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Nicole's
Travelogues and Budget Travel Tips..
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TEOTIHUACAN, MEXICO
The ancient city of Teotihuacán is the most visited of Mexico’s archaeological sites. It's beautiful and easy to get to from Mexico City. It has the 3rd largest pyramid in the world the Pyramid of the Sun and has the Pyramid of the Moon, and the Calle de los Muertos (Street of the Dead) flanked by temples, palaces and platforms. The Palace of the Jaguars and the Palace of the Quetzal-butterfly have amazing murals and the Temple of Quetzalcoátl has sculptures.
The structures were built between 100 B.C. and 700 A.D. The Aztecs used the site as a pilgrimage center. The ceremonial center is laid out in symbolic representation of two axes; the north-south axis is named the Avenue of the Dead where buildings, palaces, plazas and altars extend to either side. At one end is the Pyramid of the Moon and off to one side is the Pyramid of the Sun.
At the south end, there is a visitor complex with restaurant, toilets and shops at the entrance near the citadel. The restaurant is open Monday-Friday from 9am to midnight, Saturday from 11am to 11pm, and Sunday from 10am to 6pm. There is also a museum housing a scale model of the city at its peak. Don't miss it! Remember to bring some water with you - as the refreshment stalls are a ways from the pyramids - and sun screen, hat, and good walking shoes. It is best to arrive early in the morning or towards the end of the day to avoid the crowds and the heat . Also, the site is 2,300 meters above sea level - so take it easy on the stairs!
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The site is open everyday from 8am to 5pm. Tour buses start arriving about 10am, so get there before then. Admission is free on Sundays (the busiest day). Otherwise it costs about US$2.50. By car (or taxi) - it will take about 45 minutes from the city center if you use the toll motorway, much longer if you use the old free road. There is a small fee for parking at the site. I took a bus - Autobuses Teotihuacán - from the North bus station which leaves about every half an hour. The ride took about an hour. Make sure your bus goes to the site entrance and not just to the town of San Juan Teotihuacán nearby. You can also go by tour for about $25. A bunch of tour agencies in Mexico City do half and full day tours - often stopping at Basilica of Guadalupe. Outside of the summer months (July - September) there is a sound and light show in the evening - in English at 7pm and in Spanish at 8pm. |
