Teotihuacán
The world’s third-largest pyramid – surpassed in size only by Egypt’s Cheops (which is also a tomb, unlike the temples here) and the pyramid of…
Must-see attractions in Around Mexico City
Tepoztlán
Tepoztlán's main sight is this 10m-high pyramid perched atop a sheer cliff at the end of a very steep paved path that begins at the end of Avenida del…
Taxco
The icon of Taxco, Santa Prisca is one of Mexico’s most beautiful and striking pieces of baroque architecture. Its standout feature (best viewed side-on)…
Teotihuacán
The Pyramid of the Moon, at the north end of the Calzada de los Muertos, is smaller than the Pirámide del Sol, but more gracefully proportioned. Completed…
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Cuernavaca
Let’s face it, who wouldn’t want to be independently wealthy and spend their life traveling around the world collecting art for their lavish Mexican…
Teotihuacán
Teotihuacán's third-largest pyramid is the most ornate. The four surviving steps of the facade (there were originally seven) are adorned with striking…
Puebla
Puebla’s impressive cathedral, which appeared on Mexico’s M$500 bill until 2019, occupies the entire block south of the zócalo. Its architecture is a…
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Museo Internacional del Barroco
Puebla
This monumental white, architecturally spectacular museum is dedicated to the showy baroque movement – art, fashion, music and literature. The museum,…
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Taxco
A splendid, envy-inducing home-turned-museum, with an interesting collection of vintage art and craftwork from across Mexico, comes to life alongside…
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Puebla
This superb private museum, housed in two linked 16th- and 17th-century colonial buildings, is loaded with pre-Hispanic artifacts, yet the interior design…
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South of Mexico City
Atop a desolate plateau with views for miles around, Xochicalco is an impressive and relatively easy day trip from Cuernavaca that shouldn’t be missed. It…
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South of Mexico City
One of central Mexico’s most stunning natural sights, the Cacahuamilpa caverns are a must-see for anyone visiting Taxco or Cuernavaca. The scale of the…
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Cuernavaca
Cuernavaca’s cathedral, Templo de la Asunción de María is plain and solid with an unembellished facade. It stands in a large high-walled recinto (compound…
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Cuernavaca
Cortés’ imposing medieval-style fortress stands opposite the southeast end of the Plaza de Armas. This two-story stone palace was built in 1535 on the…
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Cuernavaca
This extravagant property, inspired by Versailles (though with mere park-like results), features gardens formally laid out in a series of terraces with…
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Teotihuacán
This expansive square complex is believed to have been the residence of the city’s supreme ruler, and its rooms may have been the city’s administrative…
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Teotihuacán
Off the Plaza de la Luna’s southwest corner is the Palace of the Quetzal Butterfly, thought to be the home of a high priest. The remains of bears,…
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Ex-Convento Domínico de la Natividad
Tepoztlán
This monastery, situated east of the zócalo, and the attached church were built by Dominican priests between 1560 and 1588. The plateresque church facade…
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Cuernavaca
Opened in 2018, this contemporary art museum is comprised of off-white cubes squatting a few blocks west of the zócalo. Temporary exhibits have included…
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Palacio de Tetitla & Palacio de Atetelco
Teotihuacán
A group of palaces lies west, outside Teotihuacán's main area, several hundred meters northwest of Gate 1. Many of the murals, discovered in the 1940s,…
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Taxco
This charming, rather ragtag religious-art museum is housed in a wonderful old house. It hosts a small but well-displayed collection of art, labeled in…
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Puebla
The north doorway of this church is a good example of 16th-century plateresque; the tower and fine brick-and-tile facade were added in the 18th century…
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Cuernavaca
This very small archaeological site, 1km northeast of the center, actually has two pyramids, one inside the other. You can climb on the outer base and see…
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Ex-Hacienda de San Juan Chinameca
South of Mexico City
In 1919 Zapata was lured into a fatal trap here by Colonel Jesús Guajardo, following the orders of President Venustiano Carranza, who was eager to…
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Teotihuacán
Lying just south of the Pirámide del Sol, Teotihuacán's site museum makes for a refreshing stop midway through a visit to the historic complex. The museum…
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Puebla
This pockmarked 19th-century house was the scene of the first battle of the 1910 Revolution. The renovated house retains its bullet holes and some…
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Cuernavaca
Adjoining the northwest corner of the Plaza de Armas is the Jardín Juárez, where the central gazebo (designed by tower specialist Gustave Eiffel) houses…
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Cuernavaca
Built as part of a land deal with the city, this excellent children’s museum has an odd location in a shopping center beside a Costco, about 4km north of…
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Puebla
This Jesuit church with a 1767 Churrigueresque facade is also called Espíritu Santo. Beneath the altar is a tomb said to be that of a 17th-century South…
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South of Mexico City
In 1911 presidential candidate Francisco Madero embraced Emiliano Zapata at Cuautla’s old train station in the sprawling monastery grounds of Ex-Convento…
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Teotihuacán
Centuries ago, the Calzada de los Muertos must have seemed absolutely incomparable to its inhabitants, who were able to see its buildings at their best…
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Puebla
This renovated colonial house is an outstanding example of the over-the-top 18th-century decorative style alfeñique, characterized by elaborate stucco…
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Teotihuacán
This priest’s residence, 500m northeast of the Pirámide del Sol, contains Teotihuacán’s most famous fresco, the worn Paradise of Tláloc. The rain god…
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South of Mexico City
About 33km southwest of Cuautla, Tlaltizapán is the site of the excellent Ex-Cuartel General de Zapata, the main barracks of the revolutionary forces…
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Museo de Arte Prehispánico Carlos Pellicer
Tepoztlán
Behind the Dominican church, this archaeology museum has a small but interesting collection of pieces from around the country covering the Maya to Olmec,…
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Puebla
This long, narrow park is an attractive counter to the centro histórico’s zocálo. The park is festive and crowded in the afternoons, when kids in school…
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Puebla
Occupying the entire block facing the south side of the cathedral, the former bishop’s palace is a classic 17th-century brick-and-tile edifice that now…
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Puebla
Situated above the Casa de la Cultura and founded in 1646, Biblioteca Palafoxiana was the first public library in the Americas. For this, Palafoxiana has…
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Puebla
This fine Dominican church features a stunning Capilla del Rosario (Rosary Chapel), south of the main altar, which is the main reason to come here. Built…
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Taxco
This well laid-out three-story history and archaeology museum is off an alley behind Templo de Santa Prisca. It contains a small collection of pre…
