Tepoztlán sits at the foot of a wall of jagged volcanic cliffs in northern Morelos, and on the highest ridge above town, a small Aztec pyramid, the Tepozteco, dedicated to the god of pulque, clings to the rock. Down in the town, the Dominican convent of the Nativity, built in the mid-sixteenth century, is one of the monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl listed by UNESCO in 1994. Its massive church, with a facade carved with angels, the sun and the moon, and a large atrium, is impressive, and the cloister has remains of colourful mural paintings. Part of the convent houses a museum.
Tepoztlán is a Pueblo Mágico with a reputation as a mystical town, attracting spiritual seekers, artists and weekenders from Mexico City. The Sunday market is packed with stalls selling crafts, food and remedies, and the streets are lined with cafés, ice cream shops and restaurants. The climb to the pyramid is steep, taking about an hour on a rocky path, but the view over the valley is spectacular.
For riders, Tepoztlán is one of the most popular weekend destinations from Mexico City, and on Saturdays and Sundays you will see hundreds of motorcycles in town. The road from the capital, the federal highway 95D, is a toll road with long curves through pine forests as it descends from the high plateau, and the free road that runs alongside it, through Tres Marías, is twistier and slower but more interesting. Weekend traffic can be heavy, and the town's narrow cobbled streets get jammed, so arrive early. The rainy season, from June to October, brings afternoon storms; the dry season is sunny but can be hazy.
Tepoztlán has fuel at the edge of town, plenty of restaurants and hotels, and the local ice creams, in unusual flavours, are famous. Try quesadillas, tlacoyos, cecina from nearby Yecapixtla and the pulque, a fermented agave drink, which you will save for after the ride. Cuernavaca, the city of eternal spring, is about twenty kilometres away, and the roads east toward Tlayacapan and Totolapan, through hills and cornfields, lead to other convents of the route, making a great day of riding.