Teotihuacan: A Must-Do Day Trip from Mexico City

Teotihuacan is without a doubt one of Mexico’s most impressive attractions and it’s only an hour’s drive from Mexico City. Teotihuacan is shrouded in mystery and ongoing excavation continues to reveal more of its secrets. The sheer size of Teotihuacan is impressive. No one really knows how far this ancient city extended, but using lasers, archeologists have discovered that the city is much larger than they originally thought. This mysterious Mesoamerican archaeological site is a must-do day trip when visiting Mexico City.

History of Teotihuacan

Teotihuacan means “Place of the Gods”. The city with its pyramids thrived between the 1^stand 7^thcenturies. At its peak it had a population of more than 100,000 and covered 8 sq. mi. (21 sq. km). Little is known about this great civilization and why the city was abandoned remains a mystery.

Teotihuacan was abandoned around 750 AD and was rediscovered by the Aztecs around 1400 AD. The Aztecs never lived in this great city but learned from the knowledge of this ancient civilization. They brought artifacts from Teotihuacan with them and built Tenochtitlan, which lies under Mexico City.

Recent findings:

Scholars thought that the Teotihuacan civilization was a peaceful one, but recent discoveries tell a different story: The remains of 12 people under the Pyramid of the Moon indicate that human sacrifice was practiced. They believe that this was probably done to gain political power. They also found remains from sacrificial animals. Additionally, necklaces made of human bones, arrowheads and sacrificial knifes made from a very sharp obsidian stone were also found. These findings suggest that the people of Teotihuacan were governed by a very powerful and violent High Priest.

Archeologist also discovered a tunnel under the Temple of the Feathered Serpent (Quetzalcoatl) that leads to the center of the pyramid. Findings in the room led experts to believe that this room was associated with the underworld.

Teotihuacan highlights

Palace of Quetzalpapalotl

Built on top of the Temple of the Feathered Conches, the Palace of Quetzalpapalotl (meaning beautiful butterfly) was most likely the residence of the High Priest of the Pyramid of the Moon.

Numerous colorful murals and intricate carvings still decorate the palace. Large stone serpent heads (now protected from the elements) decorate the stone staircase leading to the covered portico.

The colors used to paint murals, decorate temples and sculptures come from natural elements. Various shades of red were created by crushing cochineals, an insect found on cacti. Other colors were obtained by grinding leaves, flowers, berries and stones. For example: leaves produce different shades of green, yellows are extracted from yellow flowers, blues come from berries or even crushed stones. It’s amazing to see that some of these paintings are still there for us to enjoy even after all these centuries!

Palace of the Jaguars

This palace consists of a large plaza adjacent to the Palace of Quetzalpapalotl. The small black pebbles in the mortar are from the restoration of the structure. Murals of jaguars blowing conch shells adorn the palace walls.

Pyramid of the Sun

This monumental pyramid is the third largest in the world (the largest is the Pyramid of Cholula, also in Mexico and the second largest is the Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt). Climbing to the top is a must, not only to reach the top of Teotihuacan’s tallest monument but also to appreciate the sheer size of this ancient city and the view.

Pyramid of the Moon

The perspective from the top of the Pyramid of the Moon is more impressive and aligned with the Avenue of the Dead. Excavations under and inside the pyramid have revealed burial sites, human and animal remains and offerings. In the center of the Plaza of the Moon there is an altar where sacred ceremonies as well as human sacrifices were performed to honor the Great Goddess of Teotihuacan, the goddess of water, fertility, earth and creation.

Avenue of the Dead

The Avenue of the Dead is the city’s main artery and links the Pyramid of the Moon to the Temple of the Feathered Serpent. The avenue is about 1.5 mile-long (2.5 km) and is flanked by a series of pyramidal structures. Along the way, on the east side between the Moon and Sun pyramids you can see the Mural of the Puma (also Mural of the Cougar).

Temple of the Feathered Serpent

Also called Temple of the Plumed Serpent, this smaller pyramid, next to the Citadel, is adorned with feathered serpent sculptures and is dedicated to Tlaloc, the God of rain.

Museum

The museum houses artifacts found on site and has exhibits about the history of Teotihuacan.

Getting to Teotihuacan

Well, we toyed with the idea of renting a car and going to Teotihuacan on our own but opted for a private tour instead. It was less complicated than finding a place near our hotel to rent a car. We were staying on Paseo de la Reforma and we didn’t need a car to visit the sights we wanted to see in Mexico City. We walked and used public transportation. Renting a car at the airport would have been more of a burden than anything else with all the traffic in the city and few parking places.

We thought that having a knowledgeable guide would enhance our visit. Unfortunately, our guide wasn’t very good, and our visit much too brief. The tour was combined with a visit to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. There too, the visit was rushed (30 min). In retrospect, hiring a driver for the day would have been the best option. Some taxi drivers are also quite knowledgeable. On our way to the airport, we learned more about Teotihuacan from our taxi driver, a passionate archeology hobbyist, than we did from our guide. He even had a collection of books on the topic in his car!

Good to know

• Get there early, as it gets really hot in the afternoon and more crowded too
• Bring water, a hat and sunscreen because there isn’t any shade
• Opening hours: 9am- 5pm, 365 days a year
• Entrance fees: 75 pesos (about $4) per person
• Parking: 45 pesos (about $2.40) per car

Conclusion

Perhaps one day we will be lucky enough to revisit Teotihuacan and see more of it as new discoveries are made and more of this amazing site is revealed. This is truly a must-do day trip when in Mexico City.

This time around we didn’t have time to visit the Great Pyramid of Cholula, the largest pyramid in the world. Most of it is hidden under a hill and there’s a church on top of it, but it would be interesting to see. Apparently, there are 5 miles of tunnels inside the pyramid. This is definitely something I would like visit.

Mexico City: Top Places to Visit and Things to Do (or Not)