San Felipe del Progreso

San Felipe del Progreso combines historic architecture with a vibrant variety of art: murals shape the streets, and cultural venues are dedicated to traditional crafts as well as digital forms of expression. Mazahua culture is also present in the municipality. When planning your vacation, it is therefore worth distinguishing between the municipal seat and experiences elsewhere in the municipality.

Explore the Church and Center

The Parroquia de San Felipe y Santiago is at the heart of the Centro Histórico de San Felipe del Progreso. It was founded in 1710 and built in 1717. Neoclassical and Herrerian architecture meet here, while the tower is ultrabaroque. These different stylistic features give the church a richly layered architectural character. An official day-trip itinerary recommends walking through the center in the morning and visiting the Parroquia for its architecture and viceregal art.

The day-trip itinerary also includes local textile and silversmith workshops and recommends buying handicrafts. Artisans in the municipality make wrought silverwork and Quexquemitl embroidered with wool. The range of crafts also includes vests, coats, and ruana shawls. Architecture, textiles, and metalwork offer different focal points for a trip, especially if you are interested in local culture.

Art and Mazahua Culture

The Museo Municipal brings together different forms of art in spaces of varying sizes: a large exhibition room is dedicated to traditional and contemporary art, while a smaller room features digital art, sound art, and multimedia forms of expression. A small library focuses on art, design, and cultural heritage. The museum also houses a shop selling handicrafts and artworks. Its different areas offer points of interest for visitors interested in both visual art and new media.

The Centro Ceremonial Mazahua is also located in the municipality of San Felipe del Progreso. It enables the Mazahua people to share their culture and presents material evidence of their history. The museum there preserves objects and local handicrafts that represent everyday Mazahua life, including tools used for farming, fishing, and hunting, as well as traditional clothing. In March, the Ceremonia del Encendido del Fuego Nuevo takes place at the Centro Ceremonial Mazahua, a ceremony described as a centuries-old tradition. Mazahua culture and history thus form a distinct focus alongside the architecture and cultural venues of the municipal seat.

Murals in the Town and Municipality

More than 200 murals can be found along the streets of the municipal seat. You can also view murals by local artists in the garden and at the kiosk in the Centro Histórico. Estutempan offers a different perspective: the main street of this Mazahua community is decorated with 35 mosaic murals. They were created as a legacy of the First International Mosaic Artists’ Meeting, “Nuestra milpa milenaria, Estutempan 2019.” Comparing the murals in the streets of the municipal seat with these mosaics reveals different forms of public art within the municipality.

Where to Stay and Places to Visit

The municipality of San Felipe del Progreso lies at an altitude of more than 2,500 meters in the Eje Neovolcánico. When choosing a vacation rental, you can first consider whether you mainly want to explore the town, with its church, museum, and murals, or also visit places elsewhere in the municipality. A local transport route includes the municipal seat and San Juan Coajomulco.

The Presa de Tepetitlán is among the described destinations in the municipality. There is a viewpoint at its dam in Santa Cruz Mextepec, and boat trips are a possible activity. The town’s annual calendar also includes a patron saint festival: the celebration in honor of Nuestro Padre Jesús takes place on the third Wednesday in January.

For the general travel overview: San Felipe del Progreso.