Kiosk in the Plaza, Tepoztlan, Morelos, Mexico
Tepoztlan, which means “place of abundant copper”, is a small town nestled between craggy cliffs located to the south of Mexico City in the State of Morelos, accessible by the Mexico-Cuernavaca highway via the Cuautla cut-off.
The town is about 1,700 meters (5,500 ft) above sea level and at a distance of some 18 kilometers from Cuernavaca. It is serviced regularly by buses from Mexico City, Cuernavaca and neighboring Yautepec.
Tepoztlan is a peaceful village where pigs and burros still abound in the street, the sound of cocks crows pierces the early morning hours, and the local residents are fiercely proud and protective of their cultural heritage. It is a town of legends and deep cultural roots that has been appreciated by writers, poets, artists and musicians over many decades and centuries.
In the valleys between the rocky peaks that hug the town corn, beans, chiles and squash are grown in addition to larger cash crops of tomatoes and gladiola flowers. Standing as sentinel above the town is the Tepozteco, a pyramid perched on the rocky cliffs, a hefty climb for hikers wanting a spectacular vantage point of the entire valley.
Museo “Mexico por la Paz” (Museo Arqueológico “Colección Carlos Pellicer”)
In 1964 the “Mexico for Peace” or the “Carlos Pellicer Collection Archaeological Museum was founded by Tabascan poet Carlos Pellicer, who fell in love with the town and contributed largely to its cultural well-being. The museum is located behind the Convent of the Nativity on Pablo Gonzalez No. 2, in what was previously a stable and perhaps a grain storage building. The museum houses a small but fine exhibit of figurines and artifacts of various Mexican cultures. The museum was cared for by the poet himself until his death in 1977; since then, a local committee called “Amigos de Tepoztlan” (Friends of Tepoztlan) are in charge of the maintenance and upkeep of the project. Open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Fruits and vegetables at the Tepoztlan market
The Market
The Tepoztlan market is host to a miscellany of food, ranging from local produce to the traditional cecina – paper thin sliced salt-cured meat and wonderful cornmeal-based snacks, to clothing and arts & crafts. During the week the market is relatively calm, but on weekends it is a lively place to wander and enjoy.
Regional culinary specialties here include Green Mole (made from ground pumpkin seeds), Red mole with turkey, cecina (dried, salt-cured meat) either with cheese and cream or rubbed with a chile sauce, and tlacoyos (corn pockets) filled with beans.
Behind the market is Tepoztlan’s 16th Century Dominican Church and ex-convent of the Nativity, now converted into a museum housing artifacts illustrating the town’s history and culture.
Carnaval in Tepoztlan
Tepotztlan’s carnaval is one of Mexico’s finest. Festivities are underway on the Sunday, Monday and Tuesday prior to Ash Wednesday, with dances of the Chinelos as well as other music, processions, arts and crafts and a fabulous variety of regional food to choose from.
Hotels & Lodging
Hotel Posada del Tepozteco
Paraiso 3 Barrio San Miguel Tepoztlan Morelos 62520,Mexico
Hotel Hacienda Cocoyoc
Carretera Federal Cuernavaca-Cuautla, Cocoyoc, MX
Hostal de la Luz Amatlan
Carretera Federal Tepoztlán Amatlán Km 4 Col. Amatlán, Tepoztlan, Morelos, Mexico
