Happy TravellerWelcome to Tepoztlán, a magical town located in the heart of the Tepoztlán Valley in the central Mexican state of Morelos. This charming town is a popular tourist destination near Mexico City, known for its rich history, stunning landscapes, and exotic ice cream flavors. Let’s explore the many treasures of Tepoztlán and discover why this enchanting destination should be on every traveler’s bucket list.
Tepoztlán is derived from Nahuatl and means place of abundant copper or place of the broken rocks. This is derived from the words tepoz-tli (copper) and tlan (place of/place of abundance). The town serves as the seat of government for the municipality of the same name. The town had a population of 14,130 inhabitants, while the municipality reported 41,629 inhabitants in the 2010 national census.
One of the main attractions of Tepoztlán is the remains of El Tepozteco temple built on top of the nearby Tepozteco Mountain. A rustic trail leads up to the sanctuary, climbing 595 m (1,952 ft) along 2 km (1 1/4 miles) of length. Due to the steep climb and rough terrain, people take anywhere from 20 minutes to three hours to make the journey. From the summit, there are views of the town of Tepoztlan and the Valley of Cuernavaca. As the national park is located within the Chichinautzin Biological Corridor, there is plenty of rich flora and fauna.
Tepoztlán is also famous for the exotic ice cream flavors prepared by the townspeople. Visitors can try unique flavors such as avocado, corn, and cactus fruit. The town is a foodie’s paradise, with a lively weekend market or tianguis offering traditional pottery and handicrafts.
Agriculture, especially growing of maize, chili, and tomatoes, and livestock growing are the main sources of income for the locals. However, nowadays Tepoztlán gets its most important income through tourism. People visit the town for its authentic traditional environment, along with the pyramid and several communities with ecological or progressive thinking.
Tepoztlán was named a Pueblo Mágico (or magic town) in 2002 but its title was removed in 2009 for failure to maintain the requirements. In 2010 Tepoztlán addressed these problems and recovered the Pueblo Mágico title.
The climate around the Tepoztlán Sierra (where El Tepozteco is located) shows temperate as well as some subtropical variations. The rainy season starts during the summer and ends at the beginning of autumn. Precipitation reaches 1,000 mm (39.4 in)/yr in the Tepoztlán Valley and up to 1,200 mm (47.2 in)/yr in the mountains.
According to myth, Amatlán, in the municipality of Tepoztlan is the birthplace of Ce Acatl, later known as Topiltzin Ce Acatl Quetzalcoatl, and who may be the possible historical basis of the Mesoamerican god Quetzalcoatl over 1200 years ago, the feathered serpent god widely worshipped in ancient Mexico. The earliest findings of pottery and other ceramic utensils date back to approximately 1500 BCE. During the Spanish Conquest (1521), Hernán Cortés is said to have ordered the town razed after the refusal of the town leaders to meet him. This event was chronicled by Bernal Díaz del Castillo in The Conquest of New Spain. The monastery was built by the Dominicans between 1555 and 1580, and in 1993 was declared Patrimonio de la Humanidad by the UNESCO. Surrealist painter Wolfgang Paalen lived and worked in Tepoztlàn during his last Mexican period (1954–59).
Tepoztlán is a town full of festivals and celebrations. Carnaval in Tepoztlan is the largest in Morelos. It takes place for three days before Ash Wednesday. September 8 is the fiesta to honor Tepozteco and Virgin of the Nativity in Tepoztlan. San Juan Tlacotenco is located at an altitude of 2,350 meters above sea level, 5 kilometers north of Tepoztlan, with exuberant forests within the Chichinahutzin Biological Corridor and the Tepozteco National Park (est. 1937). The foundation of the town dates from around 1100 AD, by the arrival of the Nahuatl-speaking immigrants. San Juan was the stop on the Mexico City-Cuernavaca rail line, from 1897 to 1997, that is closest to Tepoztlan. In 1993 archaeological pieces dating from 1028 CE were found in a nearby hill called Chimalacatepetl; these are located in a small museum that opened in 1995. The feast of St. John is celebrated on June 24. Spelunkers will enjoy exploring the Cueva del Diablo (Devils Cave), Cueva del Ferrocarril (Railroad Cave), and other caves in the area. Santa Catalina is west of Tepoztlan. The
