Finding your way around Mexico City (Sur)

Mexico City Skyline

Visiting Mexico City is daunting for some, but its ever renovating museums, restaurants, and attractions make it irresistible.

Whenever I go, regardless of the purpose, I try to stay in the southern area, which is slightly higher in elevation, closer to natural preserves (g.e.: Desierto De Los Leones, Bosque de Tlalpan) less subject to nasty traffic, abundant with cultural heritage sites such as Ciudad Universitaria (UNAM’s campus), Xochimilco, Coyoacan, San Angel, and Cuicuilco archeological site; and adorned with terrific restaurants, like Taberna Del Leon and SUD777. All this makes this section of the City different, attractive, and balanced.

In this blog entry I’ll try to describe Cuicuilco, one of Mexico City’s cultural heritage sites, I hope you’ll enjoy it.

Cuicuilco: The first megalopolis of Central Mesoamerica

Cuicuilco “a place where songs and dances are made” is a peculiar archeological site that pre-dates the Aztecs and the Maya (2100 b.C – 400 a.C), it’s unpretentious and almost unnoticeable, but during its apogee in the Late Preclassic (from 800 b.C. up to 200 a.C.) it had a population of more than 20,000 inhabitants becoming the first megalopolis of the central Mesoamerica and a civic-religious center or greater importance.

Timeline of Prehispanic Mesoamerica

Cuicuilco, was discovered around 1922, and is one of the most important and least explored sites of the Preclassic, currently it undergoes a process of destruction by the urban sprawl, as do most of the Preclassic settlements in the region, what we know of the site comes from the excavations carried out in preparation of the 1968 Olympics. The late stage of Cuicuilco indicates the consolidation of the dominant model for the Mexican Altiplano, with cities such as Teotihuacan, Tula, and Tenochtitlan.

The pyramid of Cuicuilco is the main structure of the site, it rises to no more than 18 meters in height, and measures 120 meters in diameter, the original height was approximately 27 meters but the lava of the Xitle volcano partially buried it. Archeologists discovered four galleries and a central staircase. It is not a true pyramid, but rather a truncated conical mound, with a clay-and-rubble core faced with river boulders and basalt slabs.

Cuicuilco Archeological Site, located in southern Mexico City.

Despite its importance and uniqueness Cuicuilco was destroyed and abandoned after the eruption of the Xitle volcano, causing migrations and changes to the population and culminating in the consolidation of Teotihuacan during the Early Classic period.

Due to the small extension of the site and its modest museum you won’t need much time to explore it, I recommend bringing binoculars in order to admire the flora and birds around. The access to the site and its parking lot is on Insurgentes Sur Avenue, open to visitors from Monday to Sunday from 9AM – 5PM, except during the Christmas Holidays and New Year’s Eve, the entrance is free and guided tours are available in Spanish if requested with anticipation. Site contact information: Tel. +52 (1) 55.56069758, and email cuicuilco1985@gmail.com

Below you’ll find an entertaining 8-minute video with further information about this interesting site:

From August 16th to 20th, 2018, I’ll be leading a tour to Mexico City Sur, Xochicalco, and Tepoztlan, and we have few spots available. We’ll visit Cuicuilco, Coyoacan, San Angel, and other outstanding attractions.

To learn more about his tour, please follow this link: Tour to Mexico City Sur, Xochicalco, and Tepoztlan

Travelian Tours offers unbeatable nature and culture excursions to Mexico City, our highly personalized small-group adventures are available as private for you, your family, or group of friends, call us at 888-505-7211 or +52 (1) 415.100.2798 or send us an email: reservations@travelian.com.mx to inquire.