Chignahuapan Tour: Discover the Best of Chignahuapan on the Axolot-Bus

Chignahuapan is a pueblo magico (magical town) in the northwestern part of Puebla State. Like many of these pueblos magicos, it’s a small town but there’s enough to do here to make it one of the most visited pueblos magicos in Puebla. Personally, it’s one of my favorites.

A common sight in Chignahuapan are these double-decker buses. They’re called Axolot-Buses and they take tourists to the city’s top tourist attractions. I was surprised to find these tourist buses here because I didn’t think Chignhaupan was big enough to need them, but the Axolot-Bus is very popular among the tourists who visit this town.

Initially, I was planning on exploring Chignahuapan on my own but I decided to book a ticket to the Axolot-Bus after learning how cheap it was – just MXN 120 per person. It turned out to be some of the best money I’ve spent on any tour in Mexico.

If you’re visiting Chignahuapan and don’t have much time, then I highly recommend going on the Axolot-Bus tour. Here’s what you can expect.

AXOLOT-BUS AT A GLANCE

Price	MXN 120 per person
Duration	1 hr 20 mins
Frequency	Every 20 mins
Number of stops	3
Languages	Spanish only

WHAT IS THE AXOLOT-BUS?

The Axolot-Bus is a fleet of double-decker buses that take tourists to the top attractions in central Chignahuapan. This isn’t a Hop-On-Hop-Off bus where you can get on and off as often as you like for the duration of your pass. Instead, it’s a guided group tour conducted in a double-decker bus.

There’s a tour guide on board every Axolot-Bus who gives riders a description of the town and its tourist attractions over a PA system. Unfortunately, the only language spoken is Spanish.

The Axolot-Bus tour costs MXN 120 per person and lasts around 1 hour and 20 minutes. Buses depart every 20 minutes from just outside the Chignahuapan bus terminal.

The Axolot-Bus goes around central Chignahuapan and shows you key attractions like Parroquia de Santiago Apostol, Kiosco Mudéjar, and the Basilica of the Inmaculada Concepcion before making three stops, at (1) Fabrica de Esferas Esnaviso, (2) Laguna Chignahuapan, and (3) Casa Esmeralda.

I believe you can purchase tickets on the bus but there are plenty of Axolot-Bus agents selling tickets in the zocalo (main square). There’s a booth right next to Parroquia de Santiago Apostol as well.

IS THE AXOLOT-BUS WORTH IT?

Yes, absolutely, especially if you have limited time in Chignahuapan. Tours are only in Spanish but MXN 120 is still a great deal for what you get.

All three stops are located about a 10-20 minute walk from the zocalo so people who prefer not to walk will be thankful for the Axolot-Bus.

On top of that, the third stop – Casa Esmeralda – is a wine cellar that offers tastings. Axolot-Bus riders will get several wine tastings, all of which are included in the MXN 120 ticket price.

AXOLOT-BUS TOUR

IMPORTANT: Axolot-Buses have two levels of seating – inside and on the roof. It’s great to sit on the roof but be warned that there are electrical wires criss-crossing throughout the city. You’ll need to duck your head often to avoid these wires. If you’d rather not risk it, then it’s best to sit inside.

Tour guides will warn you about these wires at the start of the tour but people who can’t understand Spanish may miss it. I sat at the very front and some of the wires were neck level. You need to be extremely mindful of these overhanging wires if you decide to sit on the roof.

Shortly after the tour starts, the Axolot-Bus will go by the zocalo where you’ll get great views of Parroquia de Santiago Apostol (pictured below), Kiosco Mudéjar, Palacio Municipal, and a statue of Gaspar Henaine.

Known by his pseudonym “Capulina”, Gaspar Henaine was a famous Mexican comedian and actor who was born in Chignahuapan.

Here’s a shot of Chignahuapan’s colorful Kiosco Mudéjar. Every city and town in Mexico will have a zocalo and a central gazebo known as a kiosco.

My Spanish isn’t perfect but if I understood the guide correctly, Chignahuapan’s kiosco is one of the very few in the country that’s built on stilts. You can’t see it in this picture but underneath the kiosco is a fountain.

The Axolot-Bus will then pass by the Basilica of the Inmaculada Concpecion, an impressive stone church that’s home to the biggest Virgin Mary statue in Latin America. It measures 46 ft in height (14 meters).

The bus won’t let you off here to see the statue inside but it will drive to the back of the church where you can admire this large mosaic of the Virgin Mary. The statue inside looks exactly like this.

FIRST STOP: Fabrica de Esferas Esnaviso

The Axolot-Bus’ first stop will be at Fabrica de Esferas Esnaviso, a factory that produces Christmas ornaments. The production of these Christmas baubles is the primary industry in Chignahuapan.

Chignahuapan produces over 70 million ornaments in more than 200 of these factories every year, earning the town its nickname, the “Christmas spheres capital of Mexico”.

I had seen many of these baubles for sale around the zocalo but I was surprised to find that each one, no matter how small, was still handblown. Amazing!

You’ll get a tour of the factory and see different types of Christmas ornaments being produced.

The tour guide will give you a few minutes to explore the showroom on your own. You’re welcome to buy any Christmas ornaments that catch your eye, which is what many of the local tourists did. Chignahuapan really is famous for this.

SECOND STOP: Laguna Chignahuapan

After the bauble factory, the Axolot-Bus will take you to Laguna Chignahuapan, the site of the town’s main festival – the annual Festival de la Luz y la Vida. It’s a pre-Hispanic purification ritual and festival that’s celebrated during El Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead).

The laguna is fed by nine springs which in turn feeds nearby Cascadas Tuliman and Cascadas Salto de Quetzalapan. I didn’t know this until I got to Chignahuapan but this body of water is one of three natural homes to the axolotl, an emblematic amphibian that’s endemic to Mexico. The other two are Lake Xochimilco in Mexico City and Lake Patzcuaro in Michoacan.

Laguna Chignahuapan is also home to these giant letters where you can pose and take a selfie. Many of the cities and towns in Mexico have these.

Mexicans love colorful murals and there’s certainly no shortage of them at the laguna. As you’d expect, many are axolotl-themed.

The laguna is also home to these trout fisheries. Our tour guide gave a lengthy explanation but unfortunately, I missed most of it due to my limited Spanish.

He also took us to a small outdoor enclosure where you could see a few specimens of wild axolotl. So cool!

THIRD STOP: Casa Esmeralda

This is where you’ll be spending most of the tour. From what I understand, Casa Esmeralda is a winery that produces a variety of wines, liquor, beer, cheese, and other artisanal food products.

Shortly after arriving, you’ll be taken to this cellar where a local guide will give you a description and brief history of the place.

This was my favorite part of the tour. You’ll be taken to this large underground room where you’ll be given several tastings of locally made wines and liquor.

Here’s our guide giving a brief explanation of each wine. Again, I missed most of it due to my limited Spanish.

If I remember correctly, we were given five or six different tastings. For just MXN 120, these tastings alone were worth the price of the tour!

Any guesses what that is? Included in the tastings were three types of liquor made with marijuana. According to our guide, they have many purported health benefits.

The axolotl museum (MUMAX) just off the zocalo is the main venue to appreciate axolotl in Chignahuapan so I was pleasantly surprised to find a few specimens here. Casa Esmeralda had around four or five tanks with different types of axolotl on display. Awesome!

Aside from the axolotls, there was also this one vivarium with a pair of spotted salamanders.

After the tastings, you’re led to this room with foosball machines and several booths selling various artisanal products. I wasn’t planning on buying anything until I saw…

…these craft beers with the cutest axolotl-themed labels. People who know me well know that I love animals, especially amphibians and reptiles, so I couldn’t leave without bringing home a couple of these bottles – one for drinking and the other for keeping. Aren’t they cute?

After Casa Esmeralda, you’ll board the Axolot-Bus and be taken to the same spot where the tour started.

FINAL THOUGHTS ON THE AXOLOT-BUS IN CHIGNAHUAPAN, PUEBLA

After seeing pictures of this Axolot-Bus tour, I think it’s pretty clear why I believe it’s worth every peso. MXN 120 is a great deal for a guided tour with transportation (and wine tastings!) to the top attractions in Chignahuapan.

After booking a seat on the bus, you’ll be given a ticket with three tear-off stubs. One is to keep for yourself while the other two are for entry into the Esnaviso bauble factory and Casa Esmeralda. Be sure not to lose them as they’ll tear off and collect the stubs upon entry.

I spent two nights in Chignahuapan and I thoroughly enjoyed this tour in spite of the language barrier. If you’ll only be spending the day in this pueblo magico, then booking a seat on the Axolot-Bus is a great way to make the most of your short stay.

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