Exploring Textiles and History in Puebla and Tlaxcala, Mexico - December 1-5, 2026

Puebla and Tlaxcala are two of Mexico’s most unexpectedly rewarding states to visit for history and craft — rich in pre-Columbian ruins, colonial heritage, and living textile traditions that stretch back centuries. Heritage by Hand invites you to join us December 1-5, 2026 for an immersive journey into textiles and history.

In Puebla, we’ll explore the oldest library in Latin America, tour UNESCO World Heritage sites, visit stunning museums and discover the city’s celebrated Talavera pottery tradition. In Tlaxcala, the focus is on history and craft: we’ll visit an important archaeological ruin, watch master artisans Ignacio and Pedro Netzahualcoyotl dye wool using traditional natural dyes — a rare and captivating process — and travel the famous Ruta del Serape in Contla, visiting the personal homes and studios of artists where generations of families have kept traditional weaving alive. Hands-on participation in the dye studio is welcome but entirely optional.

This extension is the perfect complement to the Original Textile Fair trip in Mexico City, November 27-30 — continue straight from Mexico City into Puebla and Tlaxcala for a seamless textile journey. It can also be taken as a standalone experience.

About Ignacio Netzahualcoyotl

Ignacio (“Nacho”) Netzahualcoyotl is a Tlaxcalan weaver from Contla de Juan Cuamatzi, a Nahua indigenous community in the state of Tlaxcala. He works out of the Taller Netzahualcoyotl — a studio his grandfather established a century ago — weaving on hundred-year-old looms using processes from the 17th and 18th centuries. He and his brother Pedro are 8th generation weavers, inheritors of a craft lineage of extraordinary depth.

While Ignacio’s most important focus is to continue creating traditional Saltillo designs and serapes, much of his work has stretched the boundaries of traditional Tlaxcalan textiles. In 2013, he was named a Living Legend by the Grand National Prize for Popular Art. In 2021, he received the Grand Masters Award of the Craft Heritage of Mexico. He has exhibited internationally and been recognized as one of the world’s top 50 textile artists at the VIII Biennial of Contemporary Textile Art WTA in Spain.

The excellence of the Netzahualcoyotl family runs deep. Several of Ignacio’s siblings — including his sisters, who are accomplished weavers in their own right — as well as many artisans working in the Taller have also received Grand Masters Awards and regional awards for their work. It is a family and a studio where mastery is not the exception but the tradition.

Ignacio’s work captures a reflective message in the interaction of history, culture, identity, and environment — rooted in regional iconography and pre-Hispanic symbolism, and expressed through the recovery of natural dye techniques and ancient sarape designs that date to pre-Hispanic times.

“So many days of disasters, of droughts inside me, left my rivers dry and me without a desire to breathe, but I am of strong roots that cling rather than perish, of traditions in a constant struggle.”
— Ignacio Netzahualcoyotl

General Information

The program fee includes all transportation between Mexico City, Puebla, and Tlaxcala, workshop fees with the Netzahualcoyotl brothers, entrance fees to museums and archaeological sites, and speaking fees for artisan visits.

Participants will cover their own lodging costs, most meals, and transfer to and from the airport if not connecting from the Original Textile Fair trip.

You will arrive on Monday, December 1st (or continue from the Original Textile Fair trip), and our itinerary will begin that afternoon. Lodging recommendations will be provided for both Puebla and Tlaxcala.

We will have some flexibility in our routine to take advantage of opportunities that arise. There will be a decent, but not overly taxing, amount of walking (10,000 steps +/-), and participants should be aware of that.

Please write for detailed itinerary.

Puebla and Tlaxcala Extension Dates:

Monday, December 1 - Friday, December 5, 2026

Departure is either Friday afternoon, December 5th or Saturday, December 6th

Pricing:

$1,200 total

Deposit: $600

Final payment: $600

Deposits due by March 30th

Final payments due August 30th

Health and Activity Levels

There will be a decent, but not overly taxing, amount of daily walking (10,000+ steps), and participants should be aware of that. Both Puebla and Tlaxcala are at high altitude, so participants should be aware of altitude changes and may want to arrive one day early to adjust if you have health concerns.

Maximum of 11 guests. Trips usually have 6-8 participants.