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Voykit pocket guide · Mexico
Actopan
Give Actopan one night, or a half-day from Pachuca: the ex-convent murals and ximbo are the reason to come, not the town itself.
Actopan is a small Mezquital Valley city 35 km north of Pachuca, known for a 16th-century Augustinian monastery with indigenous-painted murals and for ximbo, a pit-barbecued pork style found almost nowhere else. The centre is walkable in an afternoon; most travellers pair it with Pachuca or Ixmiquilpan rather than staying long.
- Country
- Mexico
- Best months
- Mar–May, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jun–Sep (rain), late Dec–early Jan (cold nights)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- MXN
- Money
- Currency is the Mexican peso (MXN, $). Cards work in hotels, chains and many restaurants; markets, street food, small shops and colectivos are cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget M$400–700 excl. bed · Mid M$700–1,300 excl. bed · High M$1,300+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Telcel has the widest coverage; AT&T and Movistar are cheaper in cities. SIMs sell at OXXO shops and phone stores; registration with an ID may be requested — check.
- Emergency
- All emergencies 911 · Tourist assistance (SECTUR) 078 · Green Angels roadside help 078
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 127 V · 60 Hz · US plugs fit; many older sockets have no earth pin.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: 10–15%; check the bill for an included 'servicio'.; Bars: MXN 10–20 per drink or 10%.; Petrol station attendants: MXN 10–20; more for windscreen and tyres.; Guides and drivers: 10% or MXN 200–400 a day.; Supermarket baggers (often older volunteers): MXN 5–10.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap; garrafón (20-litre jugs) and filtered water in hotels.
- Toilets
- Put paper in the bin, not the toilet, in most places; public toilets charge MXN 5–10.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or atole | M$25–50 |
| Plate of barbacoa or ximbo with tortillas | M$120–250 |
| Aguas frescas | M$25–45 |
| Beer in a bar / from a shop | M$40–70 / M$20–35 |
| Taxi within the centre | M$40–70 (check) |
| Bus Actopan → Pachuca | M$100 (check) |
| Museum entry (ex-convent) | M$50–100 (check) |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- MEX · Mexico City Benito Juárez
- Bus from Indios Verdes terminal to Pachuca, then onward to Actopan; about 3–4 h door to door
- NLU · Felipe Ángeles (Santa Lucía)
- Closer to the north side of Mexico City; onward by bus or car via Pachuca
Typical fares
- Taxi Pachuca → Actopan
- about M$200, 30 min (check)
- Bus Pachuca → Actopan
- about M$100, about 1 h (check)
- Grutas Xoxafí entry
- from about M$800 (check)
Get around
The centre is flat and walkable; Plaza Juárez, the ex-convent and the market are within about 10 minutes of each other. Use taxis for Grutas Xoxafí or anything outside the centre. Colectivos and taxis run to Pachuca and Ixmiquilpan.
See and do
Known for
- Ex-convento de San Nicolás de Tolentino and its 1550s murals
- Ximbo and barbacoa
- Wednesday tianguis market
- Feria Actopan in July
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Grutas Xoxafí | Taxi or car about 15 km toward Santiago de AnayaTaxi or car about 9.3 mi toward Santiago de Anaya | About 30–40 min each way |
| Pachuca | Bus or taxi via MEX 85 | About 30–45 min |
| Ixmiquilpan | Bus or car north on MEX 85 | About 45–60 min |
| Mineral del Chico | Car via Pachuca | About 1.5 h |
| Tula de Allende | Car or bus via Pachuca and MEX 85 | About 2 h |
Sleep
- Centro Norte (around Plaza Juárez)
- Hotels within a 2–5 block walk of the plaza and the ex-convent; the only area worth booking for a short stay.
- Near the bus station (Efrén Rebolledo)
- Practical for a late arrival or an early bus out; a 10–15 min walk to the centre.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | Disculpe / Perdóndees-KOOL-peh / per-DON |
| Thank you | GraciasGRAH-syahs |
| How much is it? | ¿Cuánto cuesta?KWAN-toh KWES-tah |
| Can I pay by card? | ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?PWEH-doh pah-GAR kon tar-HEH-tah |
| Where is the toilet? | ¿Dónde está el baño?DON-deh es-TAH el BAH-nyoh |
| Without chile, please | Sin chile, por favorseen CHEE-leh por fah-VOR |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; a kiss on the right cheek among friends; avoid: Skipping 'buenos días' when entering a shop
- Punctuality: Be on time for tours and buses; avoid: Expecting social events to start on time
- Talking: Warm small talk, family, food, football; avoid: Jokes about cartels, the wall or migration
- Churches: Covered shoulders, quiet; avoid: Photos during mass
- Dining: Say 'provecho' to other diners when leaving; avoid: Rushing the waiter
Scams and watch-outs
- The area sits in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt and tremors happen: know your exit in any building you sleep in.
- The ex-convent museum closes Mondays; the church may be shut outside service times.
- Ximbo and barbacoa places sell out and often close by mid-afternoon, and several shut Monday–Thursday.
- Most of Hidalgo's highlands are above 2,000 m: the sun is strong and nights are cold, so bring a layer.
Actopan is a working small city, not a resort: the centre is fine by day and early evening, but take taxis after dark, keep to lit streets, and treat the highways at night as a no.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Actopan yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Ex-convento de San Nicolás de Tolentino and its 1550s murals
- Ximbo and barbacoa
- Wednesday tianguis market
- Feria Actopan in July
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Actopan municipal government: actopanhidalgo.gob.mx/
- Wikivoyage: Actopan, revision 5134085 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5134085
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Actopan
A esta dirección, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassy in Actopan; the US, UK, Canada and most others keep embassies in Mexico City. Nearest consular help is in Pachuca or Mexico City (check).
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/actopan). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.