Tapalpa () is a town and

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...

Jalisco Jalisco (, , ; Nahuatl: Xalixco), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco ; Nahuatl: Tlahtohcayotl Xalixco), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Federal ...

, a state of central-western

Mexico Mexico (Spanish language, Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a List of sovereign states, country in the southern portion of North America. It is borders of Mexico, bordered to the north by the United States; to the so ...

History

The word "Tapalpa" comes from the

Nahuatl Nahuatl (; ), Aztec, or Mexicano is a language or, by some definitions, a group of languages of the Uto-Aztecan language family. Varieties of Nahuatl are spoken by about Nahua peoples, most of whom live mainly in Central Mexico and have small ...

word "tlapalpan" meaning "land of colors." The region was inhabited by the

Otomi The Otomi (; es, Otomí ) are an indigenous people of Mexico inhabiting the central Mexican Plateau (Altiplano) region. The Otomi are an indigenous people of Mexico who inhabit a discontinuous territory in central Mexico. They are linguisticall ...

prior to the arrival of the Spanish.Instituto de Informacion Estadistica y Geografica
Tapalpa Diagnostico del Municipio
/ref> In 1523, the Spanish, led by Alonso de Ávalos Saavedra, reached the region. They encountered a native tribe called Atlacco, who did not resist the Spanish colonizers. In 1531, a group of

Franciscan , image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans , abbreviation = OFM , predecessor = , ...

friars began evangelizing to the natives. By 1825, Tapalpa was already registered as a town and in 1869 it was declared a municipality. The first paper factory in Latin America was opened in Tapalpa in 1840. The factory shut down and was abandoned in 1923 due to the

Mexican Revolution The Mexican Revolution ( es, Revolución Mexicana) was an extended sequence of armed regional conflicts in Mexico from approximately 1910 to 1920. It has been called "the defining event of modern Mexican history". It resulted in the destruction ...

. Today its abandoned ruins have become a tourist attraction.

Geography

Tapalpa is located in the southern region of the state of Jalisco. The municipality covers an area of 442.15 km². As of 2015, the total population of the municipality was 19,506 of which 5,566 lived in the town of Tapalpa. It is located along the

Sierra Madre Occidental The Sierra Madre Occidental is a major mountain range system of the North American Cordillera, that runs northwest–southeast through northwestern and western Mexico, and along the Gulf of California. The Sierra Madre is part of the American ...

. It contains approximately 17,735 hectares of forest made up mostly pine, oak, and ash trees. Deer, rabbits and snakes are common in the area. Tapalpa receives an average of 883.1 millimeters of rain annually, most of it between June and October. With a height of 105 meters, the Salto del Nogal is the tallest waterfall in the state of Jalisco. It is located 10 km from the city of Tapalpa.

Architecture

Tapalpa is known for its traditional buildings with white facades and red roofs. Some traditional public fountains where people used to get their daily water are still conserved. Tapalpa Street

The Temple of San Antonio was built in 1650 by the Franciscans. It is notable for its large vaulted ceiling. A local legend says that a group of bandits once tried to rob the temple but were stopped by a mysterious man dressed in black. It is said that that man was

Saint Anthony of Padua Anthony of Padua ( it, Antonio di Padova) or Anthony of Lisbon ( pt, António/Antônio de Lisboa; born Fernando Martins de Bulhões; 15 August 1195 – 13 June 1231) was a Portuguese Catholic priest and friar of the Franciscan Order. He was bo ...

, the patron saint of the temple. Due to damages to the Temple of San Antonio, it became necessary to build another church. The construction of the Church of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe began in 1950. The construction of the new church was paid for by the contributions of the locals. The church is built almost entirely of red brick.

Government

List of municipal presidents

Tourism

In 2001, Mexico's Secretariat of Tourism launched the Programa Pueblos Magicos in order to recognize towns across the country notable for their cultural and historical importance. Tapalpa was registered as a Pueblo Magico in 2002. The area is a popular weekend destination for residents of nearby

Guadalajara Guadalajara ( , ) is a metropolis in western Mexico and the capital of the state of Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population of 1,385,629 people, making it the 7th largest city by population in Mexico, while the Guadalaj ...

. Countryside cabins are available to rent for the night. There are many excellent outdoor restaurants that specialize in grilled meats.

Las Piedrotas

Valle de los Enigmas, also known as las Piedrotas (Spanish "The Big Stones"), is a popular hiking destination in Tapalpa. It is notable for its large natural monoliths. It is located 4 km north of the city. Zip-lining and horseback riding are popular activities.

Notable people

* Atala Apodaca (1884-1977), teacher, author, and feminist * Cipriano Campos Alatorre (1906-1934), teacher, novelist * Luis Enrique Bracamontes (1923-2003), civil engineer and politician * Martín Israel Aguilar García (1995-), journalist

References

{{Authority control Municipalities of Jalisco Pueblos Mágicos