Tochimilco sits high on the southern slopes of Popocatépetl, the great volcano that towers over central Mexico, and on clear mornings the snow-capped cone seems close enough to touch. Here, in the sixteenth century, Franciscan friars built a monastery dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin, one of the early missions established to convert the indigenous population after the Spanish conquest. Its fortress-like church, with thick walls, battlements and a large atrium where crowds once gathered for open-air mass, is part of the UNESCO site of the Earliest Sixteenth-Century Monasteries on the Slopes of Popocatepetl, listed in 1994. In the town square, an old aqueduct and fountain built by the friars still bring water from the mountain.
Popocatépetl, known affectionately as Don Goyo, is an active volcano, and it regularly puffs out plumes of steam and ash. In recent years, eruptions have scattered ash over nearby towns and occasionally closed airports. An exclusion zone surrounds the summit, and climbing it is forbidden. Check the current alert level before travelling in the area, and be prepared for ash on the roads, which can be slippery.
The area around is a landscape of fields, orchards and forests, with villages clinging to the slopes. Atlixco, a short ride away, is a Pueblo Mágico known for its flowers and nurseries, and in November it hosts a huge display of poinsettias and marigolds for the Day of the Dead. Puebla, the state capital, is one of Mexico's great colonial cities, famous for its tiles, churches and cuisine, especially mole poblano, a rich sauce of chillies, chocolate and spices, and chiles en nogada, served in late summer.
The riding is scenic but demanding. Roads climb and wind through the volcanic foothills, with views of Popocatépetl and its neighbour Iztaccíhuatl, but surfaces can be rough, with potholes and topes, the infamous speed bumps found in every village. Traffic is moderate, with trucks, buses and local drivers who can be unpredictable. The altitude, around two thousand metres, means cool mornings and warm afternoons, and the rainy season, from about June to September, brings heavy afternoon storms.
Atlixco is the natural stop for fuel, shops and restaurants. Try cemitas, large sesame-seed sandwiches filled with meat, cheese and avocado, or a bowl of mole in a local fonda.