MEXICO CITY’S TOP 10 - Top 10 Mexico City - page 58

Left Pyramid of the Sun, Teotihuacán Center Ta x c o Right La Parroquia, San Miguel de Allende
Excursions
! Teotihuacán

Pyramid of Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli
(Pyramid of the Morning Star).
Four towering Atlanteans, the
famous monumental carved
stone warriors, crown the
pyramid. Other ruins include the
Wall of Serpents, ball courts, and
the columns of the Burnt Palace.
d 53 miles (85 km) N of Mexico City
• [phone] • Bus tour • 10am-6pm
Tue-Sun • Adm • www.inah.gob.mx

Once the greatest city in
Mesoamerica, the ancient ruins
form one of the world's biggest
and most impressive archeo-
logical zones. Visitors can climb
the third largest pyramid in the
world, stroll through ancient
palaces, and see fabulous
ancient murals (see pp32-3) .

$ Ta x c o This picturesque colonial

mountain town with steep,
narrow cobblestone streets is
most famous for its talented
silversmiths, historic buildings,
and the fabulous Baroque church
Iglesia de Santa Prisca. The
Spaniards first mined a wealth of
silver here and Taxco was estab-
lished as the center for silver-
smiths in the 1930s. Today, silver
shops surround the town's main
plaza. d 106 miles (170 km) SW
of Mexico City • [phone]

Iglesia de San Francisco Javier, Tepotzotlán

@ Tepotzotlán The highlight of this mountain

town with its pretty plaza and
cobblestone streets is the
magnificent Iglesia de San
Francisco Javier. Next to the
church is the Jesuit college
which houses the Museo
Nacional del Virreinato
displaying colonial and
religious art. d 27 miles (44 km)
N of Mexico City • 5876-0245
• Bus tour and taxi • 9am-5:45pm
Tue-Sun • Adm, free Sun

% Cuernavaca Year-round spring-like

weather and a convenient
location close to Mexico
City has attracted the
wealthy and powerful to
the lovely colonial town of
Cuernavaca for centuries.
Cortés built his fortress-like
residence, Palacio de
Cortés, here in 1522. The
town center features a
cathedral built in the 1520s
and nearby there are two
lovely plazas. Palacio de

£ Tula Tula, the capital of the

Toltec nation, rose to power
in the 10th century, after the
fall of Teotihuacán. The most
important ruin here is the

Atlante de Tula

62