Xilitla is a small town of 6,500 people (2010) in San Luis Potosí whose main claim to fame is the somewhat bizarre artwork that British artist Edward James left and created here. It is also known for its mountainous landscapes and its springs.
While Xilitla (pronounced with a leading Spanish j sound) has been mentioned in 16th century Spanish documents and bears an indigenous name roughly meaning "place of snails", it would likely be just another delightful yet forgettable mountain town in the interior if Mexico if not for one eccentric wealthy British artist, who got inspired by the local environment to put his surrealist art into practice. He was initially drawn here to build an orchid garden, but a particularly fierce winter killed 15,000 plants, convinced him to instead build something more permanent: a bizarre mixture of sculptures and garden which manages at the same time to integrate itself into the semi-artificial nature and be a parody on modern architecture. Few places outside the Washington D.C.metro have ever made "naked concrete" so interesting to look at.
The economy is primarily agricultural with the main crops being coffee and citrus. The lack of industrialization has helped preserve the Nahuatl and Teenek indigenous cultures and their traditional ways of life.
The old carretera linking Mexico city with the US border passes through town and while its long distance travel function has been largely overtaken by newer autopistas it still serves as an important freight and local corridor. Beware of omnipresent topes, curvy mountainous roads and reckless overtaking maneuvers. Some stretches of the road are affected by various kinds of crime, but you should be fine driving during daylight hours and not stopping in the most dangerous parts.
There are daily direct buses to Mexico city and other major cities, but more frequent connections open up if you're willing to change into a colectivo minivan at "La Y Griega", a major T junction, literally named "the Y".
From Ciudad de Valles goes Frontera for about M$118 (Jan 2022). You can also check Grupo Vencedor.
A local food specialty is the zacahuil, a giant tamale (3 to 4 feet long) wrapped in banana leaves and filled with pork on one side and chicken on the other.
Sukha Hostel Xilitla, 21.3861628°, -98.9879533°. It has dorms for around M$180 (Jan 2022) with breakfast included.
Casa Verde Hostal, 21.3908940°, -98.9980746°. Rooms from $250 (Feb 2022), also camping. Communal kitchen, friendly staff, clean rooms, located halfway between town and Las Pozas. Locally owned and staffed.
Ciudad Valles and from there to San Luis Potosi
2nd-order administrative division
Primary administrative division