Xochicalco
Patrimonio Mundial / Zona ArqueolóGica (INAH) · Miacatlán, Morelos
Xochicalco is a hilltop ceremonial city in Morelos, about 40 km southwest of Cuernavaca and 120 km from Mexico City, at its height between roughly 650 and 900 CE after the fall of Teotihuacan. It was built on a fortified hill with terraces, walls, ball courts and a cistern, and it drew in Maya, Zapotec, Mixtec and Teotihuacan influences. The name means place of the house of flowers in Nahuatl. The main monument is the Pyramid of the Plumed Serpents, covered in carved reliefs of coiling feathered snakes and seated figures in Maya-style dress. An underground observatory has a shaft that lets sunlight enter on the zenith days, around May 14 and 15 and July 28 and 29. UNESCO listed the site in 1999. Entrance is cheap, the grounds are quiet by Mexican standards and an excellent museum sits near the entrance. There is very little shade, the climb is exposed, and midday heat is intense, so go early.
Zona Arqueológica de Xochicalco, Miacatlán, Miacatlán, Morelos, 62600, Mexico
The archaeological zone and its site museum keep INAH daytime hours and close mid-afternoon; INAH Sunday free admission applies to Mexican nationals and residents only. ⚠ ACCESS TO THE OBSERVATORY CAVE IS SEPARATELY CONTROLLED AND IS NOT ALWAYS OPEN - ask at the ticket desk on arrival, as it has been closed for conservation at times. ⚠ THE LIGHT COLUMN THROUGH THE CAVE SHAFT ONLY FALLS AROUND THE SUN'S ZENITH PASSAGES, roughly mid-May and late July, near midday - dates move, so check. ⚠ DO THE MUSEUM BEFORE THE SITE; it is beside the car park and it explains the serpent reliefs and the calendar. ⚠ THERE IS NO SHADE ON THE HILLTOP AND NO WATER PAST THE MUSEUM. ⚠ PUBLIC TRANSPORT DOES NOT REACH THE GATE - take a taxi from Cuernavaca with an agreed waiting time, or a tour. ⚠ HOURS AND PRICES NOT VERIFIED FOR THIS FILE.