Things to do
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Amatlán de Quetzalcóatl
Legend makes this village under the cliffs east of town the birthplace of Quetzalcóatl, the feathered serpent. A statue marks the story, and paths lead out to seasonal waterfalls, a sacred tree and rock formations in the forest. Taxis and colectivos make the short run from the centre. Local guides lead the walks, and the falls carry water only in the rainy season.
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El Tepozteco
A small temple to Tepoztécatl, god of pulque, stands on a ledge high above the town, reached by a steep stone path of about two kilometres through forest. The climb takes most walkers an hour or more and ends in rock stairs and ladders. Coatis wait at the top. The site keeps limited opening days and a mid-afternoon last entry.
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Ex Convento
Dominican friars raised this fortress-like convent in the sixteenth century, and it is one of the Popocatépetl slope monasteries on the UNESCO list. A wide walled atrium leads to cloisters with faded friezes and an upper loggia framing the ridges above the town. Rooms now hold a museum of local history. Closed on Mondays.
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Museo Carlos Pellicer
Behind the convent, a modest museum displays the pre-Hispanic collection that the poet Carlos Pellicer gave to the town: Olmec, Teotihuacan and western Mexican figures, masks and vessels. Labels are mostly in Spanish. The rooms are small and the visit is quick. It pairs naturally with the convent next door, and it closes on Mondays.
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Tepoztlán Market
Stalls of blue-corn quesadillas, tlacoyos and a dozen flavours of ice cream line the covered market off the main square, with fruit and herbs at the back. On weekends the trading spills onto Avenida Revolución as a craft market of pottery, textiles and copal. Weekday mornings are the quiet hours. Cash only at almost every stall.
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Xochicalco
On a hilltop southwest of Cuernavaca, this fortified city flourished after Teotihuacan fell and carries a UNESCO listing. Its Temple of the Feathered Serpent is wrapped in carved reliefs of serpents and seated figures, and a cave observatory lets a shaft of sun reach its floor in the weeks around the zenith passages. The site museum is at the entrance. Shade is scarce; a car or taxi is needed.
