Xilitla is a misty town in the Huasteca Potosina, folded into green mountains and coffee country. Its name is now tied to Las Pozas, the surrealist jungle garden built by the English patron Edward James, but the town has enough atmosphere to make the trip feel larger than one attraction.
The centre is steep and compact, with the old Augustinian convent above the plaza and clouds drifting over tiled roofs after rain. Xilitla is still rough-edged compared with Mexico's polished colonial towns, which is part of the point: the humidity, vegetation, and mountain roads make it feel closer to the Huasteca than to the standard Pueblo Magico circuit.
Most travellers come for Las Pozas and then use Xilitla as a base for nearby caves, waterfalls, and surrealist art. It rewards that approach. Spend one day in the garden and town, then start early for the Sotano de las Golondrinas if you want the region at its most dramatic.