Tepoztlán, Mexico

A charming Mexican town close to Mexico City that is much more than vibes.

If anyone had asked me about Tepoztlán, in the Mexican state of Morelos, a few months ago, they would have drawn a blank. The small city of less than 15,000 souls isn’t known as a tourist hotspot, outside of Chilangos, for whom Tepoztlán is a famous weekend destination. When I had the opportunity to check it out for a weekend, I decided to give it a try.

Tepoztlán is one of Mexico’s pueblos mágicos (magic towns), recognized for their historical or cultural significance. Situated about sixty minutes south of Mexico City’s city limits, Tepoztlán is nestled in a relatively narrow valley that reminded me of Ojai in California. It’s a little lower in elevation than CDMX, at a little less than 5,600 ft, which gives it a very similar weather,  just a tad bit warmer year round.

Tepoztlán’s name comes from the Nahuatl language and means “a place of abundant copper" (there is a little bit of a debate online as to whether this is the exact original meaning, so I defer to this translation, courtesy of the official Mexican government website). In fact, the valley is fairly rich in natural energy sources, which has made the town a magnet for people into alternative therapies. I am always a little reluctant to travel to places that people quote as having “good energy”- I fear it’s the result of a town’s marketing department leaning on the wrong kind of TikTok influencers. You can say I have been traumatized by Netflix’s Byron Baes.

On a sunny, late Friday morning in Mexico City, we rode the subway to the Tasqueña bus station, in the southern part of the city. It’s a smaller station than, say, Estación del Norte, as it doesn’t serve as many destinations, but it’s a modern building with amenities and a robust choice of tiendas selling all sorts of delicious things (my favorite, the abrazo de crema, literally a hug of cream, is a pastry made of Danish dough whose corners are folded and house a dollop of cream).

We took a Pullman de Morelos bus, which cost 180 pesos (or about $12) per person. Tepoztlán is the first stop on a route that ends in Cuautla, and buses leave frequently. As a matter of fact, we only had to wait about fifteen minutes before boarding. I wrote about bus travel in Mexico in other entries, as my experience has run the gamut, from ultra-luxurious ETN buses to Guanajuato to spartan camionetas in Zipolite, but this coach was comfortable, clean and relatively spacious. A definite step up over any US Greyhound.

Very quickly into the trip, highway 95D ascended to leave the basin of Mexico and left the dense urban atmosphere of the big city for forest after forest of pine trees. It instantly felt like we were going away to a quieter, slower place. We passed the state line with Morelos, and soon after were offered a splendid panorama over the valley that gave the state its name, at the center of which lies the city of Cuernavaca.

The town is a magnet for people into alternative therapies.

A little bit after the Mirador La Pera, we turned sharply into highway 115D which led us to our final destination. The bus terminal in Tepoztlán is right off the highway, and a far cry from the modern bus station is Tasqueña. It is basically a petrol station with two parking spots for long-distance buses. We hopped in a cab, and sixty pesos later, arrived at our hotel.

We waited until the heat became more tolerable to get out and explore. On this sunny Friday afternoon, the town was busy, but you could tell from the number of stores dotting the streets that this was nothing compared to the weekend. Tepoztlán gets crowded on fines de semana when Mexico Coty residents come and enjoy the town’s activities and markets, so if you’re looking for a quieter trip, come during the week.

The downtown area is set up as a grid – a common occurrence in Mexican colonial towns, except for Guanajuato. At the center of it, the zócalo was almost entirely taken over by the market, which we promised ourselves we’d check out the next morning. For now, we were happy to slowly walk along the paved streets.

The town’s main artery, the aptly named calle del Tepozteco, starts from the zócalo and heads straight towards the mountain on top of which sits the pyramid that gave the street its name. I was excited by the prospect of hiking it up around sunset, but the access is closed after 3pm, to prevent accidents going down in the dark. We wisely decided to wait until Saturday morning to climb it. Instead, we went for a super late lunch at Los Colorines, a popular and colorful restaurant which happened to be on our way.

After that, we walked back to our hotel, enjoyed the fading light of the sun as it set over the mountain – once again, the two took a color that reminded me of Ojai, California – and retired for an early night.

On Saturday morning, the weather was gorgeous, and we left our hotel around 10am to have breakfast at the market. It was my first true Mexican market experience, and I wasn’t disappointed. The space was a well-organized maze of small shops selling fruits, housewares, souvenirs, but most importantly at this point, delicious food.

We sat down at a booth and quickly ordered a few things, including the famous Tepoztlán staple, the itacate. While the word usually means “food to go” in the rest of Mexico, here it takes on a different meaning. Itacate is indeed a typical pre-hispanic dish that takes the shape of a thick triangle of cooked dough that is then sliced on one side to fill it with whatever ingredient you like, from mushrooms to chicken. It’s super flavorful and quite hearty. It was the perfect meal to grab before hiking.

The Tepozteco is a small pyramid that was built in the 12th century at the top of the mountain that towers over the town’s northern edge. Its name comes from Tepoztécatl, the Aztec god of the alcohol pulque. The climb is very famous and a central attraction for people who come visit Tepoztlán. Whether they want to check out the pyramid from up-close, see coatis roaming around, honor the god of pulque, or just enjoy the fantastic view over the valley from the top, everyone has a good reason to make the strenuous, one-hour trek up 2,000 feet.

I would be lying if I wrote this was a walk in the park – although we did start climbing before it got too hot, and a lot of the path is shaded. It was hard. This is a steep hike, on a trail that is everything but smooth, with lots of people coming up and down at the same time. It ends with two metal stairs (one for going up, the other for going down) that kill whatever is left of your stamina at that point. However, after this last effort, you get to the top and are rewarded by a panoramic view over the Tepoztlán valley.

You must pay (95 pesos, or a little less than $6) to get closer to both the view on the left, and the pyramid on the right, but after such an trek, we gladly did.

The pyramid itself is less impressive for its size (it is rather small) than for its location, at the top of the mountain. It’s relatively well preserved, and you can hire a guide to learn more about its history. I was hoping we would see coatis, but we had no such luck.

It instantly felt like we were going away to a quieter, slower place.

We stayed up for about thirty minutes, I snapped way too many pictures, then started to slowly go back. The way down is always more treacherous because your body weight works against you, and the numerous rocks I stepped on made me fear for a slip – which thankfully didn’t happen. We were back in Tepoztlán fourty-five minutes later, and took a cab to the hotel, where we snacked on high-calorie foods to make up for all we lost on the hike.

We chose to have dinner at a nearby pizzeria – mostly because it was recommended to us, and was located away from the town’s busy streets. It was a great way to unwind after a big effort, and the food was delicious.

On our last day, a Sunday, we decided to check out the town’s colonial masterpiece, the old convent of the Nativity. It is located east of the zócalo, and was built, along with the attached church, by Dominican priests using indigenous labor, between 1560 and 1588.

Upon entering the convent, you face a beautiful path with arches on one side. This path surrounds the courtyard and is so beautifully painted in muted, earthy red tones that I stood there, almost breathless for a bit. Just be ready for the shock when you get in, and I hope its beauty will stun you as it did me. The wall paintings are famous for the intricacy of the restoration process started by Mexican authorities in 1993, which intended to refresh the renaissance-era paintings while preserving the patina of time. The results are stunning.

The unique architectural testimony that this convent brings to the history of the conquest of New Spain and the evangelization of its people made UNESCO add it to its list of World Heritage sites in 1994.

This recognition was made even more justified recently. In 2022, more restoration work revealed pre-Hispanic paintings on the walls of some of the convent’s chapels, and brought to life questions on the specifics of the conversion to Christianity of indigenous people in Mexico. These new paintings may show the Church allowed for a little syncretism in its conversion objectives, and it’s a fascinating new line of research for historians.

The courtyard itself, with a fountain at its center and various small trees around it, is beautiful but off limits. You can go up the stairs to enjoy a higher view on the courtyard as well as on the city.

After this, we went back to the market, and ate more delicious Tepoz food, then decided to walk back towards the hotel, and on the way, found a cute café-bookstore called La Sombra del Sabino. By “found”, I actually mean we were suggested this place by locals, and it didn’t disappoint. Tucked away from the main road, away from the activity and noise of the town center, the café sits in a huge, shaded garden, and tables are sprawled out under a shaded canopy. It was super relaxing and very welcoming. I didn’t check out the bookstore, but I know I will next time I am in town.

I stood there, almost breathless for a bit.

After an hour of sipping a chai tea and a beer, we headed back to the hotel, grabbed our luggage and took a cab to the bus terminal. We hadn’t booked our return trip in advance but the next available OCC bus was only 35 minutes away, so we waited, got on, and slept all the way back to Tasqueña.

Our weekend was nice, the village full of personality, in a beautiful setting, with perfect weather. I am sure we will come back!

PS: if you’re considering visiting Tepoztlán, check out this other beautiful pueblo mágico in the state of Querétaro, known as well for its healing energy and UFO sightings, Bernal (and its famous monolith, la Peña). I think I liked it even better than Tepoz!

Practical information

Getting to Tepoztlán

-       Buses leave the Tasqueña station in the south of Mexico City frequently. Two companies operate between CDMX and Tepoztlán, Pullman de Morelos and ADO, via their brand OCC. It is fine to show up at the station and get tickets for the next bus, except perhaps during peak times (Friday evening outbound, Sunday evening inbound). The trip takes between 70 and 90 minutes depending on traffic. Round trip should cost MXN300-350, or less than USD20.

-       The bus stop for Tepoztlán is located on the outskirts of town, and a MXN60 taxi is convenient to get to the center (you can walk, but it takes about 20 minutes).

-       It is feasible to drive from Mexico City, the road is well maintained and safe (it is a toll-road).

Safety

- Tepoztlán is a very safe destination. The highway to and from Mexico City is busy day and night, with many locals driving from CDMX for a day or two. If you’re concerned about safety, the bus is an even better bet of course, but nothing should prevent you from renting a car and going for it. Avoid driving at night if you can - the road has steep curves and goes through forests which means possible wildlife crossings.

- The town itself is fairly small and totally walkable - again, between the bustling market and the tourists checking out all the cool stores on the main streets, you’ll never feel like you’re walking where you’re not supposed to. I have been to states slapped by a Do Not Travel advisory from the US Department of State (see my trips to Troncones or Morelia), and I have also walked at night in parts of Mexico City that are best avoided, so i have seen that other side of Mexico, and Tepoztlán is nothing like these. I didn’t feel unsafe at any point during my week-end.

Restaurants and coffeeshops

-       Los Colorines: in the town’s main commercial artery, calle del Tepozteco, and you can’t miss its colorful façade. The space is huge but arranged on different floors and feels cosy. The food is very good and not pricey.

-       Tepoztlán market. An every day staple, but bigger on weekends, it’s a must for foodies. Pick a stand where people are already seated (it’s always a good sign) and sample the town’s typical pre-hispanic food, itacates, made in front of you with the topping of your choice

-       El Retoño del Mango: you didn’t come to Mexico to eat pizza, right? Well, think again, this pizzeria is worth betraying your culinary resolutions for. A little far from downtown proper, this is more of a locals place than a tourist magnet, and we loved it for it.

-       La Sombra del Sabino: not far from the pizzeria above, this coffee shop and bookstore is a super chill place to enjoy a caffeinated beverage or two. Drinks are served in a vast shaded garden that feels like a haven of calm when you come from the busy town center.

Images from top to bottom: the panorama over the Tepoztlán valley from the top of the Tepozteco, the Tepozteco towering over the town from the street that bears its name, a colorful Tepoztlán restaurant, another busy street in Tepoztlán, two itacates ready to be eaten, the Tepozteco pyramid, inside the convent of the Nativity.

All images are mine.