An interesting side trip from Cuernavaca is to Tepoztlán, just 21km to the northeast and dramatically sited in a narrow valley spectacularly ringed by volcanic mountains. Until recently this was an isolated agrarian community inhabited by Nahuatl-speaking people whose life changed little between the time of the Conquest and the beginning of the twentieth century it was on Tepoztlán that anthropologist Oscar Lewis based his classic study Life in a Mexican Village, in which he traced the effects of the Revolution, as the village was an important stronghold of the original Zapatista movement. In recent years, though, new roads and a couple of luxury hotels have begun to change things Tepoztlán has become a popular weekend retreat from the capital, with its good selection of restaurants and quality arts and crafts shops, though midweek it is still a peaceful spot. For now, at least, the stunning setting also survives, as does a reputation for joyously boisterous fiestas (especially Sept 8, celebrating the conversion of the local ruler to Christianity in 1538). On Sundays and Wednesdays a market is held in the zócalo, on whose eastern side stands the massive Ex-Convento Dominico de la Natividad. It was a fortress for a while during the Revolution, but is now in a rather beautiful state of disrepair with some attractive murals still surviving in the cloister. Around the back and accessed off Gonzales, part of the church has been given over to the Museo de Arte Prehispánico (Tues–Sun 10am–6pm), which holds a remarkably good archeological collection. Several pre-Hispanic temples have been found on the hilltops in the area, and you can see one to the north, perched high up in impossibly steep-looking terrain. This is the Santuario del Cerro Tepozteco (daily 9am–5.30pm), reached after an exhausting climb of an hour or so up what is little more than an upgraded dry streambed at times. If you’re fit, the hike is worth it for the views from this artificially flattened hilltop, and the chance to inspect the site at close quarters. The small, three-stepped, lime-washed pyramid here was dedicated to Tepoztecatl, a god of pulque and of fertility, represented by carvings of rabbits. There were so many pulque gods that they were known as the four hundred rabbits: the drink was supposedly discovered by rabbits nibbling at the agave plants from which it is made. This one gained particular kudos when the Spaniards flung the idol off the cliffs only for his adherents to find that it had landed unharmed the big September fiesta is in his honour. Follow the example of Mexicans and reward your efforts with a picnic lunch (water and soft drinks are available at a price), but do buck the litter-dropping trend and take your empty containers away with you.

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 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 1000 mm/yr in the Tepoztlán Valley and up to 1200 mm/yr in the mountains. Tourism and Real Estate. Nowadays Tepoztlán gets its most important income through tourism and real estate activity. Properties in town are rated very highly due to the interest of wealthy people and foreigners who have decided to live in this town or those who like owning a summer place to stay.

Tepozteco Challenge: It is a traditional festival where the people of Tepoztlan made the celebrations ceremony christening wake and Tepozteco, with the reason to remember the change of polytheistic religion Catholic. Representation is in Nahuatl and Spanish translation, where allies of Mr. Cuauhnáhuac challenge the Tepozteco. This festival dates from about 1850 and is performed dances representing the lords of Yautepec Oaxtepec, Tepoztlán and Tlayacapan, and then to leave the civic square. The celebration is also accompanied by several events celebrating Our Lady of the Nativity of Mary, starting in late August and end on September 16. The Carnival of Tepoztlan Tepoztlan Carnival is held every year and is one of the most famous carnivals of Morelos. This begins four days before Ash Wednesday, a time of fasting and abstinence for those with Catholic traditions. It is a festival where the inhabitants of the region offer the best of hospitality and entertainments for all visitors to the carnival.

On the weekends, Tepoztlán’s cobblestone streets are filled with spirituality seekers, market lovers, and city dwellers, but during the week, travelers will find a tranquil, enchanting town that is the embodiment of smalltown life in Mexico. In many ways, Tepoztlán is like a town out of a storybook; there are quaint ice-cream shops, a rock-hewn staircase on the edge of town leads to an ancient pyramid, and wild horses often roam the streets. 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 Quetzalcóatl, 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. The village wears its New Age heart on its sleeve homeopathic pharmacies and health-food stores coexist happily alongside Internet cafes, tortilla stands, and satellitedish companies. The town is famous throughout Mexico as a symbol of fierce civic pride and independence.

Two things you must do are climb up to the Tepozteco pyramid and hit the weekend folkloric market. In addition, Tepoztlán offers a variety of treatments, cures, diets, massages, and sweat lodges. Some of these are available at hotels; for some, you have to ask around. Many locals swear that the valley possesses mystical curative powers. If you have a car, Tepoztlán provides a great starting point for traveling this region of Mexico. Within 90 minutes are sights listed in this chapter such as Las Estacas, Taxco, las Grutas de Cacahuamilpa, and Xochicalco (some of the prettiest ruins in Mexico). Tepoztlán lies 20 minutes from Cuernavaca and only an hour south of Mexico City. Tepoztlán’s weekend folkloric market is one of the best in central Mexico. More crafts are available on Saturdays and Sundays, but the market also opens on Wednesdays. Vendors sell all kinds of ceramics, from simple fired-clay works resembling those made with pre-Hispanic techniques, to the more commercial versions of majolica and pseudo-Talavera. There are also puppets, carved-wood figures, and some textiles, especially thick wool Mexican sweaters and jackets made out of jerga (a coarse cloth). Very popular currently is the “hippie”style jewelry that earned Tepoztlán its fame in the ’60s and ’70s. The market is also remarkable for its variety of food stands selling fruit and vegetables, spices, fresh tortillas, and indigenous Mexican delicacies. A hike to the Tepozteco pyramid is probably one of the most rewarding experiences you will have on your journey in Mexico. The climb is steep and fairly strenuous, especially toward the end, although it is perfectly doable in a few hours and is not dangerous. Dense vegetation shades the trail (actually a long natural staircase), which is beautiful from bottom to top. Once you arrive at the pyramid, you are treated to remarkable views and, if you are lucky, a great show by a family of coatis (tropical raccoons), who visit the pyramid most mornings to beg for food; they especially love bananas. The pyramid is a Tlahuica construction that predates the Náhuatl (Aztec) domination of the area. It was the site of important celebrations in the 12th and 13th centuries. The main street in Tepoztlán, Avenida 5 de Mayo, takes you to the path that leads you to the top of the Tepozteco. The 2km (1.2-mile) winding rock trail begins where the name of Avenida 5 de Mayo changes to Camino del Tepozteco. The hike takes about an hour each way, but if you stop and take in the scenery and really enjoy the trail, it can take up to 2 hours each way. Water and drinks are available at the top. Also worth visiting is the former convent, Dominico de la Navidad. The entrance to the Dominican convent lies through the religious-themed “Gate of Tepoztlán,” constructed with beads and seeds, just east of the main plaza. Built between 1560 and 1588, the convent is now a museum.

Lying in a lush green valley, Tepoztlán is surrounded by spectacular volcanic rock formations. A tiring but worthwhile climb above the town stands the Santuario del Cerro Tepozteco, a shrine dedicated to Tepoztecatl, the ancient god of pulque an alcoholic beverage made from the agave plant. The dominant building in the town itself is the massive, fortified 16th-century Ex-Convento Dominico de la Natividad, whose austere cloister still has delightful mural fragments in the cloisters, though the building is in a state of disrepair. For lovers of pre-Columbian art, the Museo Carlos Pellicer holds a small but interesting collection, the legacy of the Tabascan poet and anthropologist Carlos Pellicer, who lived in Tepoztlán. One weekend trip from the capital that rarely disappoints is that to gorgeous Teportlan, a wonderfully situated small town with a well-preserved historic center sur-rounded by soaring jagged cliffs just 80km south of Mexico City. As the birthplace of Quetzalthatl, the omnipotent serpent god of the Aztecs, over 1200 years ago according to Mesoamerican legend, Teportlan is a major Nahuatl center and something of a Mecca for new-agers who believe the place has a crea-tive energy. What is indubitable is that this pueblo magico 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 Nahuatl and younger generations learning it in school, making it quite unlike most of the other towns ringing the Mexican capital.

Some sights are Piramide De Tepozteco: The uncontested main sight in town is this 10m-high pyramid, although it's actually some 400m above the town perched atop a sheer cliff at the end of a very steep path that begins at the end of Av Teporteco. Built in honor of Teportecatl, the Aztec god of the harvest, fertility and pulque, the pyramid is more impressive for its location than for its actual size. At the top, depending on haze levels, you may be rewarded with a panorama of the valley. Ex-Convento Dominico De La Natividad: This monastery and the attached church were built by Dominican priests between 1560 and 1588. The plateresque church facade has Dominican seals interspersed with indigenous symbols, floral designs and various figures, including the sun, moon and stars, animals, angels and the Virgin Mary. The monastery's arched entryway is adorned with an elaborate seed mural of pre-Hispanic history and symbolism. Every year, during the first week of September, local artists sow a new mural from 60 varieties of seeds. The 400-year-old complex was undergoing a major restoration at the time of writing; many murals from the 16th and 17th centuries have been meticulously restored. Upstairs, various cells house a bookstore, galleries and a regional history museum. Museo Arqueologico Carlos Pellicer: Behind the Dominican church, this archaeology museum has a small but interesting collection of pieces from around the country, donated by Tabascan poet Carlos Pellicer Camara. The objects on display here are lively and vibrant, with mainly human figures but also including some animals. The stone fragments depicting a pair of rabbits the symbol for Ometochtli, the leader of the 400 rabbit gods of drunkenness were discovered at the Teporteco pyramid site. Some festivals and events are Teportlin: is a hyper-festive place, with many Christian feasts superimposed on pagan celebrations. With eight barrios (neighborhoods) and an equal number of patron saints, there always seems to be some excuse for fireworks. During the five days preceding Ash Wednesday (46 days before Easter Sunday), Carnaval features the colorful dances of the Huehuenches and Chinelos with feather headdresses and beautifully embroidered costumes. On September 7, an all-night celebration goes off on Teporteco hill near the pyramid, with copious consumption of pulque in honor of Teportecatl. The following day is the Fiesta del Templo, a Catholic celebration featuring theater performances in Nahuatl. The holiday was first intended to coincide with the pagan festival, but the pulque drinkers get a jump on it by starting the night before.