Zacualpan de Amilpas is a small town on the lower slopes of Popocatépetl in the state of Morelos, and its centre is dominated by a sixteenth-century convent built by Augustinian friars in the first decades after the Spanish conquest. The church and former convent of the Immaculate Conception belong to the group of early monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl that UNESCO listed in 1994, a chain of fortified religious houses that served as the base for the evangelisation of central Mexico.
These early convents follow a pattern you begin to recognise. A large walled atrium in front of the church, where crowds of newly converted indigenous people gathered for mass in the open air; small chapels at its corners, known as posas, used in processions; an open chapel for outdoor services; and a cloister for the friars, often painted with murals. At Zacualpan, the cloister walls still carry painted decoration, and the scale of the atrium, set against the volcano behind, says a great deal about the ambitions of the friars and the labour of those who built for them.
The town has another reputation. Its Sunday market is known for keeping alive the old practice of trueque, barter, with people from the surrounding villages exchanging produce, pottery and goods without money, alongside ordinary trading. Arrive in the morning to see it at its liveliest.
The riding here is lovely. The roads that link Cuautla, Zacualpan, Temoac and the villages higher up the volcano climb steadily through fields of maize, sorghum and orchards, with Popocatépetl filling the horizon, often with a plume of steam or ash drifting from its crater. The road surfaces vary and speed bumps are everywhere, but traffic is light and the curves get better the higher you go. Popocatépetl is an active volcano, and the authorities sometimes restrict access to areas around it and publish alert levels, so check the current situation before heading up.
Temoac, a couple of kilometres away, has fuel, and Cuautla, the regional centre to the west, has everything a rider needs. In the town itself you will find small eateries and market stalls; a plate of cecina, the salted thin beef of Morelos, with fresh cream, cheese and tortillas, is a fine reason to stop. Go in the dry season, from November to May, when the volcano is most often clearly visible against the deep blue sky.