Tepoztlán, Morelos is a Pueblo Mágico located about one hour south of Mexico City. The city is famous for an archaeological site perched high on the top of a mountain, and deep pre-hispanic roots found throughout town (including some incredible food!) Tepoztlán is frequently visited by people from Mexico City looking to escape the big city on the weekends and holidays. The streets are vibrant with lots of street art and a rugged, artsy feel. Below, you will find information on what to do, where to stay, and (of course) places to eat!
How to Get to Tepoztlán
♦ From Mexico City, head to the Taxqueña bus station on the south side of town. From there, you can take an OCC first class bus straight to Tepoztlán. The bus departs every 40 minutes so no need to purchase ahead of time--just show up to the station to purchase tickets. The trip takes just over one hour and costs $140 pesos (about $6.25 USD) as of September 2020.
♦ Once in Tepoztlán, grab a taxi at the bus station to get to your hotel or Airbnb. The taxi ride should be around $40 pesos (about $1.80 USD) to get to most hotels in the downtown area.
What to Do in Tepoztlán
♦ Hike to the Archaeological Site-- This is what Tepoztlán is famous for! Perched high on top of a mountain right in town, you can visit the Tepozteco Pyramid. This hike can be very difficult, especially if you are not used to the elevation and lots and lots and LOTS of stairs! The hike itself takes about 50 minutes with zero stops along the way (this counted as our workout for the day!) If you are walking at a leisurely pace and making a few stops along the way, I would budget the hike to the top to take about 1.5 hours. Note, bring a bottle of water for the journey :) Unfortunately, the pyramids were closed on the day we visited (perhaps due to Covid restrictions), but the hike itself was still absolutely worth the effort and I can imagine the views from the pyramid are incredibly breathtaking (perhaps literally?!) We read online that there are sometimes people at the top that will offer an extra unofficial "tour" to some other areas of the mountain for tips. The site itself also has an entrance fee, so bring some extra cash. On the way back down at the base of the mountain, there are lots of little stands selling itacates (more on that later!), quesadillas, meats, and tons of other goodies. This food was some of the best we had during our time in Tepoztlán and we highly recommend stopping here to eat on the way back into town.
♦ Wander the Streets-- Tepoztlán is packed full of colorful, cheerful, vibrant streets with plenty of shopping! (Greg's favorite!) Wander the street "Cinco de Mayo" which eventually turns into "Del Tepozteco" for awesome shopping and street art. This street dead ends at the base of the mountain!
♦ Visit The Market-- The Tepoztlán Market is similar to other Mexican markets--full of fruits, vegetables, restaurants, and other things--but it also has TONS of places that serve Pre-hispanic food as well as some Tepoztlán originals like itacates. The market overflows onto the streets on the weekends where vendors set up shop on Saturdays and Sundays.
♦ Participate in a Temazcal-- This is a spiritual ritual that is very popular in Tepoztlán. Greg participated in one in Chihuahua and I tend to get claustrophobic, so we chose not to take part in a temazcal this trip, but this is something that is popular in Tepoztlán and has deep roots in this area. Note: Would recommend choosing a place, reading reviews, and taking the time to research a place to participate in this ceremony. Would NOT recommend merely choosing a place while wandering around town. Looking for something a little less intense? There are also lots of spas that offer massages in Tepoztlán too :)
Where to Stay in Tepoztlán
Tepoztlán is a "touristy" place because lots of people from Mexico City visit on the weekends to escape the big city. Also, because Tepoztlán is a Pueblo Mágico, it is a popular destination for visitors from all across Mexico (and beyond!) That said, there are TONS of hotels and Airbnbs in town to choose from. Here are a few of our recommendations:
♦ Hotel Ma Petite Maison-- This hotel is located just a block or so off of the main street and offers big, spacious rooms. We chose a room with a view of the mountains which was only a few pesos more and found ourselves staring out the window for much of the day! Also, the stay includes a free breakfast of fruit, coffee, juice, and toast! You can book Hotel Ma Petite Maison by clicking here.
♦ Tubohotel-- This is the most unique place we have ever stayed! The rooms are literally concrete tubes! The place is QUITE unique and special. There are shared bathrooms which were clean and nice and also a free breakfast! This is located a bit outside of town and it is about 1.3 kilometers (about .7 miles) from the center of town. There are not really restaurants near the hotel and it is located on a busy interchange. If you are looking for something different during your time in Tepoztlán, we would recommend checking this place out!
Where to Eat in Tepoztlán
♦ The Market-- The market in town has some different dishes to try that are typical from the area and also tons of Pre-hispanic food too! Probably the most common is called a "tlaltequeada". Think something similar to a quinoa patty type consistency but with interesting ingredients. My favorite included banana, amaranth, dried cranberries, and a few other things I cannot remember :) A meal comes with two of these "patties" smothered in mole sauce with a side of rice and beans and tortillas on the side for around $100 pesos (about $4.50 USD) as of September 2020. Greg ordered a plate of jabali (wild boar) tacos which came with a ton of meat and was $200 pesos (about $9.00 USD). This is expensive for typical market-type food, but it was a special dish and Greg said it was absolutely worth it! We also saw rabbit, armadillo, deer, and other interesting meats for sale at various places inside the market. All around the market are places that sell "pan de queso". Most notably is the place called "La Guera" and they have several little stands throughout town. Pan de queso is really similar to a mini cheesecake but a little less sweet. They are delicious and about $20 pesos (about $1 USD) per piece. Approximate address: Revolución de 1910 #14,Tepoztlán
♦ Meat on a Stick-- Bare with me, I realize this isn't an actual restaurant. At the bottom of the mountain (at the end of "Calle Del Tepozteco), there are a few stands that sell various meats on a stick. There are ribs, shrimp, longaniza (similar to chorizo), cecina, or any combination of the above. Greg LOVED the longaniza at one of these stands. They are $80 pesos (about $3.60 USD) per skewer and you can choose from a plethora of salsas like bbq, buffalo, Valentina, etc to put on there.
♦ La Colorina-- This is a great place to try a typical street food served all throughout Tepoztlán called "itacates". This is similar to a gordita. It is a thick "pocket" made from corn, butter, and cheese and then stuffed with anything you choose--my favorite was beans and "quesillo" which is a string type cheese from Oaxaca. Greg loved the itacates of cecina (thinly sliced, salted, and partially dried pieces of beef) also with the same quesillo cheese. La Coloring also has delicious "sopa Azteca" (think tortilla soup). One thing we noted all throughout town was that both the itacates and quesadillas are served with cream and an extra sprinkle of cheese--who knew quesadilla could possibly get any better?! Another thing to try in Tepoztlán is a quesadilla with "flor de calabaza". This is a flower from a squash plant and when put inside a quesadilla is magical! Pro tip: you MUST ask for cheese inside a quesadilla in Tepoztlán. I know, it may seem rare, but quesadillas don't automatically come with cheese in Tepoztlán (I blame the Chilangos!). Approximate address: Del Tepozteco 29, Tepoztlán
We hope that you enjoy your time in the beautiful, mystical Pueblo Mágico of Tepoztlán! As always, feel free to email us at kinetickennons@gmail.com with any other questions you may have.
Until next time, Have Less. Do More. Be More.
