8 Best Sights in Side Trips from Mexico City, Mexico

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.

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.

This privately run, 130-acre park about 30 km (19 miles) west of Tepozotlán is centered on the massive Aqueduct of Xalpa. Construction of this huge aqueduct was begun in the mid-18th-century by Tepozotlán's Jesuits as a project to supply the town and its monastery with water from a nearby river. The Jesuits were kicked out of Mexico before they could finish the job, but the site's later owner completed the project, and in the 1990s, the 200-foot-tall structure was restored as part of the development of the land into a park. It's a dramatic site, and a beautiful place to stroll around. A number of recreational activities are offered here for an additional price, including horseback rides, ziplining over the river, boating on a small lake, and swimming in a pool. There's also a playground, a casual restaurant, and picnic areas. 

Tlaxcala's most famous site isn't in the town at all. At the nearby archaeological site of Cacaxtla you'll see some of Mexico's most vividly colored murals. Accidentally discovered in 1975, the main temple at Cacaxtla contains breathtaking scenes of a surprisingly vicious battle between two bands of warriors. The nearly life-size figures wearing jaguar skins clearly have the upper hand against their foes in lofty feathered headdresses.

The site, dating from AD 650 to AD 900, is thought to be the work of the Olmeca-Xicalanca people. Other paintings adorn smaller structures. The newly restored Templo Rojo, or Red Temple, is decorated with stalks of corn with cartoonlike human faces. Perhaps the most delightful is in the Templo de Venus, or Temple of Venus, where two figures are dancing in the moonlight, their bodies a striking blue.

On a hill about 1½ km (1 mile) north of Cacaxtla is the site of Xochitécatl, with four Classic Period pyramids. You can see both sites with the same admission ticket. Head south from Mexico City toward Puebla on Carretera Federal 119. Veer off to the right toward the town of Nativitas. Both sites are near the village of San Miguel del Milagro.

About 8 km (5 miles) outside Cuetzalan lies the splendid archaeological zone of Yohualichan, founded by the Totonac around AD 400. Partly obscured from the road by an austere stone church, Yohualichan (which means "house of night") consists of a lovely hilltop grouping of administrative and ceremonial buildings, houses, plazas, and a long ball court. The easiest way to get here is to take a taxi (the ride should cost no more than MX$80), but combis (vans used for public transport) also make regular drop-offs at the top of the road that leads down to the site. To return to Cuetzalan, you can either make arrangements with your taxi driver to wait for you or walk up to the road and hail a combi or taxi.