Tihuatlán can be explored through public art and a performance tied to a specific feast day. The themes range from religious imagery at the cemetery to sculptures, mosaics and a mural about the Danza de la Vaca. In this way, visual art and dance tradition offer distinct cultural points of connection.

Public Art

At the entrance to the old cemetery stands La Cruz del Panteón, a reinforced-concrete cross. It is adorned with roses, tears, doves, angels and geometric ornaments; at its center is a replica of Michelangelo’s “Pietà.” Two white, upright angels on mosaic-covered pedestals also stand in front of the cemetery entrance. Los Ángeles Guardianes del Panteón was completed in December 2007. The cross and angels express religious themes in different forms.

On Cerro del Toro, in a small plaza at the end of Avenida Cuauhtémoc, stands the Danza de la Vaca Monument. It was made of fiberglass in 1980. The mural of the same name is behind and below the monument and shows seven representative paintings. The same theme thus appears in two different media: as a monument and as a series of images.

El Ángel is a cement sculpture of a kneeling angel in a fountain measuring 2.50 meters in circumference; it stands at the intersection of Calle Cuauhtémoc and Calle Reforma. At the entrance to town also stands the Monumento a la Divina Mujer on a triangular area landscaped with greenery. The monument refers to the Nahuatl-language interpretation “place of women” or “place of the divine woman.” The Reloj Musical is considered a landmark of Tihuatlán: the mosaic-covered tower is 27 meters tall and has a musical clock.

Museum, Festival and Destinations in the Municipality

Tihuatlán’s only museum is located in the public library. It displays pre-Columbian culture as well as copies of 14th-century codices. Parque Infantil Cri-Cri adds another chapter to the town’s history: it was equipped with mechanical rides funded through fundraising campaigns, and was later renovated.

The Danza de la Vaca is associated with a performance on October 4, the feast day of the patron saint San Francisco de Asís. It takes place at dawn to the sound of drums and flute. In the municipality of Tihuatlán, the religious patron saint festival is celebrated in honor of its patron saint from October 4 to 8, with dances of the Malinche and the Vaca; the exact annual program may vary. If the festival is important to your trip, check the current dates in advance.

The wider municipality includes archaeological ruins in the localities of Acontitla and San Nicolás, which are among its tourist destinations. Visitors exploring the wider municipality can consider these places as destinations in their own right, in addition to the sights in the town of Tihuatlán.

Discover more travel destinations: Naranjos, Acayucan, Cuautlapan, Laguna Verde, Trapiche Del Rosario, Cosamaloapan de Carpio, Poza Rica De Hidalgo, José Cardel.

For the broader travel overview: Veracruz.