Temple and Former Convent of the Immaculat and Xochimilco 2
Plan this ride
Recorded distance
378 km
Riding-time estimate
6 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.
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 Temoac it runs 378 km to Temoac; allow about 6 h 06 of riding. It goes by way of Temple and Former Convent of Saint Andrew, Xochimilco 2 and back through Temple and Former Convent of Saint Andrew. The stored terrain estimate reaches about 2,850 m; a measured road-elevation profile is not available. The line favours views over speed.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. 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
Temple and Former Convent of the Immaculat is where the day begins. Next is Temple and Former Convent of Saint Andrew.
2. Temple and Former Convent of Saint Andrew
Calpan is a small town on the lower slopes of Popocatépetl, and in its centre stands a sixteenth-century Franciscan convent that is one of the masterpieces of early colonial art in Mexico. Built soon after the Spanish conquest, when friars were racing to convert the Indigenous population, the church is set within a huge walled atrium where crowds could gather for open-air Mass. In each corner of the atrium stands a posa, a small chapel used for processions, and the four posas at Calpan are covered in astonishing carved reliefs: the Last Judgment, the Annunciation, saints and symbols, carved by Indigenous craftsmen who mixed European designs with their own style.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Temple and Former Convent of Saint Andrew comes up about 72 km into the recorded legs. Next is Xochimilco 2.
3. Xochimilco 2
Before the Spanish arrived, the Valley of Mexico was a land of lakes, and the people who lived around them developed an ingenious way to farm the water. They built chinampas, artificial islands of mud and vegetation anchored by willow trees, separated by canals, and grew maize, beans, squash and flowers on them. In Xochimilco, in the south of Mexico City, a remnant of that world survives, with a network of canals and chinampas that is still farmed and navigated today. It is part of the UNESCO listing of the Historic Centre of Mexico City and Xochimilco, and the most famous image of the area is the trajinera, a brightly painted flat-bottomed boat that carries visitors along the canals, often accompanied by mariachi bands and floating food stalls.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Back at Temple and Former Convent of the Immaculat. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
Temple and Former Convent of the Immaculat to Temple and Former Convent of Saint Andrew
Temple and Former Convent of the Immaculat → Temple and Former Convent of Saint Andrew is 72 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Temple and Former Convent of Saint Andrew to Xochimilco 2
Temple and Former Convent of Saint Andrew → Xochimilco 2 is 117 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Xochimilco 2 to back through Temple and Former Convent of Saint Andrew
Xochimilco 2 → back through Temple and Former Convent of Saint Andrew is 117 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
back through Temple and Former Convent of Saint Andrew to Temple and Former Convent of the Immaculat
back through Temple and Former Convent of Saint Andrew → Temple and Former Convent of the Immaculat is 72 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.