcanoes. Guided hikes and mountain bike rides are also offered.
- 2 Teaacazitli, Calpan, ☏ +52 222 999 6956. Daily 09ː00 - 17ː00. Environmentally friendly eco-retreat with a butterfly hatchery, forest trails, streams and woods. Homemade food available (including grasshopper quesadillas). Rustic campsites available including palapas and hammocks.
- Hiking is popular in this area, with its many forested hills and nearby volcanoes. The San Andres Calpan Circuit is a moderately difficult 10.7-mile trail that would fill most of a day.
Festivals
[edit]- Feria del Chile en Nogada - the town's most unique celebration is a tribute to Puebla's signature dish, the red, white and green chile en nogada, which is a poblano Chile stuffed with meat and diced fruits and topped with a walnut cream sauce sprinkled with bright red pomegranate. The festival takes place around late July to early August.
Buy
[edit]Eat
[edit]- 1 Los Jarrones, San Antonio 11, Tercera Secc, ☏ +52 227 115 9061. Daily 09ː00 - 19ː00, closed M-Sa. Upscale traditional restaurant serving regional Pueblan (Poblano) cuisine, particularly chiles en nogada, the house specialty. M$400.
- 2 La Palapa Calpan, Pensador Mexicano 4, Segunda Secc, ☏ +52 222 863 9475. Daily 10ː00 - 18ː00. Comfortably casual place to sit outside and enjoy chiles en nogales or other dishes. Meals are served with bread and spaghetti. Unusual ice cream flavors are available for dessert, including walnut ice cream and blue corn ice cream. Ample off-street parking available. M$300.
- 3 La Veranda, Francisco Madero, Primera Secc. Sa-Su 12ː00 - 18ː30, closed M-F. Like every restaurant in town, the specialty is chile en nogada. At this restaurant it's served with a soup and spaghetti. The fruit flavored aguas frescas are quite good. Off-street parking lot available. M$300.
- 4 Taqueria El Poblano, 5 de Mayo 18, Tercera Secc, ☏ +52 227 153 2598. Daily 16ː00 - 23ː30. Just for the sake of argument you wanted something to eat other than chile en nogada, is there any place in town you can go? Yes, Taqueria El Poblano. It's a typical Mexico City style taqueria with everything from tacos arabes, to suadero. It's also a great place for cheap eats on the go. M$100.
Drink
[edit]- 1 Entreerres Viñedos, Carretera Huejotzingo Nealtican, km 8, ☏ +52 222 535 4454. F-Su 12ː00 - 19ː00. Small winery offering vineyard tours, wine tastings, and light food including fresh baked pizza from a brick oven and a variety of Spanish tapas.
Sleep
[edit]- 1 Meson del Abuelo, Segunda Secc, ☏ +52 227 482 2180. Check-in: 15ː00, check-out: 12ː00. Small traditional Mexican hotel with rooms on two levels set around an interior courtyard. Rooms are spacious, clean and well equipped with good WiFi and plenty of hot water. Off-street parking is available. The in-house restaurant serves and excellent homestyle breakfast as well as dinner. It's the only hotel in town, but fortunately, is well run and affordable.