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CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE

Temple and Former Convent of Saint James t and Archaeological Monuments Zone of Xochicalc

Plan this ride

Recorded distance
247 km
Riding-time estimate
4 h 22
Journey
Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis

Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.

Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.

Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.

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Why this ride

247 km from Ocuituco to Ocuituco, about 4 h 22 of riding. On the way it passes Temple and Former Convent of Saint William, Ancient Convent of the Nativity, Archaeological Monuments Zone of Xochicalc and back through Ancient Convent of the Nativity. The stored terrain estimate reaches about 2,700 m; a measured road-elevation profile is not available. The line favours views over speed.

Waypoint introductions and full write-ups

  1. 1. Temple and Former Convent of Saint James t

    Ocuituco claims the first Augustinian convent built in Mexico, begun in the 1530s on the southern slopes of Popocatépetl, and the church of Santiago Apóstol with its cloister belongs to the same World Heritage group of early convents around the volcano as Cuernavaca's cathedral. Its cloister keeps a rare carved stone fountain, and the convent's thick walls and simple lines show the early, almost defensive style of the first missions.

    Read the complete Temple and Former Convent of Saint James t write-up.

    Recorded stop-planning note

    May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

    Planning note

    Temple and Former Convent of Saint James t is where the day begins. Next is Temple and Former Convent of Saint William.

  2. 2. Temple and Former Convent of Saint William

    Totolapan is a small town on the northern slopes of the Sierra de Chichinautzin, in the state of Morelos, and its Augustinian convent of San Guillermo is one of the fourteen sixteenth-century monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl that UNESCO listed in 1994. The friars who came to Mexico after the conquest built these fortress-like complexes to convert the indigenous population, with huge walled atriums where crowds could gather for open-air masses, chapels at the corners for processions, and austere churches with thick walls. Totolapan's convent is relatively modest, but its simplicity and setting give it a special charm.

    Read the complete Temple and Former Convent of Saint William write-up.

    Recorded stop-planning note

    May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

    Planning note

    Temple and Former Convent of Saint William comes up about 28 km into the recorded legs. Next is Ancient Convent of the Nativity.

  3. 3. Ancient Convent of the Nativity

    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.

    Read the complete Ancient Convent of the Nativity write-up.

    Recorded stop-planning note

    May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

    Planning note

    about 61 km into the recorded legs you reach Ancient Convent of the Nativity. Next is Archaeological Monuments Zone of Xochicalc.

  4. 4. Archaeological Monuments Zone of Xochicalc

    Xochicalco sits on a terraced hilltop south-west of Cuernavaca, and from the top you understand immediately why someone built a city here: the view runs over the valleys of Morelos in every direction, to the lakes, the hills and, on a clear day, the snowy shoulders of Popocatépetl far to the east. The city rose after the fall of Teotihuacan, flourishing roughly between AD 650 and 900, a time of upheaval when fortified hilltop centres grew strong by controlling trade. It was protected by moats, walls and ramparts, and its people mixed influences from the Maya, the Gulf Coast and central Mexico in a way that makes it unique.

    Read the complete Archaeological Monuments Zone of Xochicalc write-up.

    Recorded stop-planning note

    May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

    Planning note

    Archaeological Monuments Zone of Xochicalc, about halfway. Next is back through Ancient Convent of the Nativity.

  5. 5. back through Ancient Convent of the Nativity

    Return visit. Read the place description above.

    Read the complete Ancient Convent of the Nativity write-up.

    Recorded stop-planning note

    May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

    Planning note

    back through Ancient Convent of the Nativity sits at 121 km, about halfway. Next is back through Temple and Former Convent of Saint William.

  6. 6. back through Temple and Former Convent of Saint William

    Return visit. Read the place description above.

    Read the complete Temple and Former Convent of Saint William write-up.

    Recorded stop-planning note

    May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

    Planning note

    back through Temple and Former Convent of Saint William comes up about 218 km into the recorded legs. Next is Temple and Former Convent of Saint James t.

  7. 7. Temple and Former Convent of Saint James t

    Return visit. Read the place description above.

    Read the complete Temple and Former Convent of Saint James t write-up.

    Recorded stop-planning note

    May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

    Planning note

    Temple and Former Convent of Saint James t closes the day.

Leg by leg

Temple and Former Convent of Saint James t to Temple and Former Convent of Saint William

Temple and Former Convent of Saint James t → Temple and Former Convent of Saint William is 28 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.

Temple and Former Convent of Saint William to Ancient Convent of the Nativity

Temple and Former Convent of Saint William → Ancient Convent of the Nativity is 33 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.

Ancient Convent of the Nativity to Archaeological Monuments Zone of Xochicalc

Ancient Convent of the Nativity → Archaeological Monuments Zone of Xochicalc is 56 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.

Archaeological Monuments Zone of Xochicalc to back through Ancient Convent of the Nativity

Archaeological Monuments Zone of Xochicalc → back through Ancient Convent of the Nativity is 64 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.

back through Ancient Convent of the Nativity to back through Temple and Former Convent of Saint William

back through Ancient Convent of the Nativity → back through Temple and Former Convent of Saint William is 37 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.

back through Temple and Former Convent of Saint William to Temple and Former Convent of Saint James t

back through Temple and Former Convent of Saint William → Temple and Former Convent of Saint James t is 28 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.

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