15 Best Sights in Side Trips from Mexico City, Mexico

This narrow and charming pedestrian lane, whose name means "Alley of the Toads," cuts diagonally behind the cathedral. The adjacent square has a bustling weekend antiques market with all sorts of Mexican art and crafts, from elaborately carved doors to small paintings on pieces of tin offering thanks to a saint for favors. There are also hip cafés filled with people listening to live music on weekends.

This impressive art and history museum is housed in a pair of adjoining Spanish Colonial hospital buildings from the 1800s with a gorgeous contemporary atrium, several galleries, and a dramatic rooftop terrace with a bar, glass walls, and grand views of the Zócalo. Home to the private collection of pre-Columbian and colonial-era art of Mexican banker and philanthropist Manuel Espinoza Yglesias, Museo Amparo exhibits unforgettable pieces from all over Mexico, including nearly 5,000 pre-Hispanic artifacts. The collection includes colonial-era painting, sculpture, and decorative objects as well as a small modern art section notable for works by Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, Miguel Felguérez, and Vicente Rojo.

Located in a modern business district in Puebla's southwestern outskirts, a 15-minute drive from the city center, this striking white contemporary building with curving white-concrete walls facing a courtyard with a reflecting pool is arguably as famous for its architecture as for the collection within. Renowned Japanese architect Toyo Itō designed the museum, paying homage to Puebla's rich history of Baroque art and design, which traces back to the city's settlement by the Spanish in the 1530s. One exhibit that interprets this relationship with a particular flourish is an interactive scale-model of Puebla's Centro Histórico that lets you see just how many buildings have been influenced by this important movement that spanned the early 17th through the mid-18th centuries. Other galleries are devoted to Baroque paintings, classical music, literature, theater, and other disciplines. On the second level, a stylish restaurant continues the building's beautiful design and serves quite tasty contemporary Mexican cuisine.

Resting in the shadows of the Zona Arqueológica de Cholula, this engrossing museum inside a beautifully transformed 1910 psychiatric hospital has corridors connecting with the tunnels beneath the Great Pyramid. There are eight exhibit areas, each one touching on a different aspect of the region's art and history, including the nearby and quite active Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl volcanoes, Pueblan pottery and meticulously painted alebrijes folk art, and, of course, the fascinating history of the pyramids. It's a pleasure walking through this extensive property's tree-shaded pathways and landscaped grounds. The outstanding gift shop, which is filled with interesting books and artwork, is set inside a contemporary structure with a curving roof and glass walls.

On the southeast side of Plaza de Armas, you'll find this fascinating museum that reopened following a massive renovation that was needed after the building was badly damaged in the major earthquake that struck the region in 2017. Prior to that, the building was named Museo Regional Cuauhnáhuac, but it's also known as the Palacio de Cortés. The fortresslike building was constructed as a stronghold for Hernán Cortés in 1522, as the region had not been completely conquered at that time. His palace sits atop the ruins of Aztec buildings, some of which have been partially excavated. There are plenty of stone carvings from the area on display among the 19 exhibit galleries, with a highlight being the murals Diego Rivera painted between 1927 and 1930 on the second floor, depicting the history of Morelos.

Kids and adults alike enjoy wandering through the galleries, gardens, and animal enclosures of this offbeat natural history museum that's devoted to the region's remarkable biodiversity and incredible vast array of bichos, or critters. Insects, spiders, butterflies, scorpions, snakes, turtles, and lizards native to the area take center stage here, where you'll have the chance to actually touch and maybe even hold many creatures (at least the ones that don't pose any threat). There's also a well-tended botanical garden, a very cool shop that sells all sorts of dried animal specimens as well as cacti and other plants, and a terrace café serving light snacks (some of them made with insects) and refreshments. Be sure to try a "bichelada," the museum's version of a michelada---the rim of the glass is coated with sal de chapulines (grasshopper salt). 

Mexico's largest caverns are located within this 4,000-acre national park about 30 km (19 miles) northeast of Taxco. Guides (it's usually possible to arrange for one who speaks English) lead visitors along a 2 km (1 mile) illuminated walkway with fascinating limestone geological formations that ranks among the world's largest networks of caverns. A tour takes around two hours, after which you're free to spend more time on your own exploring. The road from Taxco is steep and winding but well-maintained and quite beautiful---it's also possible to visit the caverns as a side trip from Cuernavaca or Malinalco. If you don't have a car, it's easy to find taxis willing to make the trip here from any of these cities, and several tour operators also offer trips to Taxco that include an excursion to the caves.

This church has dominated the town's Plaza Borda since the 18th century, and throughout the Spanish colonial era, it was Mexico's tallest structure. Usually just called Santa Prisca, it was built by French silver magnate José de la Borda after he literally stumbled upon a rich silver vein, although the expense nearly bankrupted him. According to legend, first-century Christian martyr St. Prisca appeared to workers during a storm and prevented a wall of the church from tumbling. Soon after, the church was named in her honor. The style of the church—a sort of Spanish baroque known as churrigueresque—and its pale pink exterior have made it Taxco's most important landmark. Its facade, naves, and bovedas (vaulted ceilings), as well as important paintings by Mexican Juan Cabrera, are slowly being restored. A soft light illuminates the church each night until midnight. Around Plaza Borda are several neverías where you can treat yourself to ice cream in such unique flavors as tequila, corn, avocado, and burnt-milk. Currently the church is undergoing renovations, and its twin spires and much of the exterior are cloaked in scaffolding; it'll likely be the end of 2024 or sometime in 2025 when you'll again be able to take clear photos of the spectacular facade.

This remarkable museum on a quiet street south of the Plaza de Armas showcases the collection of the decidedly eccentric artist, antiquarian, and decorator from Fort Dodge, Iowa, who traveled the world amassing an incredible array of works before settling in Cuernavaca in 1962. Ceramics, antique furniture, sculptures, paintings, and tapestries fill the restored 16th-century monastery, which is directly behind the Catedral de Cuernavaca. A number of Brady's works depict his illustrious friends, who included Josephine Baker, Peggy Guggenheim, and actor Geoffrey Holder. They're all magnificently arranged in rooms decorated with brightly painted tiles. Upon his death in 1986, Brady left the house and collection to the city government to be turned into a museum.

At its zenith, around AD 600, Teotihuacán (teh-oh-tee-wa-can) was one of the world's largest cities and the center of an empire that inhabited much of central Mexico. Archaeologists believe that Teotihuacán was once home to some 100,000 people. The questions of just who built this city, at whose hands it fell, and even its original name, remain a mystery, eluding archaeologists and fueling imaginations the world over.

Excavations here first began as part of the dictator Porfirio Díaz's efforts to prepare for the centennial celebration of Mexican independence. Between 1905 and 1910, he sent his official archaeologist, Leopoldo Batres, to work principally on the Pyramid of the Sun. Later studies of these excavations have shown that several elements of this pyramid were destroyed in the excavation and others were falsely presented as being part of the original pyramid.

In 2010, archaeologists took part in another commemorative excavation, this time to celebrate 100 years of archaeological work at Teotihuacán. They discovered a tunnel, about 40 feet down, that passes below the Templo de Quetzalcóatl and is thought to have been intentionally closed off between AD 200 and AD 250. The tunnel leads to chambers into which thousands of objects were thrown, perhaps as a kind of offering. Archaeologists hoped that after a couple of months of digging they might find the remains of some of the city's earliest rulers. Although rulers were often deified at other sites, no tombs or even depictions of rulers have ever been found at Teotihuacán.

The Ciudadela is a massive citadel ringed by more than a dozen temples, with the Templo de Quetzalcóatl (Temple of the Plumed Serpent) as the centerpiece. Here you'll find incredibly detailed carvings of the benevolent deity Quetzalcóatl, a serpent with its head ringed by feathers, jutting out of the facade.

One of the most impressive sights in Teotihuacán is the 4-km-long (2½-mile-long) Calzada de los Muertos (Avenue of the Dead), which once held great ceremonial importance. The Mexica gave it this name because they mistook the temples lining either side for tombs. It leads all the way to the 126-foot-high Pirámide de la Luna (Pyramid of the Moon), which dominates the northern end of the city. Atop this structure, you can scan the entire ancient city. Some of the most exciting recent discoveries, including a royal tomb, have been unearthed here. In late 2002 a discovery of jade objects gave important evidence of a link between the Teotihuacán rulers and the Maya.

On the west side of the spacious plaza facing the Pyramid of the Moon is the Palacio del Quetzalpápalotl (Palace of the Plumed Butterfly); its expertly reconstructed terrace has columns etched with images of various winged creatures. Nearby is the Palacio de los Jaguares (Palace of the Jaguars), a residence for priests. Spectacular bird and jaguar murals wind through its underground chambers.

The awe-inspiring Pirámide del Sol (Pyramid of the Sun), the first monumental structure constructed here, stands in the center of the city. With a base nearly as broad as that of the pyramid of Cheops in Egypt, it is one of the largest pyramids ever built. Its size takes your breath away, often quite literally, during the climb up 248 steps on its west face. Deep within the pyramid, archaeologists have discovered a natural clover-shape cave that they speculate may have been the basis for the city's religion and perhaps the reason the city was built in the first place.

The best artifacts uncovered at Teotihuacán are on display at the exceptional Museo Nacional de Antropología in Mexico City. Still, the Museo de la Sitio, adjacent to the Pirámide del Sol, contains a number of noteworthy pieces, such as the stone sculpture of the saucer-eyed Tlaloc, some black-and-green obsidian arrowheads, and the skeletons of human sacrifices arranged as they were when first discovered.

More than 4,000 one-story adobe and stone dwellings surround the Calzada de los Muertos; these were occupied by artisans, warriors, and tradesmen. The best example, a short walk east of the Pirámide del Sol, is called Tepantitla. Here you'll see murals depicting a watery realm ruled by the rain god Tláloc. Restored in 2002, its reds, greens, and yellows are nearly as vivid as when they were painted more than 1,500 years ago.

There are five entrances to Teotihuacán, each close to one of the major attractions. Around these entrances there are food and craft vendors as well as several restaurants. Among these, the most famous and interesting is La Gruta, which is near Pirámide del Sol and just a short walk east of Museo de Sitio Teotihuacán.

Founded in 1824, this is one of the few authentic Talavera workshops left today. To be the real deal, pieces must be hand-painted in intricate designs with natural dyes derived from minerals. That's why only five colors are used: blue, black, yellow, green, and a reddish pink. English- and Spanish-language tours take place daily except for Sunday, but visitors are also welcome to visit the shop and terrace for free.

A trip to these ruins, which are a roughly 45-minute drive southwest of Cuernavaca, is one of the best reasons to visit the state of Morelos. Built by the Olmeca-Xicalanca people, the mighty hilltop city reached its peak between AD 700 and 900. It was abandoned a century later after being destroyed, perhaps by its own inhabitants. With its several layers of fortifications, the city appears unassailable. The most eye-catching edifice is the Pyrámide de Quetzalcóatl (Temple of the Plumed Serpent). Carvings of vicious-looking snakes—all in the style typical of the Maya to the south—wrap around the lower level, while figures in elaborate headdresses sit above. Be sure to seek out the Observatorio in a man-made cave reached through a tunnel on the northern side of the city. Through a narrow shaft in the ceiling, the Xochicalco astronomers could observe the heavens. Twice a year—May 14 and 15 and July 28 and 29—the sun passes directly over the opening, filling the room with light. From the ruins, you're also treated to an impressive view of the surrounding mountains.

Be sure to set aside at least a half-hour to explore the excellent solar-powered museum, where a wonderfully mounted exhibit of a wide variety of artifacts from Xochicalco are on display, including gorgeous sculptures of Xochicalco deities found nearby. There are dozens of other structures here, including three impressive ball courts.

The remarkable center of this archaeological site in the center of Cholula is the Gran Pirámide, once the hub of Olmec, Toltec, and Aztec religious centers and, by volume, the largest pyramid in the world. It consists of seven superimposed structures connected by tunnels and stairways. Ignacio Márquina, the architect in charge of the initial explorations in 1931, decided to excavate two tunnels partly to prove that el cerrito (the little hill), as many still call it, was an archaeological trove. When seeing the Zona Arqueológica, you'll walk through these tunnels to a vast 43-acre temple complex that was dedicated to the god Quetzalcóatl.

On top of the pyramid stands the Spanish chapel Nuestra Señora de los Remedios (Our Lady of the Remedies). Almost destroyed by an earthquake in 1999, it has been impressively restored. From the top of the pyramid you'll have a clear view of other nearby churches, color-coded by period: oxidized red was used in the 16th century, yellow in the 17th and 18th centuries, and pastel colors in the 19th century. You can obtain an English-language guide for a small fee. The vistas of Popocatépetl volcano are extremely impressive as well.

If you have time for just one attraction, do not miss this impressive site---known officially as Cuauhtinchan---located high on a hill on the west side of town and comprising six ceremonial sites constructed by the Aztecs between the late 1400s and early 1500s (although archaeologists have determined that Indigenous people have worshipped on this site for centuries longer). You reach the site by walking west from Malinalco's colorful main plaza along Calle Vicente Guerrero, which is lined with crafts shops (some of them quite good) and cute bars and cafés. Turn left at the end and then continue a short way on Calle Amajac to the entrance gate, where you'll pay admission and be warned about the arduous---but well-maintained and quite beautiful---trail with 426 steps leading to the site itself. The trail has several resting spots with interpretative signs in English, Spanish, and Nahuatl, and you'll also likely encounter a guide or two whom you can hire, if you wish, to provide an informative tour of the site. At the top, you can climb atop several of the ruins, which have been constructed with local stone. The most interesting of these, the palapa-roof Cuauhcalli (or House of the Eagles), has been carved with great effort and engineering sophistication directly into the steep mountainside. 

Perched on a mountaintop, this small temple is dedicated to—depending on who you believe—either the Aztec deity Tepoztécatl, the god of the alcoholic drink pulque, or the Ahuizotl, the eighth Aztec emperor. The pyramid was part of a city that has not been uncovered, but was of such importance that pilgrims flocked here from as far away as Guatemala. Today it attracts hikers and sightseers willing to undertake the somewhat arduous climb up a well-maintained but rather steep trail of about a mile each way. At the top you can walk around the base and the top of the pyramid—the view over the valley is absolutely dazzling. Note that the last access to the trailhead is 3 pm. You'll find several snack bars and casual eateries lining the street to the trailhead.