Temple and Former Convent of Saint John th and Temple and Former Convent of the Assomptio
Plan this ride
Recorded distance
103 km
Riding-time estimate
1 h 52
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 Tlayacapan it runs 103 km to Tlayacapan; allow about 1 h 52 of riding. The stops in between: Ancient Convent of the Nativity, Temple and Former Convent of the Assomptio and back through Ancient Convent of the Nativity. The stored terrain estimate reaches about 2,550 m; a measured road-elevation profile is not available.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Temple and Former Convent of Saint John th
Tlayacapan lies in the north of Morelos, among dry hills, with Popocatépetl, the smoking volcano, standing in the distance. Its convent of San Juan Bautista is one of a number of fortress-like monasteries built by Augustinian, Franciscan and Dominican friars in the sixteenth century, within a few decades of the Spanish conquest, and they are among the earliest European buildings in the Americas. UNESCO listed the group in 1994. The church has a plain, heavy front and an open-air chapel, where the friars preached to crowds who were not yet used to indoor services.
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 Ancient Convent of the Nativity.
2. 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.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Ancient Convent of the Nativity comes up about 24 km into the recorded legs. Next is Temple and Former Convent of the Assomptio.
3. Temple and Former Convent of the Assomptio
The Franciscans arrived in Cuernavaca in the 1520s, just a few years after the Spanish conquest, and the fortress like convent they built here, dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin, is now the city's cathedral. Its massive church, with walls thick enough for defence and an open chapel for preaching to crowds of indigenous converts, is one of the earliest sixteenth century monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl listed as a World Heritage Site in 1994. Inside, murals uncovered in the twentieth century show the martyrdom of Christian missionaries in Japan in 1597, a striking reminder of how far the Franciscan world reached; one of the martyrs, Felipe de Jesús, was born in Mexico City.
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 Ancient Convent of the Nativity
Temple and Former Convent of Saint John th → Ancient Convent of the Nativity is 24 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Ancient Convent of the Nativity to Temple and Former Convent of the Assomptio
Ancient Convent of the Nativity → Temple and Former Convent of the Assomptio is 25 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Temple and Former Convent of the Assomptio to back through Ancient Convent of the Nativity
Temple and Former Convent of the Assomptio → back through Ancient Convent of the Nativity is 26 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Ancient Convent of the Nativity to Temple and Former Convent of Saint John th
back through Ancient Convent of the Nativity → Temple and Former Convent of Saint John th is 28 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.