Temple and Former Convent of Saint John th and Central University City Campus of the Univ
Plan this ride
Recorded distance
401 km
Riding-time estimate
6 h 18
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.
From Yecapixtla it runs 401 km to Yecapixtla; allow about 6 h 18 of riding. It goes by way of Archaeological Monuments Zone of Xochicalc, Central University City Campus of the Univ and back through Archaeological Monuments Zone of Xochicalc. The stored terrain estimate reaches about 2,800 m; a measured road-elevation profile is not available. It was put together for the scenery rather than the shortest line.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Temple and Former Convent of Saint John th
In the 1530s and 1540s, Augustinian friars arrived in the valleys below Popocatépetl to convert the local population, and they built churches that look half like cathedrals and half like castles. The convent of San Juan Bautista in Yecapixtla is one of the finest: a tall, fortress-like church with crenellated walls, a striking Gothic rose window over the entrance and a vast atrium where the indigenous congregation gathered for open-air services. It is part of the UNESCO listing of the Earliest Sixteenth-Century Monasteries on the Slopes of Popocatépetl, a group of fourteen convents across Morelos and Puebla.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Temple and Former Convent of Saint John th is where the day begins. Next is Archaeological Monuments Zone of Xochicalc.
2. 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.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Archaeological Monuments Zone of Xochicalc comes up about 91 km into the recorded legs. Next is Central University City Campus of the Univ.
3. Central University City Campus of the Univ
The main campus of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, known as Ciudad Universitaria, is one of the great architectural achievements of the twentieth century. Built between 1949 and 1952 on a field of lava from the ancient eruption of the Xitle volcano, in the south of Mexico City, it brought together dozens of architects, engineers and artists to create a modern campus that would blend international modernism with Mexican traditions. Its most famous building is the Central Library, a tall block covered entirely in a mosaic by Juan O'Gorman, depicting the history of Mexico from pre-Hispanic times to the modern era. UNESCO listed the campus in 2007.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 207 km into the recorded legs you reach Central University City Campus of the Univ. Next is back through Archaeological Monuments Zone of Xochicalc.
4. back through Archaeological Monuments Zone of Xochicalc
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Back at Temple and Former Convent of Saint John th. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
Temple and Former Convent of Saint John th to Archaeological Monuments Zone of Xochicalc
Temple and Former Convent of Saint John th → Archaeological Monuments Zone of Xochicalc is 91 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Archaeological Monuments Zone of Xochicalc to Central University City Campus of the Univ
Archaeological Monuments Zone of Xochicalc → Central University City Campus of the Univ is 116 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Central University City Campus of the Univ to back through Archaeological Monuments Zone of Xochicalc
Central University City Campus of the Univ → back through Archaeological Monuments Zone of Xochicalc is 95 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
back through Archaeological Monuments Zone of Xochicalc to Temple and Former Convent of Saint John th
back through Archaeological Monuments Zone of Xochicalc → Temple and Former Convent of Saint John th is 99 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.