Hiking La Malinche

La Malinche is one of the most enjoyable hikes in Mexico. Although it is a high altitude climb, it has a relatively low technical difficuly, and the only real challenges are the steep gradients and thin air.

The views from the upper section are truly spectacular, with great panoramas of the incredible landscape in this region. On a clear day you will be rewarded with views of Popocatepetl, Iztaccihuatl and Pico de Orizaba, as well as the valleys of Puebla and Tlaxcala.

• Map & Overview

• Route Description

• Starting Point

• Tlaxcala State

• Nearby Routes

Route Description

Start	Distance	Elevation Gain	Difficulty	Rating
Centro Vacacional Malintzi	12.2km	1,300m	Challenging	*****

This route begins at the Centro Vacacional Malintzi (IMSS), which is located on the north face of the mountains, inside the national park. There are some small shops and a restaurant here, as well as a camp site, so it is possible to pick up supplies if needed.

National Park checkpoint

The route begins by heading south a brief way along the road. Here you will pass a checkpoint where you may be asked to pay a small entry fee (usually this is the case on weekends, but it is generally not manned during the week).

A short distance after the check point you leave the road, taking a slight right. The trail is clearly signed at this point and isvery easy to follow. The gradient is already quite steep, but bear in mind that it will get significantly steeper, so be sure to pace yourself.

Signed Path at the Start

The trail crosses the road a few times, and is quite pleasant for the first 3km, allowing you to get into a rhythm and enjoying the feel of the soft volcanic dirt. You may meet a few dogs along the way. These live on the volcano and are very friendly; they may well accompany you for quite some time, until you move into the territory of a different pack. On occasion, I have even been accompanied all the way to the summit!

After a short section on the road, around 3km into the hike, the difficulty of the route increases considerably for around 1km, with the gradient regularly above 30%. The path is not technical, however, so you just have to keep plodding away, with the forest providing some nice shade.

Friendly dogs will accompany you on the climb

The steep section eventually plateaus out and you enter the more scenic section of the hike as you emerge from the trees. At this point, the route becomes more challenging to follow - the signs disappear and you will have to rely on GPS.

There are two main routes to the top. The trail to the right (which we follow on this hike) is the highly recommended one. It generally follows a rocky path, which is steep and a little bit technical at times, but with relatively sure footing. The left path is basically volcanic sand - and quite deep sand at that. We descend this way, but it is not a good option for climbing, because for every step you take, you will slide back half a step, making for slow and frustrating climbing.

Emerging from the trees

The routes rejoin anyway for the final top section, which is a steep climb on rocks, where it is important to concentrate, particularly as you may be increasingly fatigued. It is worth stopping once in a while to admire the stunning panoramic scenery.

Rocky Section on the Climb

You will notice that Mexican hikers tend to wear a helmet on this section. It is probably a good idea, since there are looks rocks around that can be disturbed by other hikers, and the risk of falling and potentially hitting your head also exists.

I will confess that I didn't wear a helmet and didn't feel particularly unsafe without one, but you will have to assess your own tolerance to the risks.

The top is closer than you think from here - just a bit of scrambling to go!

Eventually you will conquer the rocky section, which also involves some light scrambling, and you will see the summit ahead of you. It looks quite far away, but is in fact very close now. Take the path around to the right, where there is a small gap in the rock, and then simply scramble up to the summit. Once here you can rest, admire the views and be proud of your achievement.

Incredible views from the top

You descend the same way for the first kilometre, which is by far the most challenging part of the descent. Take care not to injure your ankles as you have to jump from rock to rock at times.

After this first section, you will reach a false plateau. Follow the GPS track round to the right here - it is quite a steep descent which becomes increasingly soft, until you reach a very sandy trail. Follow this downhill until almost the start of the tree line. This is a very fast and easy descent, with the surface deep enough to stop your momentum, it is almost like running down a sand dune.

Fast Sandy Descent

Just as you re-enter the trees, you will rejoin the same trail that you climbed up. Follow this straight back down the same way to finish the hike. When you were climbing you may be concerned that the surface was loose and slippery, but you will probably find on the descent that is signficantly more grippy than it looks. Trail runners will be able to descend this part very quickly, given the lack of technical difficulty.

Once back at the bottom, you can stop by the local restaurant for some tasty quesadillas and drinks, while reflecting on completing one of the finest hikes in Mexico.

A Great Climb!

How to Get To La Malinche

The hike begins from the Centro Vacacional Malintzi, inside the national park. You can drive directly here and park, and it is easily accessible from both Mexico City and Puebla.

You can also take an Uber or taxi from Puebla to the starting point, with the fee being around $300-400 MXN pesos depending on the time of day. Be aware that there is no phone signal in most of the National Park, so it may not be possible to call for an Uber or taxi to pick you up. It is best to arrange this in advance.

By Public Transport

The key town to reach is Apizaco. There are regular buses to here from both Puebla (CAPU bus station) and Mexico City (Central Norte). From Apizaco, you need to head a few blocks east from the ADO bus station to reach the main colectivo point, which is close to the Elektra shop.

The colectivo (combi) runs fairly irregularly from here to the Centro Vacacional Malintzi (IMSS), and it is best to ask someone to point you in the right direction. The start of the hike is the last stop on the colectivo route.

If you wish to make an early start, it is almost impossible to do by public transport. Therefore, I recommend spending the previous night in Puebla, and taking an Uber in the morning to the starting point (this takes around 45 minutes). Then you can do the hike and take public transport at the end.

As of 2024, the colectivos leave the Centro Vacacional Malintzi (IMSS) at 1pm and 5pm. Both recent times that I climbed Malinche I started around 9am and was up and down by 1pm in time to catch the colectivo, but I had to go quickly to do so. It would probably be more relaxing to aim for the 5pm one, and there is a restaurant next to the colectivo point, where you can relax after the hike.

There is also a very comfortable camp site here if you wish to spend the night either before or after the hike.

Tlaxcala State & Malinche

The small state of Tlaxcala, situated to the north of Puebla,is rather dominated by the Malinche volcano. The region is named after the Tlaxcalan people, who inhabited the area when the Spanish arrived in 1519.

The Tlaxcalans had been contesting numerous 'flower wars' with the Mexica (Aztec) peoples, whose territories encircled Tlaxcala. Despite the name, these flower wars could be very brutal. They consisted of organised pitched battles with selected warriors (often the elites from society), who would try to kill each other to achieve a symbolic victory. Over time, this inevitably led to huge hostility between the two peoples.

So when Hernan Cortés and his Spanish explorers arrived, the Tlaxcalans were quite eager to ally with them against the Mexica. They saw the well armoured Spanish as an opportunity to loosen the Aztec grip on central Mexico, and so provided much of the manpower as the Spanish eventually conquered the region.

Depiction of La Malinche"

Some Mexicans regard this as something of a treacherous act, and so it is no coincidence that the main feature of Tlaxcala is named after a figure widely regarded as the greatest traitor of all - La Malinche.

La Malinche was an indigenous woman from near the coast at Veracruz, close to where Cortés landed. She acted as an interpretor, translator and unofficial guide for Cortés and his men, as they moved from the coast at Veracruz, towards the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan (modern Mexico City). Malinche was given the Christian name 'Marina' and it is widely assumed that she become a wife of Cortés.

In recent years some revisionist historians have looked to recast Malinche from her traditional depiction as a traitor. They argue that in many ways she was the real conqueror of Mexico, given her diplomatic skills which convinced other natives that it was futile in the long term to try to resist the superior Spanish weaponary and warships.

This attempt to shift the narrative still has a long way to go before it resonates among the general Mexican population, for whom the perjorative term 'Malinchista' is widely used to refer to someone who places a higher value on the foreign, over the Mexican.