High on the cliffs above Tepoztlán, a small stone pyramid perches on a ridge so steep you wonder how anyone carried the stones up there. El Tepozteco was dedicated to Tepoztécatl, the god of pulque, the fermented drink made from agave sap, and the climb to reach it, up a rough path through the forest, takes about an hour and leaves even fit people breathless. From the top, the view over the town and the valley, framed by the fantastically eroded rock walls of the Sierra de Tepoztlán, is extraordinary.
Tepoztlán itself is a town of about fourteen thousand people in a green valley in the north of Morelos, and it has a reputation that goes well beyond its size. It is one of Mexico's Pueblos Mágicos, a magnet for artists, hippies, healers and weekend visitors from Mexico City, and stories of UFOs, energy fields and mystical powers attach to the mountains around it. The sixteenth-century Dominican convent in the centre, a massive fortress-like building with faded murals, is part of the group of early monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl listed by UNESCO. The weekend market fills the streets around it with stalls selling crafts, food and local ice cream in improbable flavours.
For riders, the roads around Tepoztlán are a mix of pleasure and frustration. The town lies just off the toll highway between Mexico City and Cuautla, and on weekends the traffic from the capital can be heavy, with long queues at the entrance and narrow cobbled streets choked with cars. During the week, though, the roads are quieter, and the routes east toward Yautepec and the other monasteries, or the road toward Amatlán, wind through the valleys and hills with fine views of the cliffs.
Tepoztlán has fuel on the outskirts, plenty of restaurants and cafes and many small hotels. The cobbled streets in the centre are steep and slippery when wet, so take care on a heavy bike. The climate is warm and pleasant most of the year, with a rainy season from June to October, when the valley turns lush and green. Visit on a weekday if you can, start the climb to the pyramid early, before the heat, and finish with a cold drink in the plaza.