Malinche, Dormant volcano in Tlaxcala and Puebla, Mexico.

La Malinche, also called Matlalcueitl, is a volcano on the Tlaxcala-Puebla border whose summit reaches 4,438 m. It is not a symmetrical cone: its broad slopes carry side peaks such as La Chichita (4,100 m) and Xaltonalli (3,890 m), and two steep barrancas, Axaltzintle and Axal. Pine-oak forest gives way to zacatonal grassland above about 3,900 m, and the upper rock is streaked with snow.

The volcano formed over 30 million years ago during the Paleogene period and shaped the landscape between the states. Its last eruption occurred roughly 3,100 years ago, ending the active phase of the mountain.

The Tlaxcaltecs called the volcano Matlalcueye, 'Owner of the Green Skirt', a deity linked to Tlaloc and water rites. After the Spanish conquest the name was replaced by Sierra de Tlaxcala; the current name Malinche, used since the 17th century, refers to Malinalli or Doña Marina, Cortés's interpreter. In Yuhmu it is called Mhuyꞌe.

The national park offers accommodation in cabins at 3,080 meters elevation, from where hiking trails lead through different climate zones to the summit. The ascent passes through changing vegetation levels and requires good physical preparation for the thin air at altitude.

The name Malinche honors Malinalli, or Doña Marina, Hernán Cortés's interpreter during the conquest of the Aztec Empire; it replaced the pagan Matlalcueye around the 17th century. A local legend tells of a reptilian monster said to descend the mountain in the rainy season to abduct children; its head was reportedly mounted above the entrance of a house still standing at 201 East Third Street in Puebla's historic district.