The historic center of the city is filled with traditional houses with red tile roofs and Zacatlan was designated a “Pueblo Mágico” in 2011.

Outside of the city proper, there is a significant indigenous population, the Piedras Encimadas Valley with its rock formations and various waterfalls and ravines.

[1] The city is next to the Ajajalpan River, a tributary of the Necaxa and whose waters eventually flow into the Gulf of Mexico via the Tecolutla.

[2] It is surrounded by hundreds of thousands of apple and other fruit trees, which fill the air with their scent during blossom season.

[2] The historic center of the town is marked by large houses and other buildings, some over a hundred years old, with pitched roofs covered in red clay tile, as well as stone paved streets.

[4] The city centers on its main square, which like many others in Mexico has a kiosk which hosts live music on Sundays.

This structure dates to 1876 and has a Neoclassical facade, with seventeen arches that contain the names of the communities that contributed to the building's construction.

[10] This mural work contains images of deer, bees and jaguars, houses with thatched roofs and daily scenes with Spanish and indigenous people.

The facade has a sculpture of Saint James the Greater flanked by angels which wear Totonaca style loincloths and boots.

[2] Its main doors are made of wood and the Virgin of Guadalupe chapel displays gold leaf work and a number of oil paintings, which were done by local artists.

[8] Zacatlán has a reputation for tinkerers, including Abraham Trejo, who created his own car and Gabriel Melecio, who invented a machine to toast coffee beans.

[11] Its monumental clocks have been installed in buildings, parks, plazas and commercial centers in Mexico and other countries.

One of the first clocks produced by Olvera Hernández is over eighty years old and still functions in a church bell tower in Chignahuapan.

One of these clocks is in Tulantepec, Hidalgo, and plays the Mexican national anthem in the morning and evening and his distinct melodies for each quarter-hour.

[8] The city's main annual festival is the Feria de la Manzana or Apple Fair, which has been held each August since 1941.

[4] These include the crowning of an Apple Queen, clock exposition, food, other exhibits and concerts by symphony orchestras as well as popular artist such as Juan Gabriel, Alejandro Fernández, Aleks Syntek and Grupo Elefante.

[1][15] In the 12th century, Olmeca, Xicalancas, also Nahuatl speakers, came into the area from Tlaxcala, but were later displaced by the Toltecs after the fall of Tula.

The next efforts here for independence occurred in 1810 under Luis Servia and Andrés Aguilera, organized more the following year by José Francisco Osorno.

[1] It was the seat of government for the state of Puebla in 1847 during the Mexican American War, earning it the title of city that same year.

Main elevations include Moxhuite, Kiosco, Matlahuacala, Los Cazares, Tecoxcalman, Peña Blanca, Xahuatl, Tampol Tenampulco, Titicanale, Chignahuimazatla, Texis Proterito, Pelón and Zempoala.

Other rivers include the Tulimán, Hueyapan, Cedazo Maquixtla, Tepexco, La Ferrería, Tlayaqia, Canautla and Atlixtala, which all empty into the Ajajalpan.

[2][3] The municipality has large extensions of conifer forest, mostly pine trees although there are areas with a pine-oak mix and some with semi tropical vegetation.

[2] Legend states that the rocks were giants who were punished by a pre Hispanic god by being turned to stone.

Since that time, wind, rain and chemical reactions have eroded the rock to leave the current formation, some of which are up to twenty meters tall.

[1] It is an area of pine forests traversed by the San Pedro River which has cut a small canyon which is up to 400 meters deep.

[2][8] The ravine has a number of features such as the Espinazo del Diablo (Devil's Spine), the Balcon de la Primavera (Spring Balcony) and on the west side the Balcon del Diablo (Devil's Balcony) which offers views of the large rock outcroppings which resemble human figures, called Los Frailes (The Friars).

[1] Most industry is in small factories and workshops producing apple cider and other fruit wines, pottery, fireworks, coffee processing and breads.

[3] Zacatlán processes about 10,000 tons of apples to make cider, with about eighty percent sold in December for the holidays.

The main producer is the Martínez Luna family, which creates spheres in various shapes, sizes and colors.

[17] There are deposits of minerals such as manganese, iron calcite, phosphorus, zinc, quartz, feldspar, gold, silver, lead, copper and antimony.