Tula de Allende, Mexico
A fantastic and often overlooked Toltec archeological site, less than 2 hours from Mexico City.
Anyone interested in the history of Mexico will, at some point, hear about the Toltec people. While not as well-known as the Mayas or the Aztecs, the Toltecs have shaped an important part of the culture in the central region of what would later become Mexico.
We don’t know a lot about the Toltecs because most of their culture and history disappeared with the decline of their civilization. What we know comes mainly from aspects of Aztec culture. The Aztecs regarded the Toltecs as a great people, so much so that they claimed they descended from them. Today, it is hard to tell from the Aztecs’ retelling of Toltec history what is fact and what is myth.
The Toltecs left us, however, with a very tangible proof of their power in the shape of the ancient city of Tollan, now Tula, seat of their civilization, of which remains an incredible archeological site on the outskirts of current Tula de Allende, in the state of Hidalgo.
Tula’s Toltec site may not be on the radar for many foreign tourists, but I had come upon it online, and the imposing figures of the site’s atlantes (these huge figurative statues pictured above) made quite an impression.
The Ovnibus service about to take me to Tula de Allende for a short weekend.
Go online and search for Tula de Allende, and you’ll find many day trip options to see the ruins. While I like an organized tour when it’s the easiest or safest way to get to know a place of interest, I felt that I could handle getting to Tula and enjoying the site on my own.
Feeling like I may want to see the town – and get to the ruins early to enjoy them with as little of a crowd as possible – I opted to spend a night in town. Therefore, on a sunny winter Saturday, I made my way to the Estación del Norte bus station in Mexico City, where I took an Ovnibus service to Tula (for precise directions on how to get to Tula, see the end of the article) .
I am fairly familiar with this bus station. I started many of my trips (to Morelia or to Bernal for instance) from there. It’s bright and modern, with tons of food options, and I have never had to wait more than a few minutes to buy a ticket at a counter. After paying for my one-way ticket to Tula, I took my place in line to board the bus, and a few minutes later, we were on our way.
Ovnibus offers a very classic first-class experience. The bus is set up with two highly reclinable seats on each side of the aisle with very comfortable legroom, a bottle holder and an US-style 110V plug, shared by the two seats on each side of the aisle, that includes two additional USB-A ports. The bus features air-conditioning, restrooms, and overhead screens usually broadcast a movie or two (in Spanish) during the trip. Ovnibus also provides secure luggage handling, with an attendant giving you a ticket that you show upon arrival to retrieve your belongings.
The entrance to Tula’s archeological zone, on Tula boulevard.
Our trip lasted about 1h45, mostly on highways, and felt fast and smooth.
I realized quickly, upon leaving Tula’s Central Bus Station, that my Mexican friends were right. There isn’t much to see and do in Tula proper, and the city isn’t one of the nicest-looking in Mexico. I was coming for the Toltec site, but decided to walk around Tula on Sunday afternoon, just to give it a chance.
Like many pre-Hispanic ceremonial centers, Tula’s is heavy with carvings of wars and sacrifices.
In the meantime, it was close to 5pm and the sun was getting low over the horizon, so I walked the twenty-or-so minutes to my hotel, and took advantage of its terrace overlooking the town to strategize my next day.
I woke up around 8am the following morning, which was perfect. It gave me time to get ready before walking to the entrance of the site, as I aimed to be there just before opening time (9am) and get a chance to be among the first people to access it.
Tula National Park, a beautiful endemic forest surrounding the Tula ruins
I needn’t have worried. I was indeed the first person to get in, and saw very few people for the first two hours of my visit.
Before getting to the actual ruins, every visitor gets to walk through the surrounding nature, which is beautiful. The area surrounding the Tula ruins has actually been a national park since 1981, to protect its endemic flora and fauna, like agaves, mesquite trees, lizards and snakes (don’t fret, I didn’t see any, and the paths are wide and well taken care of, so the risk of stepping on anything venomous is pretty low). The walk to the ruins takes about ten minutes, and, unless you’re planning on doing this in the midday sun during the hot season, is very comfortable.
Founded in the 8th century, the city of Tollan was the most important site for the Toltec people for more than four centuries, but the city was at the apex of its power between AD 900 and 1100. It is believed that it took over from Teotihuacán after the collapse of that city.
Tula’s domination of the central Mexican highlands lasted roughly until the mid-12th century when the city was destroyed. The next big civilization to emerge in the region was the Mexica/Aztecs, in the city of Tenochtitlán (modern day Mexico City). Unlike the civilizations that precede and succeed it, the Toltec world hasn’t been heavily studied, and many of the facts around it remain unclear or subject to debate.
Tula’s famous four atlantes, heroic Toltec warriors.
When they came upon the Tollan ruins in the 16th century, the Spanish invaders decided to give the city a more Spanish-sounding name, and it became Tula. The suffix “de Allende” was added after the Mexican Independence War to honor Ignacio Allende, who fought alongside Miguel Hidalgo to free Mexico from Spanish rule in the early 19th century.
Once I left the dry greenery of the surrounding nature, I could see Tula’s historical site. The path that leads to the ruins gets you behind two of the main buildings, the Burned Palace and the pyramid of Quetzalcoatl (also referred to as “pyramid B”).
The ruins you can visit in Tula used to be a ceremonial center. The site’s location was very strategic – it is located above the Tula river valley, on a rock overlooking the current city of Tula to its south. This location made it defensible to attacks. The main buildings include two pyramids, two ball courts and a few other big buildings, arranged as a square around a plaza central. Like many pre-Hispanic ceremonial centers, Tula’s is heavy with carvings of wars and sacrifices (one of the ones that impressed me the most is located at the back of the Quetzalcoatl pyramid, depicting a jaguar eating a human being - even centuries later, looking at it felt frightening). What’s different about it is its size. It is believed that the large central plaza could accommodate thousands of viewers during the sacrifice ceremonies, and signals a possible change in which these rituals, previously performed secretly, were now displayed for a wider audience.
The number one reason people come to visit Tula’s Toltec site is to gaze at the atlantes, the huge hand-carved limestone statues standing at the top of the Quetzalcoatl pyramid. At more than four meters high, they stand as imposing guardians and figures of authority, and represent important Toltec soldiers.
A small, restored, piece of the Wall of Snakes, in the Tula Toltec ruins.
While they currently top the pyramid, in the Toltec times, they were actually used as supporting columns for another level of the building, and the impression they would have made on members of the Toltec civilization would have been very different.
The structure of the Quetzalcoatl pyramid recalls that of Chichen Itza, and the Mayan’s use of atlantes there have made many historians search for confirmation of some sort of influence or connection between the two civilizations, but so far, nothing has been established with certainty.
There were more (friendly) dogs than tourists for much of my time there.
Behind the pyramid is where I found the Wall of Snakes, a beautifully restored, longitudinal room with carvings of human fights and sacrifices (and where the Jaguar-eating-human carving is located). It leads to the palace of Quetzalcoatl, of which very little remains.
Turning back, I walked into the Burned Palace, a space for the Tullan elite to witness sacrifices. It’s a beautiful geometric building with numerous, perfectly spaced columns (the remains of which, unfortunately, are not as high as they originally were).
The remnants of Tula's Burned Palace, by the Quetzacoatl pyramid.
After visiting these two amazing buildings, I spent some time walking around the site. The view of the city of Tula below, and the impression of power given both by the old city’s position above and the size of its public spaces, is quite an impressive sight.
I was lucky that few people were here in the morning – although it was a Sunday, when the entrance is free for Mexican citizens. I believe there were more (friendly) stray dogs roaming around than tourists for much of my time there.
I chose to peruse the site on my own, but guides were available, and a gentleman was selling a small paper guide on the paths to the ruins.
After a couple of hours enjoying the beauty and serenity of the place, I started heading back out. The heat, around 11.30am, was beginning to feel punishing, and tour buses were slowly emptying onto the parking lot. I decided to walk back down, had a copious lunch, checked out of my hotel and, on the way to the bus station, opted to see a little more of downtown Tula.
The Burned Palace and the Quetzacoatl pyramid (with its atlantes), in Tula’s archeological zone.
Tula has developed rapidly over the past few decades, and is now an important industrial center. As such, it can feel like the city developed haphazardly and without much thought. There remain only a few colonial buildings in its center, and even its cathedral (which, in fairness, used to be a convent), doesn’t feel like a great example of Spanish colonial architecture, the same way Tepotzlán’s convent can. I walked to Plaza del a Independencia, a cute space featuring the Tula letters in bold colors, and headed back to the bus station, a few minutes away.
I really enjoyed checking out the Tula Toltec site. It’s a bit off-the-beaten path, and certainly less visited than the ruins of Teotihuacán, closer to Mexico, although it is as historically significant. I would encourage you to plan a side trip to Tula if you’re ever looking for day trips or small week-end trips from Mexico City.
If you’re looking for a quick getaway from Mexico City, why not look into Tepotzlán? This pueblo mágico, 90mn from CDMX is beautiful and full of the right kind of energy.
Practical information (updated as of February 2025)
Getting to Tula de Allende
- Getting to Tula de Allende from the US: Mexico City’s main airport, MEX, is the most convenient airport to fly into. From MEX airport, you can head to Estacion del Norte, Mexico’s Northern Bus station and pick up a bus service from there (see below).
- Getting to Tula de Allende from Mexico City: Ovnibus offers first-class, non-stop service from Estación del Norte to Tula, with service almost every hour for most of the day. It has an app (which was useful to see the bus timetable, but I couldn’t figure out how to pay my ticket with a US-based credit card). You can also show up at the station and get a ticket at the counter, located at the extreme left of the station, near bay 8. Buses sell out just a few minutes before departure, so show up 20 minutes ahead of time and you will be fine. One way-ticket cost is around USD10 as of writing. The bus will drop you at Tula’s bus station, here. It’s pretty centrally located, and you can walk to Tula’s downtown in a few minutes.
- For more information about bus travel in Mexico and an explanation of what amenities you’ll get in a first-class bus, see here.
The TULA sign in downtown Tula de Allende, Hidalgo, Mexico.
Getting to Tula’s archeological zone
- By foot: once in Tula, you can walk to the Toltec ruins. From downtown Tula, it should take you no more than 35 minutes. Just make sure you follow the route that takes you through Tula Boulevard, all the way up the aptly named Entrada a la Zona Arqueológica street (there is an Oxxo at the corner, you can’t miss it). GoogleMaps lists another access route more to the west, but this is no longer an authorized access.
- By transport: taxis are very easy to find in downtown Tula, and the trip to the entrance of the ruins will last less than 10 minutes, and should cost less than $5 – be sure to have cash handy. Otherwise, from the bus station, you can catch a local AVM bus (white with green markings on it) that rides along Tula boulevard. In 10 minutes and 10 pesos later, you’ll be dropped by the Oxxo.
- Entrance to the ruins are MXN100 per person, with various reductions for seniors or students. Entrance is free for Mexican citizens and permanent residents of Mexico on Sundays.
Safety
- The US State Department labels Hidalgo as a level 2 state, meaning “Exercise increased caution” when you travel. Like most places in Mexico, it is very safe (this level 2 also applies to countries like Sweden, which are not known for their crime levels). Behave as you would in a place you don’t know, especially if you don’t speak the language, and you will be fine. I never felt unsafe at any point in or around Tula.
Lodging
- I stayed at Hotel Terraza10, midway between downtown Tula and the Toltec ruins. The hotel had a glowing 9.2 rating on Booking.com and to be fair, although basic, it was pretty good value for money, the room was clean and the bathroom spacious and functional. I loved the terrace with a view of Tula and of the ruins (they’re somewhat far, but you can see the atlantes fairly well). I liked less the fact my window didn’t close fully: it let both mosquitos and the sound of various barking dogs get in. I still slept fairly well, and appreciated the nearby Soriana supermarket. The walk to the ruins took less than 20 minutes. Room cost was around US50 per night.
Images from top to bottom: A back view of Tula’s four atlantes with the city in the background, the Ovnibus coach which brought me to Tula, the entrance sign to Tula’s archeological ruins, a bench in the National Park that surrounds the ruins, Tula’s four atlantes, a small piece of the Wall of Snakes carvings, the Burned Palace, a view of both the Burned Palace and the Quetzacoatl pyramid, the TULA sign in downtown Tula.
All images are mine.