From Frommers.....
Tepoztlán is one of the strangest and most beautiful towns in Mexico. Largely undiscovered by foreign tourists, it occupies the floor of a broad, lush valley whose walls were formed by bizarrely shaped mountains that look like the work of some abstract expressionist giant. The mountains are visible from almost everywhere in town; even the municipal parking lot boasts a spectacular view.
Tepoztlán remains small and steeped in legend and mystery -- it lies adjacent to the alleged birthplace of Quetzalcoatl, the Aztec serpent god -- and comes about as close as you're going to get to an unspoiled, magical mountain hideaway. Eight chapels, each with its own cultural festival, dot this traditional Mexican village. Though the town stays tranquil during the week, escapees from Mexico City descend in droves on the weekends, especially Sunday. Most Tepoztlán residents, whether foreigners or Mexicans, tend to be mystically or artistically oriented -- although some also appear to be just plain disoriented. The village wears its New Age heart on its sleeve -- homeopathic pharmacies and health-food stores coexist happily alongside Internet cafes, tortilla stands, and satellite-dish companies.
Read more: http://www.frommers.com/destinations/tepoztlan/0910010001.html#ixzz1Eh6DNwEy
One weekend trip from the capital that rarely disappoints is that to gorgeous Tepoztlán, a wonderfully situated small town with a well-preserved historic center surrounded by soaring jagged cliffs just 80km south of Mexico City.
As the birthplace of Quetzalcóatl, the omnipotent serpent god of the Aztecs, over 1200 years ago according to Mesoamerican legend, Tepoztlán is a major Náhuatl center and something of a Mecca for new-agers who believe the place has a creative energy. What is indubitable is that this pueblo mágico boasts an impressive pyramid, a great crafts market and a host of charming restaurants and hotels. It also retains indigenous traditions, with some elders still speaking Náhuatl and younger generations learning it in school, making it quite unlike most of the other towns ringing the Mexican capital.
Tepoztlan is a popular getaway outside of Mexico City. Located 45 miles south of the capital city, Tepoztlan occupies a lush valley and is surrounded by mountains, the views of which will be all around you as you walk through this Mexican town.
It’s a memorable experience to escape the city and explore this mysterious Mexican town for some real cultural atmosphere. Some visitors plan a trip just to climb the Tepozteco pyramid. While the climb up the pyramid is spectacular, there are also other reasons to visit this charming town. The local people, for example, are known for being artistically inclined.
There is also a mythical element to Tepoztlan, evident in the homeopathic pharmacies and health-food stores you will see throughout. If you’re interested in this side of the town, there are treatments, sweat lodges, and even opportunities to be let in on what are believed to be the curative powers of the valley. Many local people believe that mystical curative powers exist in the valley, so it’s worth enquiring at your hotel how you can explore this element of travel to Tepoztlan Mexico.
The local residents of this small town have developed a reputation for more than their artistic skills and mythical beliefs, however—they are also known for being fiercely independent. In 1994, a proposal for a fancy golf course and funicular to the top of the Tepozteco pyramid was approved, and upon hearing the news, the townspeople rebelled, sealing off the city limits and hanging the city government in effigy. This news quickly spread and since, there has been no more talk about building a tourist-centered golf course. The funicular was never built either, and one of the main pleasures of visiting the town today remains the climb to the top of Tepozteco pyramid.
Throughout the Mexican village there are eight small chapels that each have their own cultural festival. This can be explored during the quiet environment of the weekdays, or the bustle of the weekends. Many tourists arrive from Mexico City, especially on Sundays, so if you’re looking to avoid the crowds it is best to arrive on a weekday. If on the other hand you are a shopper and don’t mind the crowds, the weekend folkloric market is one of the highlights of travel to Tepoztlan Mexico.
The destination has also gained popularity for its month-long Carnaval celebrations each night in the main plaza, where you can spend an evening dancing next to the fifteenth century Tepozteco pyramid. If you’re looking for majestic mountain scenery and a glimpse at a traditional Mexican pueblo, plan a visit to Tepoztlan during your trip. If you happen to be visiting during the period of February through mid-March, then get ready for one of the best Carnaval celebrations you’ve ever seen.
Walk through the cobblestone streets of this richly traditional town, recognized by UNESCO as a "Pueblo Magico" (Magical Town). Visit the town's 7 neighborhood churches and go to the vivacious farmer's market on Wednesday's or the tourist market on Friday, Saturday and Sundays.
Get a glimpse of Tepoztlan's yesteryear in the museum in the ex-convent and see the pre-hispanic art exhibit at the Carlos Pellicer Museum.
Enjoy great food at Axitla, hailed by Frommer's as not only the best restaurant in Tepoztlan but perhaps all of Mexico. Other notable places: Los Colorines, El Ciruelo, Posada Tepozteco, Muelle, Pan Nuestro, and Casa Pinon.
Discover why Saveur magaine lists Tepoznieves amongst the world's best ice creams----with dozens of flavors ranging from Rose Petals, to Angel's Kiss, to several varieties with tequila, and, for the purists, a wonderful vanilla.
Surrounding Areas and Day Trips
Spend the day in Cuernavaca, the City of Eternal Spring, a short 20 minute drive. Fabulous restaurants, Hernan Cortes' Palace, the Brady and Muros museums. Big city shopping can be had at Costco, Sam's Club, Mega and Walmart.
Puebla and its 70 churches and 1,000 colonial buildings in the historic district is only two hours away. Dine in one of the many restaurants that crowd the Zocalo (main square) and enjoy mole, the rich chile-based sauce that can contain dozens of spices and other ingredients.
Xochicalco, the Place of the House of Flowers, a mere one hour away, is one of Mexico's major archeological sites. Especially historically significant is the Quetzalcoatl pyramid.
A two hour drive takes you to Taxco, the best known silver mining town in Mexico. Built on a steep hillside, it's fun to maneuver the narrow cobblestone streets, that is as long as you're not the one driving. In addition to shopping for silver jewelry and items, make sure and go through this city's unique market.
Las Grutas de Cacamahuilpa, or Cacamahuilpa caverns, are a worthwhile short detour on the way to Taxco. Stalactites, stalagmites and twisted rock formations, with chambers as high as 82 meters.
Tepoztlán is one of the strangest and most beautiful towns in Mexico. Largely undiscovered by foreign tourists, it occupies the floor of a broad, lush valley whose walls were formed by bizarrely shaped mountains that look like the work of some abstract expressionist giant. The mountains are visible from almost everywhere in town; even the municipal parking lot boasts a spectacular view.
Tepoztlán remains small and steeped in legend and mystery -- it lies adjacent to the alleged birthplace of Quetzalcoatl, the Aztec serpent god -- and comes about as close as you're going to get to an unspoiled, magical mountain hideaway. Eight chapels, each with its own cultural festival, dot this traditional Mexican village. Though the town stays tranquil during the week, escapees from Mexico City descend in droves on the weekends, especially Sunday. Most Tepoztlán residents, whether foreigners or Mexicans, tend to be mystically or artistically oriented -- although some also appear to be just plain disoriented. The village wears its New Age heart on its sleeve -- homeopathic pharmacies and health-food stores coexist happily alongside Internet cafes, tortilla stands, and satellite-dish companies.
Read more: http://www.frommers.com/destinations/tepoztlan/0910010001.html#ixzz1Eh6DNwEy
One weekend trip from the capital that rarely disappoints is that to gorgeous Tepoztlán, a wonderfully situated small town with a well-preserved historic center surrounded by soaring jagged cliffs just 80km south of Mexico City.
As the birthplace of Quetzalcóatl, the omnipotent serpent god of the Aztecs, over 1200 years ago according to Mesoamerican legend, Tepoztlán is a major Náhuatl center and something of a Mecca for new-agers who believe the place has a creative energy. What is indubitable is that this pueblo mágico boasts an impressive pyramid, a great crafts market and a host of charming restaurants and hotels. It also retains indigenous traditions, with some elders still speaking Náhuatl and younger generations learning it in school, making it quite unlike most of the other towns ringing the Mexican capital.
Tepoztlan is a popular getaway outside of Mexico City. Located 45 miles south of the capital city, Tepoztlan occupies a lush valley and is surrounded by mountains, the views of which will be all around you as you walk through this Mexican town.
It’s a memorable experience to escape the city and explore this mysterious Mexican town for some real cultural atmosphere. Some visitors plan a trip just to climb the Tepozteco pyramid. While the climb up the pyramid is spectacular, there are also other reasons to visit this charming town. The local people, for example, are known for being artistically inclined.
There is also a mythical element to Tepoztlan, evident in the homeopathic pharmacies and health-food stores you will see throughout. If you’re interested in this side of the town, there are treatments, sweat lodges, and even opportunities to be let in on what are believed to be the curative powers of the valley. Many local people believe that mystical curative powers exist in the valley, so it’s worth enquiring at your hotel how you can explore this element of travel to Tepoztlan Mexico.
The local residents of this small town have developed a reputation for more than their artistic skills and mythical beliefs, however—they are also known for being fiercely independent. In 1994, a proposal for a fancy golf course and funicular to the top of the Tepozteco pyramid was approved, and upon hearing the news, the townspeople rebelled, sealing off the city limits and hanging the city government in effigy. This news quickly spread and since, there has been no more talk about building a tourist-centered golf course. The funicular was never built either, and one of the main pleasures of visiting the town today remains the climb to the top of Tepozteco pyramid.
Throughout the Mexican village there are eight small chapels that each have their own cultural festival. This can be explored during the quiet environment of the weekdays, or the bustle of the weekends. Many tourists arrive from Mexico City, especially on Sundays, so if you’re looking to avoid the crowds it is best to arrive on a weekday. If on the other hand you are a shopper and don’t mind the crowds, the weekend folkloric market is one of the highlights of travel to Tepoztlan Mexico.
The destination has also gained popularity for its month-long Carnaval celebrations each night in the main plaza, where you can spend an evening dancing next to the fifteenth century Tepozteco pyramid. If you’re looking for majestic mountain scenery and a glimpse at a traditional Mexican pueblo, plan a visit to Tepoztlan during your trip. If you happen to be visiting during the period of February through mid-March, then get ready for one of the best Carnaval celebrations you’ve ever seen.
Walk through the cobblestone streets of this richly traditional town, recognized by UNESCO as a "Pueblo Magico" (Magical Town). Visit the town's 7 neighborhood churches and go to the vivacious farmer's market on Wednesday's or the tourist market on Friday, Saturday and Sundays.
Get a glimpse of Tepoztlan's yesteryear in the museum in the ex-convent and see the pre-hispanic art exhibit at the Carlos Pellicer Museum.
Enjoy great food at Axitla, hailed by Frommer's as not only the best restaurant in Tepoztlan but perhaps all of Mexico. Other notable places: Los Colorines, El Ciruelo, Posada Tepozteco, Muelle, Pan Nuestro, and Casa Pinon.
Discover why Saveur magaine lists Tepoznieves amongst the world's best ice creams----with dozens of flavors ranging from Rose Petals, to Angel's Kiss, to several varieties with tequila, and, for the purists, a wonderful vanilla.
Surrounding Areas and Day Trips
Spend the day in Cuernavaca, the City of Eternal Spring, a short 20 minute drive. Fabulous restaurants, Hernan Cortes' Palace, the Brady and Muros museums. Big city shopping can be had at Costco, Sam's Club, Mega and Walmart.
Puebla and its 70 churches and 1,000 colonial buildings in the historic district is only two hours away. Dine in one of the many restaurants that crowd the Zocalo (main square) and enjoy mole, the rich chile-based sauce that can contain dozens of spices and other ingredients.
Xochicalco, the Place of the House of Flowers, a mere one hour away, is one of Mexico's major archeological sites. Especially historically significant is the Quetzalcoatl pyramid.
A two hour drive takes you to Taxco, the best known silver mining town in Mexico. Built on a steep hillside, it's fun to maneuver the narrow cobblestone streets, that is as long as you're not the one driving. In addition to shopping for silver jewelry and items, make sure and go through this city's unique market.
Las Grutas de Cacamahuilpa, or Cacamahuilpa caverns, are a worthwhile short detour on the way to Taxco. Stalactites, stalagmites and twisted rock formations, with chambers as high as 82 meters.