Temple and Former Convent of the Assomptio and Pre-Hispanic City of Teotihuacan
Plan this ride
Recorded distance
261 km
Riding-time estimate
4 h 33
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.
261 km from Cuernavaca to Cuernavaca, about 4 h 33 of riding. On the way it passes Central University City Campus of the Univ, Pre-Hispanic City of Teotihuacan and back through Central University City Campus of the Univ. 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 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
Temple and Former Convent of the Assomptio is where the day begins. Next is Central University City Campus of the Univ.
2. 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
Central University City Campus of the Univ comes up about 64 km into the recorded legs. Next is Pre-Hispanic City of Teotihuacan.
3. Pre-Hispanic City of Teotihuacan
When the Aztecs came across Teotihuacan, centuries after it had been abandoned, they thought it must have been built by gods and named it the place where the gods were made. The city had reached its peak between about the first and sixth centuries, with perhaps well over a hundred thousand people, a grid of streets, apartment compounds and some of the largest pyramids in the Americas. The Pyramid of the Sun is a huge stepped mass, and the Pyramid of the Moon sits at the far end of the Avenue of the Dead, a long, broad processional road that makes the city feel grand even now.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Back at Temple and Former Convent of the Assomptio. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
Temple and Former Convent of the Assomptio to Central University City Campus of the Univ
Temple and Former Convent of the Assomptio → Central University City Campus of the Univ is 64 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Central University City Campus of the Univ to Pre-Hispanic City of Teotihuacan
Central University City Campus of the Univ → Pre-Hispanic City of Teotihuacan is 66 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Pre-Hispanic City of Teotihuacan to back through Central University City Campus of the Univ
Pre-Hispanic City of Teotihuacan → back through Central University City Campus of the Univ is 68 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
back through Central University City Campus of the Univ to Temple and Former Convent of the Assomptio
back through Central University City Campus of the Univ → Temple and Former Convent of the Assomptio is 63 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.