Tepoztlán
Pueblo MáGico / Patrimonio Mundial (Ex Convento) · Tepoztlán, Morelos
A Nahua mountain village in Morelos, about 85 km and ninety minutes south of Mexico City, wedged under a wall of sheer volcanic cliffs. It is a Pueblo Magico, and the reason most people come is the Tepozteco, a small temple to Tepoztecatl, god of pulque, perched on the cliff top at about 2,300 m and reached by a steep stepped trail of roughly two hours return. The village also has a 16th century Dominican convent (part of the UNESCO Early 16th Century Monasteries on the Slopes of Popocatepetl), a covered market with stalls of corn, herbs and crafts, and a reputation as a New Age retreat of healers, temazcal sweat lodges and mystic shops. Weekends are very crowded with day trippers from the capital, while weekdays are calmer. The hike is short but demanding, the Nahuatl heritage is real, and the town is good for slow lunches, ice cream in odd flavours and cool mountain air. Check current state travel advice for Morelos before you go and travel by day.
Ex-Convento de la Natividad, Centro, Tepoztlán, Morelos, 62520, Mexico
An open town - free, no gate. ⚠ THE EX-CONVENTO DE LA NATIVIDAD IS THE UNESCO-INSCRIBED ELEMENT (1994, as one of fourteen early monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl) - the listing is the building, not the town. It is a working church with a museum and generally closes Mondays; ⚠ 2017 EARTHQUAKE RESTORATION HAS AFFECTED WHAT IS OPEN - check before relying on it. ⚠ THE CLIMB TO EL TEPOZTECO IS 2 KM AND 400 VERTICAL METRES ON UNEVEN STONE STAIRS, about an hour each way, and is free - ⚠ BUT THE INAH ADMISSION IS COLLECTED AT THE TOP, SO CARRY CASH UP. ⚠ THE PATH CLOSES TO NEW CLIMBERS IN THE AFTERNOON - ask the last ascent time at the trailhead. ⚠ COATIS AT THE SUMMIT ARE BOLD AND BITE FOR FOOD. ⚠ THE WEEKEND MARKET FILLS THE TOWN; midweek is far quieter. ⚠ HOURS AND PRICES NOT VERIFIED FOR THIS FILE.