San Felipe Usila, or simply Usila, is located in the heart of the Chinantla. Usila was once the capital of one of the kingdoms in which the Chinantla was divided.
At the entrance of San Felipe Usila you will find the Puerta del Cielo viewpoint that offers a panoramic view of the valley with hills in the background and the Usila River passing next to the town. The view is breathtaking.
Usila is a Chinantec town that has preserved its ancestral customs. The best example of this is the pre-Hispanic dish Caldo de Piedra that you can taste here. The Stone Soup (Caldo de Piedra) is prepared with vegetables and fish, cooking them in a matter of minutes with an extremely hot river stone.
National and international tourists come to Usila mainly for this unique and ancestral Stone Soup. In the town there is restaurant service specialized in Stone Soup so that you do not leave without tasting it. To learn more about this indigenous-prehispanic dish, visit the post describing the history and rituals around de Stone Soup.
Besides tasting the Caldo de Piedra, you can also enjoy springs, rivers and nature in the Heart of the Chinantla.
In case you wish to stay overnight, the community has two guest houses. It is important to ask at the city hall for the different services offered in Usila.
How to get there:
Usila is 100 km from Tuxtepec, 2h30m by car. Take the federal highway 182 Jalapa de Díaz-Tuxtepec and deviate at Jalapa de Díaz towards San Felipe Usila.
