Tepotzotlán, is a Magical Town in the metropolitan area of CDMX, very easy to reach, ideal for a Sunday getaway.
You can get there by the Mexico-Querétaro highway towards Querétaro and leave just before the toll booth, there is a lot of public transport (buses) because as it is a completely urban area and part of the megalopolis. By car, there is parking in front of the ex-convent or in the Bodega Aurrerá
First and to charge energy for the walk, I recommend you have breakfast at the food market, it is very close to the central square, the locals can guide you if you have any trouble finding it.
I recommend you to try a traditional pozole, or a good plate of menudo (pork belly); quesadillas with or without huitlacoche cheese, brains, pork belly, pumpkin flower or pork rinds; pambazos, chilaquiles and other options available. Of course, you can not miss the pot coffee and the ham or horchata water. You can also buy some delicious corn tamales in the entrance of the market.
After having breakfast, walk the square and breathe the atmosphere of the place, you can find surprises, for example, I had Julio Cesar Chavez himself, the boxer, giving a speech in a boxing ring in the park, spoke of his beginnings and his won fights, there was a lot of people listening to the champion!!!
While walking through the town you will be able to find, sandals, hats, bags, clothes, jewelry and others.
And if you were still hungry or thirsty you can have raspados(ice cones), Mexican traditional sweets or delicious coned corn and roasted corn.
It was a great surprise to find myself in the middle of the square with "El Señor del Nicho", a really big sculpture of 15 meters high and 16 tons of weight.
The story tells that it was planned to be placed on the hill of Tres Cabezas. It was not installed as planned due to the opposition of neighbors and ecologists due to the environmental impact of the ecological reserve as well as risk of damage to potential pre-Hispanic vestiges.
The fact is that while the lawsuit continues, the Christ rests on the esplanade, waiting for a destination.
The square is a meeting point for walkers, dealers and dancers who with their plumes, drums, flutes and incense honor the pre-Hispanic ancestors.
Finally, we arrive at what for me is the cherry on the top of the cake, the National Museum of the Viceroyalty, the quarry façade is unmistakable because it only has one tower, have you seen any others like it? It's baroque, so it's super adorned.
The interior is even better, the Chapel of the Novices is an absolute beauty, the entrance is a wooden prison, when crossing, keep your eyes wide open because you will be dazzled.
You can ignore the clock and see the time on the sundial in one of the courtyards. Can you see it?
Check the model so that you can locate yourself and measure the size of the Ex-Convent. Don't miss out on the refectory and kitchen.
The patios are a beautiful, perfect for some pictures and the Garden is a very large green area with a path of olive trees, ideal for a selfie.
There is a lot of information on the internet about this beautiful place, in fact, during the pandemic, I was able to make a virtual tour but it is definitly better seeing it live, in case you want to see the virtual tour, here it is: Visita Virtual del Museo Nacional del Virreinato en Tepotzotlán
I did not reached the part of the enormous pictorial collection of the museum. That will be left for another chapter.
Enjoy it and share your feedback!
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