Temple and Former Convent of the Assumptio and Temple and Former Convent of Saint John th
Plan this ride
Recorded distance
147 km
Riding-time estimate
3 h 06
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.
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Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
147 km from Tochimilco to Tochimilco, about 3 h 06 of riding. On the way it passes Temple and Former Convent of Saint Dominic, Temple and Former Convent of the Immaculat, Temple and Former Convent of Saint John th and back through Temple and Former Convent of Saint John th. The stored terrain estimate reaches about 2,650 m; a measured road-elevation profile is not available.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Temple and Former Convent of the Assumptio
Tochimilco sits high on the southern slopes of Popocatépetl, the great volcano that towers over central Mexico, and on clear mornings the snow-capped cone seems close enough to touch. Here, in the sixteenth century, Franciscan friars built a monastery dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin, one of the early missions established to convert the indigenous population after the Spanish conquest. Its fortress-like church, with thick walls, battlements and a large atrium where crowds once gathered for open-air mass, is part of the UNESCO site of the Earliest Sixteenth-Century Monasteries on the Slopes of Popocatepetl, listed in 1994. In the town square, an old aqueduct and fountain built by the friars still bring water from the mountain.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Temple and Former Convent of the Assumptio is where the day begins. Next is Temple and Former Convent of Saint Dominic.
2. Temple and Former Convent of Saint Dominic
Hueyapan sits high on the southern flank of Popocatépetl, in the far northeast of Morelos, where pine forest and orchards climb toward the volcano and the air is noticeably thinner than in the valleys below. In the sixteenth century, Dominican friars built a convent here dedicated to Santo Domingo, with a simple church, a cloister and a walled atrium where the indigenous population gathered for worship. It is one of the fourteen sites in the UNESCO listing of the Earliest Sixteenth-Century Monasteries on the Slopes of Popocatépetl, and while it is more modest than some of its neighbours, its setting is one of the most dramatic.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Temple and Former Convent of Saint Dominic comes up about 20 km into the recorded legs. Next is Temple and Former Convent of the Immaculat.
3. Temple and Former Convent of the Immaculat
Zacualpan de Amilpas is a small town on the lower slopes of Popocatépetl in the state of Morelos, and its centre is dominated by a sixteenth-century convent built by Augustinian friars in the first decades after the Spanish conquest. The church and former convent of the Immaculate Conception belong to the group of early monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl that UNESCO listed in 1994, a chain of fortified religious houses that served as the base for the evangelisation of central Mexico.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 40 km into the recorded legs you reach Temple and Former Convent of the Immaculat. Next is Temple and Former Convent of Saint John th.
4. Temple and Former Convent of Saint John th
Tetela del Volcán lives in the shadow of Popocatépetl. The town sits at about two thousand metres on the southern slope of the volcano in the state of Morelos, and the snow-capped cone, often trailing a plume of steam and ash, looms over everything. In the middle of town stands the sixteenth-century church and former convent of San Juan Bautista, founded by Dominican friars in the decades after the Spanish conquest. Its cloister has some remarkable murals, painted in muted reds and blacks, showing saints and friars of the order. It is one of the fourteen monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl that were added to the World Heritage list in 1994 as a group.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Temple and Former Convent of Saint John th, about halfway.
5. 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
back through Temple and Former Convent of Saint John th comes up about 91 km into the recorded legs. Next is back through Temple and Former Convent of the Immaculat.
7. back through Temple and Former Convent of the Immaculat
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 107 km into the recorded legs you reach back through Temple and Former Convent of the Immaculat. Next is back through Temple and Former Convent of Saint Dominic.
8. back through Temple and Former Convent of Saint Dominic
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
The route ends here after 147 km.
Leg by leg
Temple and Former Convent of the Assumptio to Temple and Former Convent of Saint Dominic
Temple and Former Convent of the Assumptio → Temple and Former Convent of Saint Dominic is 20 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Temple and Former Convent of Saint Dominic to Temple and Former Convent of the Immaculat
Temple and Former Convent of Saint Dominic → Temple and Former Convent of the Immaculat is 20 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Temple and Former Convent of the Immaculat to Temple and Former Convent of Saint John th
Temple and Former Convent of the Immaculat → Temple and Former Convent of Saint John th is 16 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Temple and Former Convent of Saint John th to Temple and Former Convent of Saint John th
Temple and Former Convent of Saint John th → Temple and Former Convent of Saint John th is 18 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Temple and Former Convent of Saint John th to back through Temple and Former Convent of Saint John th
Temple and Former Convent of Saint John th → back through Temple and Former Convent of Saint John th is 17 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Temple and Former Convent of Saint John th to back through Temple and Former Convent of the Immaculat
back through Temple and Former Convent of Saint John th → back through Temple and Former Convent of the Immaculat is 16 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Temple and Former Convent of the Immaculat to back through Temple and Former Convent of Saint Dominic
back through Temple and Former Convent of the Immaculat → back through Temple and Former Convent of Saint Dominic is 20 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Temple and Former Convent of Saint Dominic to Temple and Former Convent of the Assumptio
back through Temple and Former Convent of Saint Dominic → Temple and Former Convent of the Assumptio is 20 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.