A forest fire near the Magic Town of Tepoztlán has consumed more than 100 hectares of oak forest and was still burning as of noon Wednesday lies within the Protected Natural Area of ​​El Tepozteco National Park in Tepoztlán just 50 miles from Mexico City in the state of Morelos Tepoztlán is one of the most popular tourist destinations for Mexico City residents The town sits on an archaeological site built between 1150 and 1350 A.D. and stands about 600 meters above the Tepoztlán Valley On Wednesday, the National Forestry Commission (Conafor) reported that the fire is 40% contained and 30% extinguished Conafor said it is sending 12 firefighters from Mexico City to support the existing brigade team of more than 250 Two helicopters from the Naval Ministry (Semar) and Defense Ministry (Defensa) have also been ordered to assist in the firefighting effort on Monday evening and may have been due to “human causes.” Tepoztlán Mayor Perseo Quiroz Rendón said that all three levels of government would proceed with the corresponding complaints The firefighting effort has been hampered by the topography of the Tepozteco jagged mountains rising abruptly from almost flat terrain rehabilitating 2,500 meters of previously existing breaks and opening up 3,500 meters of new ones the fire currently poses no risk to the inhabitants of Tepoztlán authorities have called on the population to avoid joining the firefighting efforts unless they have proper training they’ve requested residents to coordinate their efforts with local authorities With reports from La Jornada, Animal Político and NMas ADVERTISE WITH MND COMMUNITY GUIDELINES Subscription FAQ's Privacy Policy Mexico News Daily - Property of Tavana LLC Ramírez Suarez Arquitectos + Laboratorio Regional de Arquitectura take over the design of the new municipal market in Tepoztlán, Mexico Proposed as a solution to relocate informal commerce from the city center to an attractive the project is supported by the Pueblo Mágico of Tepoztlán Due to the lack of adequate commercial conditions in the central area of Tepoztlán’s historic center the need arose to develop a project for a new municipal market this initiative aimed to free up public spaces that had been irregularly occupied The implementation of this strategy allowed for the restoration of the urban context’s legibility and enhanced the value of its historical and natural heritage developed as part of the Urban Improvement Program (PMU) of the Ministry of Agrarian is situated on a rectangular plot at the southeastern corner of the Convent of the Nativity of Mary in Tepoztlán The site faces three streets and features a pronounced slope descending from west to east and south to north accommodating a total of 195 commercial spaces distributed across three levels.  all images by Ana Paula Álvarez + Miguel Cobos The collaborative team between Ramírez Suarez Arquitectos and Laboratorio Regional de Arquitectura follows an architectural approach that respects Tepoztlán’s urban scale The new market seeks not only to improve logistics and safety but also to provide a better experience for both merchants and visitors The access level functions as a large plaza that highlights the main entrance and includes a pedestrian ramp to ensure accessibility from the parking area The building is structured using a metal grid made of IPR-type steel profiles with a modular layout of 2.50 by 2.50 meters ensuring uniform dimensions for all commercial spaces The structure is painted in a reddish hue to resemble the predominant clay tones of the region and is complemented by local materials such as exposed brick walls and wooden furniture As a vital gathering space for the community from fresh produce and traditional cuisine to handicrafts This new space represents an opportunity to revitalize the local economy while preserving the customs and traditions of the region the new municipal market in Tepoztlán redefines the local commercial landscape the market integrates into the urban fabric a modular steel framework defines the market’s architectural language the reddish steel structure reflects the region’s traditional clay tones exposed brick walls and wooden furnishings complement the market’s material palette the 2.50 by 2.50-meter modular grid ensures uniform commercial spaces the market consists of 195 commercial spaces distributed across three levels local materials and a simple structural system define the market’s design adapting to the terrain with a multi-level layout a large public plaza at the entrance enhances accessibility and gathering space an upper-level viewpoint offers a panoramic perspective of the surrounding landscape the market serves as a hub for fresh produce a space that strengthens local traditions while supporting economic growth name: Tepoztlán Market architects: Ramírez Suarez Arquitectos | @rsa_mx + Laboratorio Regional de Arquitectura lead architect: Carlos Ramírez Suárez design team: Carlos Ramírez Suárez photographer: Ana Paula Álvarez | @anapaula__a + Miguel Cobos | @miguelcobos._ designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here. edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom AXOR presents three bathroom concepts that are not merely places of function but destinations in themselves — sanctuaries of style roughly two hours from Mexico City sits the community of Tepoztlán blends ancient traditions with modern sensibilities and luxury.  or “Magic Town,” has lost some of its cachet over the past few years — Tepoztlán fits the bill thanks to its stunning architecture Tepoztlán’s cultural roots run deep, intertwined with the indigenous cultures that once thrived in the region when it served as a sacred site for worshipping the feathered serpent god The legacy of these ancient civilizations is evident in the town’s architecture One of the most iconic symbols of Tepoztlán is the El Tepozteco pyramid dedicated to the god of ancient alcoholic beverage called pulque is a vibrant celebration of cultural heritage drawing thousands of visitors each year.   Tepoztlán’s architectural landscape is a harmonious blend of indigenous and colonial styles The town’s historic center is a maze of cobblestone streets lined with colorful houses and charming shops and museum house a valuable religious art and artifacts collection.  Another architectural gem is the Carlos Pellicer Cámara Museum which showcases a stunning collection of Prehispanic art The museum offers a fascinating glimpse into the region’s rich cultural heritage Tepoztlán’s cuisine is a delightful fusion of indigenous and Spanish influences locally sourced ingredients and traditional cooking methods One of the most popular dishes is the mole de olla a hearty stew overflowing with vegetables like large cut cobs of corn Tepoztlán has also developed quite the food scene and restaurants offering a wide range of delicious treats Tepoztlán also hits above its weight when it comes to nightlife Some of the most popular spots include the loungelike La Cueva Tepoztlán The downside is that when tourists pour in so staying at a hotel a little further afield is probably a good idea unless you want to be in the middle of the action 24/7 Among the hustle and bustle and further afield Tepoztlán has also become a popular destination for spiritual seekers and wellness enthusiasts especially during less party-hearty times of the year and ancient energy have attracted a diverse community of yoga practitioners Visitors can also explore the town’s many hiking trails which provide opportunities for relaxation Tepoztlán has long been a getaway destination for folks from Mexico City lodging and restaurants are available at just about every price point.  Even if you decide to go for a swankier experience don’t be afraid to explore the town’s local markets and eateries or to get a michelada at one of the several vendors near the access trail to the pyramid.  Senior Editor Carlos Rosado van der Gracht is a Mexican expedition/Canadian photographer and translation degrees from universities in Mexico Another nightclub was shut down after city authorities said it was in violation of Municipal Civil Protection regulations Three American tourists in Mexico for Day of the Dead died of carbon monoxide poisoning in an Airbnb apartment Jordan Marshall and Courtez Hall were in the La Rosita neighborhood for the Day of the Dead holiday Teachers in Yucatan have launched a rural mobile school project to bring education to needy students Yahaira Elena Ek Sosa and Karla Maribel Ek Sosa who belong to a national program called “Somos el cambio,” or “We Are the Change.” Currently the “escuelita móvil” initiative is… The 93-year-old expat cookbook author has reissued “Nothing Fancy,” with some updates that reflect years of living in Mexico Residents in Bacalar are complaining that motorized boats continue to violate navigation rules on the lagoon boats and jet skis made their way through restricted waterways at great speeds Chetumal’s port authority is responsible for the area they rarely bother to show up.  Motorized… The new commander of the Iranian Navy has unveiled plans for dispatching military vessels to the Gulf of Mexico Advertise With Us The National Forest Commission (Conafor) said on Thursday that a complex of wildfires burning in the El Tepozteco National Park The fire — which started April 9 near the village of Santo Domingo Ocotitlán, Morelos — consumed more than 1,200 hectares of the natural protected area above and to the east of the city of Tepoztlán Hoy se han reportado 123 #IncendiosForestales activos 🔥🌳 donde cerca de 👨‍🚒5 mil personas combatientes hacen tareas de control y liquidación del fuego Si buscas más detalles, ingresa a https://t.co/slAUqRK5vY pic.twitter.com/GycrGtkLk4 — CONAFOR (@CONAFOR) April 17, 2025 it had been 90% controlled and 85% extinguished citing the amount of time it took to contain the wildfire said it was among the biggest and most destructive in recent memory The mayor said that early indications are that the fire was caused by human activity speculating that the culprit likely hoped to reduce the Natural Park acreage and have the area rezoned for other uses On March 31, state authorities opened an arson investigation related to a wildfire north of Tepoztlán that threatened the iconic pyramid in the El Tepozteco Archaeological Zone municipal and community firemen who battled high winds and low temperatures which created a hazardous thermal belt A thermal belt refers to a band of warmer air that forms on slopes due to drainage winds localized updrafts and downdrafts that can limit the effectiveness of air tankers two air tankers were removed to fight fires elsewhere while two remain in the area to ensure that the El Tepozteco wildfire is completely suppressed Conafor reported that 123 wildfires remain ablaze in 28 states and more than 52,000 hectares have been damaged At least 33 of the fires are located in Natural Protected Areas The states most affected by wildfires are Chihuahua More than 4,300 firefighters are currently in the field in addition to Conafor officials and local agents While firefighters have suppressed 31 wildfires in the past week the number of active wildfires has actually increased since Sunday (114) Among the fires suppressed this week was the Chichinautzin Biological Corridor-El Tepozteco wildfire and the national forest north of Tlalnepantla Conafor also reported that a 35-hectare fire that threatened to encroach on the Mexico City-Cuernavaca (Morelos) highway had been fully extinguished Mexico is a large country and offers a wealth of diverse travel opportunities. On the west coast, a few popular getaways are Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, and Acapulco. On the country’s east side and Yucatan Peninsula, there’s Tulum, Cancun, and Merida. And throughout this 13th largest country in the world, there’s also other destinations worthy of one’s travel time and attention such as Oaxaca, Guadalajara, Mazatlán, and Taxco with Mexico City in the heart of it all. Known as a land of extremes, “Mexico has high mountains and deep canyons in the center of the country, sweeping deserts in the north, and dense rain forests in the south and east,” according to one expert. I’ve visited about seven of Mexico’s diverse cities and towns and one that I return to again and again in Tepoztlán, population approximately 55,000. (Okay, part of the reason I keep going back is that my son lives there.) However, my return visits have provided me with insight into the unique charms of this town that’s calm, peaceful, and unassuming on weekdays yet vibrant and bustling on weekends. As one walks along the town’s hilly streets, one’s senses are stimulated visually by towering, jagged mountains and manmade works of art, sounds of music being sung and played and fragrances of local vegetation. An archaeology museum, a 16 th century former monastery and church built by Dominican priests, and a pyramid perched on a cliff are among the unique finds one can explore in Tepoztlan. A good pair of walking shoes is a must as most streets are cobblestone but walking around town is a great pastime. Murals are everywhere, in both residential neighborhoods and the busier intown areas, and there’s other art to view such as memorials built into walls outside homes and the Dilao Sculpture Field, which offer free guided tours every Saturday. The “reputed birthplace of Quetzalcoatl, the omnipotent serpent god of the Aztecs over 1,200 years ago (according to Mesoamerican legend), Tepoztlán is a major Náhuatl center and a mecca for New Agers who believe the area has a creative energy,” according to a Lonely Planet website. It is also famous for the remains of the El Tepozteco temple that’s built on top of Tepoteco Mountain. Earlier this year, I was fortunate to stumble upon and enjoy a four-night stay at a small property with an abundance of ambiance and charm, Rustika Hotel and Spa. There are plenty of other boutique hotels and resorts, many with spas, outdoor pools and sculpted grounds such as La Buena Vibra Retreat and Spa and Hostal de la Luz-Spa Holistic Resort. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. I see the mountains of the protected Chichinautzin Biological Corridor in full view Before me is a traditional breakfast spread of blue corn tortillas avocado and salsa made from smoked chipotle peppers the smoke wafting through the surrounding oak trees Set two hours south of Mexico City in the heart of the volcanic belt of the Sierra de Ajusco-Chichinauhtzin range the five-bedroom home is among a cohort of creative projects emerging in and around Tepoztlán a pueblo revered as a leading spiritual center of Mexico Though it’s long been visited by locals who come to climb the stone trail that leads to the Tepozteco pyramid—a clifftop Aztec temple dedicated to Tepoztēcatl a milky fermented drink made from the sap of the maguey plant—the town is now attracting a new wave of travelers who are equally as attracted to the area for its magnetic energy as they are for its private design homes and hilltop cocktail bars Casa AyehualcoPhoto: Courtesy of Michaela TrimbleCasa AyehualcoPhoto: Michaela TrimbleCasa AyehualcoPhoto: Courtesy of Michaela TrimbleSet just 20 minutes away in the neighboring village of Amatlán de Quetzalcoatl Casa Ayehualco is also built near sacred ground: The town is named after the feathered serpent deity of the Aztecs who they believed was born here around 1,500 years ago Once the private country estate of the Mexican architect Diego Villaseñor and his wife the landscape architect Ana María Maldonado the home is now available for private bookings for the first time ever Paying homage to Amátlan’s sacred landscape the property—which took around 40 years to finalize—is a contemporary expression of the area’s vernacular elements and is built almost entirely from locally-sourced adobe the latter of which was molded to form the home’s rooftop tiles with pieces including green copper-oxidized pottery made by artisans in Tzintzuntzan in Michoacán With Casa Ayehualco as my home base for the weekend, I set out to discover even more like-minded developments in the greater Tepoztlán area. On the opposite side of town is the new sculpture garden Dilao by the artist Eduardo Olbés who reforested over seven acres of land with more than 800 trees to serve as the backdrop to his contemplative oasis his project is crafted with a rainwater irrigation system and natural lighting sourced from photovoltaic panels Visitors can stroll pebbled walkways to view more than 50 works on display which are inspired by ancient Venus figures and the aesthetic traditions of his native Philippines Developed by the architect and owner Santiago Camarena and his business partner Matthieu Giannoccaro the cocktail bar was made on the site of a former paddle-tennis court and now hosts two contrasting venues: a subtropical greenhouse with a disco ball at its center where nearly 450 species of plants including orchids and philodendrons are spread amidst intimate seating nooks; and an outdoor garden where wrought-iron tables are set near lavender blooms mixologists prepare mezcal drinks made with rosemary and hibiscus nectar and refreshing gin-based cocktails with a fragrant mix of chamomile Staying true to Tepoztlán’s history as a sanctuary for healing—the spa is named after the Aztec goddess of medicine and care—visitors can enjoy therapies like a temazcal or myriad massage treatments that begin with a circuit in the spa’s hydrotherapy pools Already a member? Log in Not a member? Sign up Explore our Food Tours → No matter how long your stay in Mexico City you’ll simply never “taste it all.” In the cycle of each day atole and morning licuados to midday comida and evening tacos this great culinary city is in perpetual motion Restaurants abound where you can experience the cuisines of other regions fondas and market stalls in general reflect the regional cuisine of Estado de México To properly understand “Mexican food” and its regional diversity Just a little more than two hours from Mexico City’s Centro Historico is a Pueblo Mágico called Tepoztlán The bus ride there passes through three national parks along the way despite being one of the smallest states in Mexico has diverse terroirs and a perfect year-round climate for agriculture Subtropical lowland rainforest in the south to alpine meadow at its northern edge yield an abundant array of produce the rainy season brings not just this milpa harvest of corn These beloved setas take the place of the common cultivated champinones (button mushroom) in almost every puesto de comida (stall serving meals and snacks) This little town of Tepoztlán is a New Age mecca – attributed to the healing energy of the quartz content in the mountains From tarot card readers to massages and temascales (sweat lodges) restorative and contemplative ways to get your aura in order from Friday afternoon through each weekend the streets around the plaza are lined with vendors and the town buzzes with tourists on Wednesday for the weekly tianguis – this open-air market brings locals with their harvests and gleanings to the plaza adjacent to the tarp-roofed market A recent trip yielded some fascinating discoveries: exotic guayaba pomerosa (rose apple) golden-yellow and sweet – rather than tart – tomatillos and an herb that looked a bit like tiny lily pads and tasted much like cilantro This was an important pre-Columbian settlement; the ancient Ometochtli temple A hike up to it is ideal for working up an appetite; keep that in mind as you enter the market From morning until the market day starts to wind down around 4 p.m. slap and form masa into tortillas by hand at large comals (griddles) stationed throughout the market Stews (guisados) of local vegetables and meats bubble in cazuelas and barbacoa (goat or lamb wrapped in leaves of agave and slow roasted) and the pre-Hispanic protein-rich chapulines (grasshoppers) fuel the omnivore and a few puestos specializing in these foods give vegan and vegetarian visitors plenty to graze on Indigenous greens such as alaches and quelites and flowers of the yucca (flor de izote) and agave (flor de maguey) and the regional specialty are cooked in guisados or formed into vegan-friendly (and gluten-free) tortitas (fritters) sit yourself down elsewhere – the price of a pre-Hispanic comida reflects the popularity of vegan/vegetarian and foodie tourism here in stacks reminiscent of the steep mountains of the Tepozteco These will be split open and filled with any combination of the guisados on offer and toasted on the griddle Manteca (lard) and queso rallado (grated cheese) are added to the dough taco acorazado – “battleship” taco – will satisfy you until Two extra-large tortillas are stacked together milanesa de res or chicken and usually a few slices of avocado Of particular note is the vendor Antojitos Mayre which had the best picadillo-stuffed chilies with big fat raisins and nuts Topped with their sweet-tart jamaica salsa… pure umami cut against the grain and marinated in salt These thinly sliced strips in various stages of the process are draped across rods order a sope (an oval “plate” of masa) topped with beans cecina seared asado and finished with cream and avocado Masa in this region is prepared as oval sopes (in other parts of Mexico elongated football-shaped tlacoyos filled with a layer of mashed habas (favas) requesón (soft cheese) or chales (crispy pork cracklings) Each gets topped by your choice of guisado You won’t be the first to ask: why so many shapes when it’s all masa texture is everything – try them all just for the sake of experiment most vendors offer a staggering selection of salsas mango and pineapple combine sweet with heat We saw peanut- and sesame-based salsas and even spotted a few vendors offering Coca-Cola salsa Outside the market, local specialties are pulque –the sap of the maguey mixed with fruit juices and fermented, and, well, it’s almost impossible to leave Tepoztlán without trying the ice cream– there’s a “Tepoznieves” on almost every corner offering a dizzying number of flavors, among them nopal and avocado. A “magical town” indeed. Clip | 9m 49sVideo has Closed Captions | CC Tepoztlán is a picturesque town south of Mexico City Problems with Closed Captions? Closed Captioning Feedback Crossing South is a local public television program presented by KPBS Link Copied to ClipboardHow to Watch Crossing SouthCrossing South is available to stream on pbs.org and the free PBS App, available on iPhone, Apple TV, Android TV, Android smartphones, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Tablet, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, and Vizio. Copyright © 2025 Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization Sign in with EmailNew to PBS? Create an account Are you sure you want to remove null from My List This romantic pueblo mágico is a favorite destination for domestic and foreign tourists throughout the year built around a villa surrounded by lush gardens is a bright star among the array of hotels in Tepoztlán Located only 90 minutes via car from Mexico City this pueblo mágico is a favorite destination for domestic and foreign tourists throughout the year The impressive views of the mythical Cerro del Tepozteco and grounds enveloped in nature make this small town a special one It’s easy to see why it has become one of Mexico’s most treasured and admired locations Amomoxtli has 37 rooms (some with private gardens) uses local ingredients (many of them exclusive to the region) to elaborate a menu that reveals the village’s ancestral recipes it is recommended to take a tour of the small town by foot or by bike One of the must-see attractions is the Cerro del Tepozteco you can find the vestiges of what used to be a shrine dedicated to the Mexican warrior gods The Amomoxtli premium suites feature a king size bed and breathtaking views of the Sierra del Tepozteco The exposed rain showers and organic bath amenities made exclusively for the hotel are ideal additions Surrounded by extensive gardens and a panoramic view of nature It offers healthy cocktails and snacks to enjoy while admiring the scenery Beyond providing the ultimate relaxing moment it also promotes a one-of-a-kind healing experience used for treatments promoting ancestral and clean energy techniques A must to ask for at Mesa de Origen are the chochoyotes These small delicacies are made of a mass of corn mixed with fried butter prepared with a touch of citrus and aioli de papalo The hotel offers a special package called Tepoz with Girlfriends and discounts on massages and temazcal sessions The transportation service offered by the concierge guests have at their disposal a private driver  Transfers are available from the Mexico City Airport Travesías nació en agosto de 2001 y desde entonces se consolidó una voz experta en viajes por México y el mundo con especial interés en lo auténtico y una mirada cercana los detalles que hacen de cada viaje una experiencia única y las imágenes que nos inspiran a viajar Check our help guide for more info has living and sleeping areas situated at the front of the property The facade was painted black to minimalise the visual effect it has on its surroundings Privacy is secured through the volume’s ’split’; this cleverly separates the bedroom area from the more public living room next to it LMM bungalow is the first development to complete on site. In the future, inhabitants will be able to enjoy the use of a communal pool and lounge area also designed by Cadaval & Solà-Morales For more information on LMM Bungalow visit Cadaval & Solà-Morales’s website escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox LL House, designed by RA! Architecture Studio is located in Tepoztlan, a town in Mexico, renowned for its stunning landscape and mountain views. The house is inspired by the area’s cliffs reflecting their colors and character in its design LL House features monolithic structures that appear as if sculpted from the weathered stones of the hillside The geometric composition of the house is formed by fragmented prisms that join and separate These prisms create a sense of amplitude and disperse providing areas of retreat and solitude The volumes are designed to block views from the street with windows and expansive spaces paying homage to the beauty of the mountains The entrance alleys between the large blocks compress and guide visitors inside leading to a transition where the space expands dramatically towards the garden and mountain views The extensive garden is surrounded by the house’s living spaces creating new courtyards and staggered views that allow natural light to filter in during the afternoon For the construction, RA! Architecture Studio employs expanded polystyrene panels covered with a three-dimensional wire structure This system is then covered with concrete tinted in the colors of the mountain blending the house with its natural surroundings renowned for its stunning mountainous landscapes the house design is inspired by the area’s cliffs LL House features monolithic structures resembling weathered stones the geometric composition is formed by fragmented prisms that join and separate these prisms create a sense of amplitude while providing areas of retreat and solitude the house opens up with windows and expansive spaces the extensive garden is surrounded by the house’s living spaces the structure is covered with concrete tinted in mountain colors name: LL HOUSE architect: RA! | @ra_arquitectos photography: Mariana Achach | @achachmariana Eduardo Olbés began his path to becoming a successful sculptor in his native Philippines he worked as an apprentice to a cabinet maker in Manila then found his way to Godard University in Vermont where he developed his true passion – stone – preferring to call himself a pedrero (stone carver) rather than a sculptor Upon arriving in the Pueblo Mágico of Tepoztlán in 1975 at age 24 he knew he had found the place to live and work the rest of his life he has produced works from his La Iguana de Oriente (Eastern Iguana) workshop Olbés’ work is influenced by his origin and heritage but more so by the natural beauty of Tepotzlán’s mountains in northern Morelos Olbés decided to pay back the area so generous to him by establishing a sculpture park: Dilao he found land “dripping with beauty,” the artist says under the watchful grave of Chalchitepetl (Treasure Hill) at the entrance to Tepoztlán coming in from Mexico City Dilao is from his native Tagalog and means “yellow,” referring to the wildflowers that carpet the site’s five hectares He quickly began work reforesting much of it likely saving the land from residential development featuring 80 works by Olbés himself and a select number of other artists whose work he admires and fits with the garden’s mission not all of the garden’s artworks follow the same figurative aesthetics of Olbés Julio Martínez Barnetche’s work is more abstract and even didactic Federico Silva’s work in metal tends to be geometric Wohlers creates a mix of classical and whimsy furniture and multidisciplinary artist Ivan Puig is regarded for his installation work many sculptors’ work was intertwined with architecture Much modern architecture leaves classical sculpture behind so Olbés uses Dilao to show how the outdoors can provide the setting for three-dimensional art It’s like a symbiotic relationship;” The plants and landscape contextualize the work Much of the property allows wildflowers and grasses to grow exuberantly cut only during the dry season for safety concerns most sculptures are framed by carefully placed plants that create mini-sanctuaries There is no set path to follow in Dilao; in fact part of the charm is to happen upon a sculpture as you wander Not only do you get to view the pieces from however many angles you wish despite the fact that many are made of semi-precious stones such as jadeite and onyx Dilao is a private and independent initiative that relies on visitors and events to survive it has an impressive outdoor pavilion with marble floors and tropical hardwood trunks to hold up the roof A bar and restaurant called Las Nubes (The Clouds) has been added recently and work on a new parking lot is set to begin The site has hosted homages to Mexican artists Olbés is particularly interested in getting the general public into the site on Tepoztlan’s busy weekends to truly appreciate what the garden offers Only a couple hundred visitors every weekend offset maintenance costs Dilao has been compared to Edward James’ Surrealist Garden in Xilitla Olbés conceived Dilao with a socially conscious perspective: “[Tepoztlán] has been my home for over 40 years and I have to care for it I created Dilao because I care about Tepoztlán and [Dilao] is a letter [to the town] about how much I love it as an artist.”  Leigh Thelmadatter arrived in Mexico over 20 years ago and fell in love with the land and the culture in particular its handcrafts and art. She is the author of Mexican Cartonería: Paper, Paste and Fiesta (Schiffer 2019) Her culture column appears regularly on Mexico News Daily I’m trembling a bit from pure anticipation and excitement I am minutes away from my first temazcal experience and I hadn’t even heard of it before officially moving to Mexico this year Knowing my appreciation for health and wellness in a mountainous area of Morelos hailed as both an energetic and spiritual epicenter the fabled birthplace of Aztec god Quetzalcoatl I thought it the ideal location to pop my temazcal cherry which may be translated as “house of heat,” refers to both the experience and the hut itself it was often practiced before and after battles It remains a common ritual in Mexican culture white robe and a bikini for the shaman to arrive scanning the various conditions listed: blood pressure heart problems and some others that I can’t translate Trusting that my health status is up to par I tick “no” to all and sign my life away just as he appears Andrés is native to Tepoztlán and has been leading temazcal ceremonies for at least 10 years inviting me to stand before him and close my eyes He breaks out in Nahuatl chants while dousing me with sage smoke to clear out negative energies I repeat a few words at his behest before entering the small sweat lodge After a few minutes of ritualistic purging Temazcal huts are traditionally made of wood Along the rounded walls are benches to sit Hot volcanic rocks are placed in the center which produce a thick steam when mixed with water sage or copal (an aromatic tree resin) are added to assist in cleansing the body physically with the exception of a reddish outline of burning coals The rule of the temazcal is that once you’re in you may lay on the floor to escape the heat A decade in Miami noticeably increased my tolerance so I feel completely fine and rather enjoy the skyrocketing temperature Andrés hands me an opened aloe leaf to slather on my skin throughout the ceremony I generously apply the sticky goo to my legs he pours a bucket of water over my head to temporarily cool me down chant and consciously “let go” of our figurative “weight.” There comes a point where I feel a little snap in my psyche I’m instructed to exit through a tiny door to my right A pang of disappointment shoots through my stomach Must this magical experience come to an end and I see it’s actually a small tubular slide similar to those you’d find in the children’s section of a water park I hold my nose and plunge into a cold pool views of the magnificent mountains surrounding me wraps me in my white robe and gestures for me to lay down on a wooly blanket he covers me with another soft blanket and hands me a hot tea It’s beautifully loving and almost parental Every cell of my body is vibrating on high frequency Scientific studies have documented so many potential benefits of a temazcal The temazcal experience can be found throughout Mexico The rituals vary from super luxurious to traditional and rugged releasing past trauma) a ritual can be crafted accordingly Regardless of your reasons for participating We use cookies to provide a more personalized website experience By clicking “I Accept” you consent to all cookies Click “I Decline” to continue with essential cookies only Learn about how we use cookies on KPBS 2 / On demand now with the PBS Video app a restaurant with traditional food of Mexico All episodes are available on demand With the PBS Video App you can watch your favorite and local station shows Download it for free on your favorite device The app allows you to catch up on recent episodes and discover award-winning shows CROSSING SOUTH is a travel show that explores Tijuana and Northern Baja. Bilingual travel companion and host, Jorge Meraz, takes you on a journey and demystifies the area. Get to know the people, vernacular, foods, customs and places frequented by the locals. A retired middle-school principal who often had his nose in a newspaper, Albino Quiroz Sandoval had left home that afternoon to run an errand at a nearby hardware store. Family members searched the cobblestone streets of Tepoztlán, a town of 14,000 set high in a mountain range in the state of Morelos, and eventually found his Toyota sedan nearly a mile from the store. Going on the assumption that his father had been kidnapped, Juan Carlos set out the next morning to file a missing person’s report — a process that took 12 hours and required him to visit four separate government offices. Maricela Peñaloza Flores, wife of Albino Quiroz Sandoval, with son Juan Carlos Quiroz at his apartment in Mexico City. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) That same day, police sent a lone officer from the state capital of Cuernavaca to investigate, but she left after finding no leads. As the hours passed and nobody called demanding ransom, it became clear Albino had not been kidnapped. The story might have ended there: another unsolved disappearance in a nation where more than 40,000 people are registered as missing and the homicide rate this year is at a record high, with more than 31,000 killings. Rampant impunity prevails in Mexico despite a 2016 overhaul of the justice system aimed at winning more convictions. At least in the short term, the sweeping changes appear to have only made it harder to prosecute crimes, as new due-process requirements are routinely violated by under-equipped forensic agents, poorly trained prosecutors and bribe-taking police officers. Just 5% of killings in Mexico end in a conviction. The obstacles are especially daunting in Morelos, where in 2018 the conviction rate was less than 1%. Juan Carlos and his family quickly realized that they were up against not only whoever was responsible for Albino’s disappearance — but also their own government. Many families — especially those with less education or fewer resources — would have given up. But Albino, who rarely missed a day of work in his 48 years as an educator, had imbued each of his four children with a strong moral compass and devotion to the truth. He gave Juan Carlos a copy of “The Odyssey” when he was just 8 years old and watched proudly as his son left to study at a prep school in Mexico City at 15, earned a master’s degree in international relations at Johns Hopkins University at 31 and eventually became an energy analyst for the Mexican government. And so Juan Carlos put his pain aside and launched his own probe. “I realized that it wasn’t my job to grieve,” he said recently. “I had to look for answers, or I wasn’t going to get any.” Georgina Quiroz Peñaloza, daughter of Albino Quiroz Sandoval, protests at the site where her father was last seen in downtown Tepoztlán, Mexico, on Dec. 15. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) *** Two days after his father disappeared, with morning mist still clinging to the mountains, Juan Carlos set out on foot to search for shops outfitted with surveillance cameras. By that afternoon, he had his first clue: a video showing his father leaving the hardware store, getting into his car and driving in the opposite direction of his home. The family scored another breakthrough that night. Rumors were circulating that Albino had contacted a municipal official for help recovering money he had lent to a local man who was putting him off with threats of violence. The family rushed to Albino’s wooden desk and found several handwritten receipts showing that he had indeed lent more than a thousand dollars to a man named Juan Carlos Reyes Lara. The name was instantly recognizable to Albino’s wife, Maricela, who remembered Reyes coming to the house three times asking for money to help a daughter he said was in the hospital. Albino paid him twice, explaining to Maricela that it was “the humane thing” to do. Calle del Tepozteco, a major tourist street leading to the Tepozteco archaeological site, in downtown Tepoztlán, Mexico. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) Reyes, who worked as an attorney specializing in land deals and had once served on the Tepoztlán police force, was known around town to brag about his karate skills and supposed connections to organized crime. His small storefront office was located on the street where Albino’s car had been found. Juan Carlos told police about what he viewed as an explosive new lead, but they showed little interest. So he began to comb Tepoztlán for anything he could learn about the karate-loving ex-cop. Five days after his father’s disappearance, he found a retired teacher who said she, too, had once loaned money to Reyes — and that he had threatened her when she asked to be repaid. “I’ll kill you and your family,” she said he had shouted at her in a busy market. “And I’ll disappear the bodies!” Juan Carlos had been holding on to hope that his father was still alive, but that evaporated when another woman told him that a witness — who she was too afraid to name — had seen a man who looked like Albino being attacked and had reported it to a local police officer. When Juan Carlos returned to Cuernavaca to recount the story for police, the officer taking his report asked him to lie and say that he himself had witnessed his father being beaten. Daughter Norma Quiroz Peñaloza, left, and granddaughter Amaya Demesa Quiroz march to the site where Albino Quiroz Sandoval was last seen in Tepoztlán, Mexico. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) “He told me that it wasn’t enough, that no judge would give an order to apprehend a suspect based only on second-hand declarations,” Juan Carlos recalled. “I told him, ‘No, this is all I’m saying.’” His older sister Georgina worried that Juan Carlos was out of touch with the realities of Mexico. “You don’t know how corrupt it is,” she told him. “You believe in laws, but the laws aren’t followed here.” It didn’t take long for Juan Carlos and his siblings to track down the officer who had been on duty near Reyes’ office the day of the disappearance. The officer explained that he had been too busy directing traffic to investigate the complaint about the beating and that his supervisors had also ignored the tip. He didn’t apologize — but he offered the name of the witness. Juan Carlos found the witness working in a nearby shop, but the man was too nervous to speak in Tepoztlán. They met that afternoon in a cafe in Cuernavaca, where the man told his story — which he later recounted to The Times. He was passing Reyes’ office on the afternoon of March 16 when he heard screams. Inside the open storefront a younger man loomed over an older man sitting in a chair, striking him with his fists. “He’s elderly!” the witness yelled. “There’s a better way to resolve this.” The old man struggled to his feet and looked down for a moment — only to be surprised by a knockout punch. He collapsed to the floor, where he lay motionless. Reyes ordered the witness to leave: “Go away or I’ll hit you, too!” Then he slammed shut the metal door to his storefront. At Juan Carlos’ urging, the witness agreed to share his story with authorities. In the months afterward, the man’s wife would grow so terrified that they would be targeted for snitching that they stopped letting their children play outside. But the witness said he believed it was his obligation to participate in the case, even if many Mexicans would have stayed silent out of fear of organized crime. “We all want the system to change,” he said. “But if you don’t do your part, it will never happen.” Maricela Peñaloza Flores, center, with daughter Georgina Quiroz Peñaloza, asks the priest if she can make an announcement about her husband in Tepoztlán, Mexico, on Dec. 15. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) *** Two Sundays after the disappearance, in the early morning hours of March 26, a caravan of state police trucks rumbled into Tepoztlán. Officers burst into the home that Reyes shared with his wife and took him away in handcuffs. Investigators said his office appeared to have been recently scrubbed with bleach and repainted, but DNA testing showed with near certainty that a few drops of blood found on a chair there had come from Albino. Justice seemed tantalizingly close, but Juan Carlos realized that government incompetence, indifference and possibly corruption remained serious obstacles. Albino’s body was still missing, and authorities were doing little to find it. In August, his family persuaded state investigators to help them search on land that Reyes owned. But the officials showed up to the muddy tract without shovels or other basic supplies. It also became clear that prosecutors had made critical errors. In a preliminary court hearing a few days after the arrest, prosecutors somehow failed to mention that they had an eyewitness account of the beating. The judge reduced the charge against Reyes from kidnapping to illegal detention, giving Reyes the right to ask to be released while waiting for the trial. When Reyes petitioned the court to be let out of jail, a prosecutor told Juan Carlos and his family that the best option would be to avoid a trial entirely and instead try to negotiate a deal with the defendant through an alternative dispute resolution mechanism that is a key feature of the new justice system. Reyes would have to pay the family restitution, but not admit guilt. The family was stunned. Maricela walked out of the meeting thinking the family had no other choice. They were supposed to be receiving guidance from an attorney appointed by the government in accordance with a mandate of the new justice system, but the attorney had missed crucial court dates and complained she was overworked. Criminal attorney Efraín Márquez Duran at his office in Cuernavaca, Mexico, on Dec. 19. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) Not ready to give up, Juan Carlos turned to a human rights group for assistance. That’s when he found Efraín Márquez Dur´án. The son of an electrician and a seamstress, Márquez always dreamed of being a doctor. He switched paths when he got a scholarship to study law. He graduated in late 2007 and took a job clerking for judges in Morelos on the cusp of the most radical overhaul of the justice system since the Mexican Revolution. The old system was notoriously opaque, with cases argued via stacks of paperwork presented to a judge. Bribery and torture were common, and police and judicial appointees were often correctly viewed as instruments of state control. The system was especially ill-equipped to deliver justice in the growing number of cases related to drug trafficking and other organized crime. In 2008, with homicides rising, the government made a constitutional change that then-President Felipe Calderón said would modernize the justice system. The transition was carried out over eight years and was supported with more than $400 million in U.S. aid. The new system was supposed to strengthen the independence of judges, turn police into impartial investigators and shift trials to public events held in a courtroom. But in holding officials to a high standard, the new system has created its own controversies. The changeover was chaotic, with some states waiting until just a few months before the system took effect to begin training personnel. Police complain about stacks of new paperwork, judges complain about mistakes on police reports and prosecutors blame judges for letting criminals go. Suspects are now presumed innocent, putting the burden on prosecutors to prove their guilt and follow due process to prevent defendants from going free on procedural violations. Lawmakers in some parts of the country have blamed the new system for a spike in killings across Mexico. This year, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador successfully pushed lawmakers to roll back part of the reform and triple the number of crimes that require mandatory pretrial detention. Judicial experts insist that the new system was badly needed and will improve with time. For them, people such as Márquez represent the great hope that the overhaul will eventually succeed. He was trained by a U.S. program in the new system, including how to carry out oral trials, and led workshops of his own in which he explained the new system to judges. He eventually became a criminal defense attorney, often helping drug traffickers beat the justice system by finding flaws in the state’s investigation and presentation of its case. But when Juan Carlos and his wife, Valerie, came to his office in Cuernavaca in late 2018 and told them about Albino, Márquez was moved. Years earlier, his sister-in-law had been killed by a drug trafficker, and Márquez had represented her family in his very first trial, helping prosecutors win a murder conviction. Looking over the documents Juan Carlos had brought, Márquez instantly spotted problems. Investigators, for example, had obtained some of Reyes’ phone records without proper authorization, and they had also failed to present in their documents to the courts the receipts that showed that Reyes owed Albino money. If he took the case, Márquez said, the biggest challenge would be making the state do its job. It seemed to Juan Carlos that somebody finally understood his situation. His wife texted him there in the meeting: “Hire him!” A marker inscribed with “aggravated kidnapping and here was last seen,” in honor of Albino Quiroz Sandoval, in downtown Tepoztlán, Mexico, on Dec. 15. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) *** This past spring, a three-judge panel convened in western Morelos in a sprawling new courthouse built next to a prison that is notorious for frequent riots. It had taken a year of news conferences and tense meetings with Morelos officials, but Márquez had successfully lobbied the state to assign a new prosecutor to Albino’s case, and that prosecutor had pushed for Reyes to be tried on the more serious charge of kidnapping with intent to harm. On the first day of court, March 6, Márquez and the prosecutor sat together at a small desk. Behind them was the Quiroz family, with Juan Carlos sitting up perfectly straight, his hands held tensely in his lap. On the other side of the courtroom, Reyes sat alongside his defense attorney dressed in an orange polo shirt. Juan Carlos’ mother took the witness stand in all white later that day. She told the judges about Reyes’ visits to the house and the last time she had seen Albino. They had shared a lunch of pozole and he had assigned their granddaughter some math problems to work on while he ran to the hardware store. A few days later, the state’s most important witness spoke: the man who said he had seen Albino being attacked. The man’s name was withheld and his testimony was broadcast to the courtroom on a monitor that obscured his face and voice. When asked by the prosecutor if Reyes was in the room, the man said: “I’m looking at him.” In seven days of hearings, held over a three-week period, 22 witnesses and experts testified. On March 27, the judges deliberated for less than 10 minutes before returning a verdict: guilty. Reyes slumped in his chair. A few days later, he would be sentenced to 50 years in prison. In the gallery, the Quiroz family sat stone-faced, Juan Carlos gripping his mother’s shoulder. In their view, the verdict was only partial justice. Authorities had failed to pursue two possible accomplices who were seen driving with Reyes two hours after the disappearance. The family says there are phone records that could have led police to identify one of the men, but prosecutors never requested them. Prosecutors have told the family that they should be happy with the conviction, which is much more than most victims ever get. The state attorney general’s office celebrated the outcome, releasing a statement saying it helps “guarantee the prosecution of justice in the State of Morelos” and that investigations into Albino’s whereabouts continue. The office did not respond to multiple requests for additional comment. Juan Carlos says he will not rest, because without his father’s body, without a grave, the family can’t properly mourn. Many of his relatives have lost hope in the justice system. But he says he believes that if Mexico continues to invest in the overhaul, its promise will eventually be realized. “I think it’s our only option to escape the cruelty of the violence that we’re living,” he said. “We have to be able to come together again as members of the same community and make the criminals responsible for their actions.” Earlier this year, he moved to Rome, where his wife, an art restorer, got a job. He has continued to try to pressure authorities from afar. Maricela Peñaloza Flores, right, and family member Rocio Rojas attend Mass at Parroquia Nuestra Señora de la Natividad in Tepoztlán, in Mexico’s Morelos state. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) Back home, his family members are making sure that the case is not forgotten. Earlier this month, on the day before what would have been Albino’s 73rd birthday, the family attended Sunday Mass in Tepoztlán and then led a solemn march through town. “Albino Quiroz, return home,” Maricela cried over a portable loudspeaker. “Albino, your family is looking for you.” Their destination was Reyes’ former office, where Albino was last seen. Maricela walked into the middle of the cobblestone road, forcing traffic to stop for her. Cars honked. A driver leaned out of his window and told her to move out of the way. She waved them off. She looked at the office as if her husband was still there. “Albino, we should be celebrating your birthday,” she cried. “If only these four walls could talk.” Special correspondent Cecilia Sanchez in the Mexico City bureau contributed to this report. Kate Linthicum is a foreign correspondent for the Los Angeles Times based in Mexico City. World & Nation Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map Judy Wray is one of those people who can come to paradise and find a way to make it more beautiful a small town in a box canyon just south of Mexico City in the state of Morelos It is a popular day and weekend destination and has a growing community of foreign residents from multiple countries She and husband Lazlo Krisch retired and moved there about 15 years ago They traveled much of Mexico looking for the right place and as soon as they entered the town they knew they had found it among its craggy peaks and New Age vibe Wray has made her mark in Tepoztlán by developing mural projects in the Santísima Trinidad neighborhood where she lives recruiting her neighbors and even others from Mexico and abroad But to understand what she is doing in Tepoztlán it is important to understand a little of her history Her mother encouraged her to be creative with whatever was lying around in the house and also told her to “think big.”  Wray is also part of the idealistic Baby Boomer/hippie generation This generational influence is best seen in her logo for her website and organization Flying Beetle which was founded to promote creativity in adults and children The (original) Volkswagen Beetle with wings was part of a community mural project she organized in New Jersey at an auto repair shop That particular mural later inspired projects with local schools creating magnets with children’s drawings on them and painting old hubcaps including a set of painted hubcaps that was exhibited at the Papalote Children’s Museum in Mexico City But then she found another issue to tackle with art Even in her little neighborhood of La Santísima there have been issues of vandalism and rising crime she has brought together community members and people in her artistic circles to create artworks that are designed by professionals but executed by regular people One of Wray’s favorites is Maya and the Last Tree designed by Chiapas-based German artist Kiki Suarez as part of a series called Cuentos en las Calles/Street Stories Wray has also received design donations from Scottish artist Johanna Basford Chilean artist Beatriz Aurora and Philippine artist Kerby Rosanes Wray has managed to get logistical support from cultural centers and even some sponsorship from the Comex paint company but many of the expenses of the art projects still come out of her own pocket saying that if she were still in New Jersey it would be money she would lose gambling in Atlantic City One of these expenses even includes paying a few people to help her selected among those who are marginalized from Tepozotlán society for some reason Another is taking advantage of the “cheap” (her word) graphic design and printing services in Mexico to create large tarp versions of the murals which allow her to display the reproductions in other communities in a format reasonably faithful to the original Her murals are among many that exist in Tepoztlán today but they are special because the community is involved in their making They have had the intended effect of deterring graffiti and petty crime since people take more pride in where they live This forces people to drive slowly and appreciate the work She rents her living space in a compound owned by a traditional Mexican family who always has people in the courtyard waiting to be seen asking the patients to color line drawings done by Johanna Basford The results were so good that she had the drawings transferred to ceramic tiles to be placed on school bus stops and other areas where students often hang out in the United Kingdom; she tried to find someone in Mexico to do it but without luck Wray’s main assistant is Tepoztlán native Sara Palacios She began working for Wray out of necessity the two women have formed a close friendship To see much of Judy Wray’s work, visit her Flying Beetle website Leigh Thelmadatter arrived in Mexico 18 years ago and fell in love with the land and the culture in particular its handcrafts and art. She is the author of Mexican Cartonería: Paper, Paste and Fiesta (Schiffer 2019) Her culture column appears regularly on Mexico News Daily MexicoChevron Photo by Matthew WilliamsSave this storySaveSave this storySaveWhen I was 13 I moved from Massachusetts to Cuernavaca with my anthropologist parents I still remember the first time I drove over the cool pine-decorated mountain range that separates it from Mexico City around that bend in the highway where the city spreads out at your feet and suddenly you see the great volcanoes: Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl Cuernavaca is built on seven intersecting ravines and surrounded by mountains; houses are stacked up the hillside to take advantage of the magnificent views both volcanoes were still capped with snow year-round Because there was no other bilingual school for a girl my age I attended an all-girls Catholic academy housed in a palazzo that had been brought over from Italy There was something both exotic and cozy about this place—lush grounds contained by a high wall Once a week we sang the Mexican National Anthem and every morning we said the Lord’s Prayer For the first six months I took communion at school Mass on Fridays until I came home on Ash Wednesday with a cross on my forehead my shocked agnostic parents insisted that I hang back in the pews I was allowed by the nuns to sunbathe by the school’s peanut-shaped swimming pool I would listen to Michael Jackson on a first-generation Walkman my parents dragged 
me and my brother around to look at pyramids Sometimes we made the pilgrimage to Mexico City to tour the Museo Nacional de Antropología And sometimes we followed maps drawn up by their archaeologist friends driving our Mexican-made Renault Le Car without AC along trails that led to unexcavated grassy hills only identifiable as pyramids from above Mexico was one of the first places where aerial photography was used by archaeologists—who discovered an awful lot of grassy hills there are no archaeological sites to visit with my children But believe me: At the time it was no teenager’s fantasy I was always begging to be taken to the beach in Acapulco or left behind to hang out with my school friends in Cuernavaca A street vendor sells flavored ice in Cuernavaca’s town center lived in a house that her parents had bought from Rita Hayworth I shaved my legs for the first time in that house This was in the heady days of New Wave music I traveled to Cuernavaca to research a novel I’m writing is now a prominent cancer researcher and medical school professor instead of sneaking out to go dancing we revisit the museums and pyramids I complained about as a teenager talk politics over margaritas made with fresh tamarind juice and go for temazcales—ritual saunas led by a medicine man 1 / 7ChevronChevronCENTROMexico City is having a major architectural moment The country is producing many fine architects who rather than leaving Mexico to pursue careers are staying home and helping change the face of their capital city It was done in partnership with Dutch-born Mexico-based architect Jan Hendrix and features LEED-certified buildings and a public park The campus reopens in September 2015.Cuernavaca has expanded at the edges since the 1980s but the ancient and contemporary still live side by side in a way that is rare Most of Mexico’s other tourist destinations have cleaned up and pushed real life to the fringes even tourists get caught up in the flow of business as usual you can time-travel from one layer of ancient and colonial history to another and watch breakfast meetings taking place over enchiladas suizas at Sanborns browse through a rainbow of pressed guayabera shirts displayed at Izcalli and experience the bustle of the enormous central market and even throwing stars are available under one roof I am not the first foreign visitor to be enchanted the nineteenth-century explorer Alexander von Humboldt nicknamed Cuernavaca la ciudad de la eterna primavera The Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés built himself a palace here in the 1520s the Hapsburg emperor Maximilian and his wife it was discovered by the international jet set: Haile Selassie and Gary Cooper are said to have had vacation homes in Cuernavaca and Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton built an elaborate Japanese palace and garden outside the city Blacklisted Hollywood writers found safe haven in the city; it is also where the Shah of Iran spent the summer of 1979 in the former home (originally part of a monastery) of a Hollywood expat Gabriela Cámara, a former schoolmate in Cuernavaca and now the chef-owner of Mexico City’s beloved Contramar restaurant and the recently opened Cala, in San Francisco, was raised on a farm in Tepoztlán, where her Italian mother and Mexican father built an ecological house, grew their own vegetables, raised animals. They let their daughter run around freely, so Cámara learned about milpas, tortillas, and the cycle of the corn from village women who only cooked what was in season. up-to-the-minute voice in all things travel Condé Nast Traveler is the global citizen’s bible and muse We understand that time is the greatest luxury which is why Condé Nast Traveler mines its network of experts and influencers so that you never waste a meal or a hotel stay wherever you are in the world Set in Tepoztlán, a traditional Mexican town surrounded by high hills, this private house captures the mystical charm of its rural surroundings Architects Raúl Medina and Sergio Sousa from local practice Dosa Studio were invited to complete the project back in 2022 seeking the region’s vernacular building methods and materials — namely adobe and volcanic rocks — to design an hourglass-shaped dwelling that spans two floors and communicates with its lush green context through to its porous main façade.  all images © Fabian Martínez connecting to the sky through a reflective pool ‘This results in an element of contemplation operating too as a reflection of the passing of time A regular flow of light is captured inside and moves through the course of the day The surrounding garden composed of layers of vegetation expands itself towards the hills making it seem infinite,’ concludes Dosa Studio.  endowing the design with a mystical atmosphere a central skylight punctuates ‘Tepoztlán House’ architecture: Dosa Studio | @dosa_studio supplier: Rokam  photography: Fabian Martínez | @fabianml  Pueblos Mágicos make best small towns list made it on the coveted 50 Most Beautiful Small Towns in the World list by Condé Nast magazine The magazine praised Tepoztlán for its “beautifully designed sites” such as Dilao a sculpture garden by artist Eduardo Olbés and the greenhouse-inspired cocktail bar Margarita Concept It also highlights the area’s Aztec ruins but Condé Nast “you may find yourself wanting to linger…”  “offers an authentic slice of Mexican life with a colorful town square New Hyatt luxury hotels announced for Cancún  Two new Cancún luxury hotels will open in early 2024 Hyatt Hotels Corporation has announced the upcoming Hyatt Vivid Grand Island to be built in partnership with Mexican developer Grupo Murano the resorts will offer 19 cuisines in their restaurants and access to a 26,000-square-foot spa Mexico City is world’s 21st most expensive city to live in  Investment firm Julius Bar’s 2023 Global Wealth and Lifestyle Report reveals that Mexico City is the second most expensive city in Latin America and the 21st most expensive in the world Mexico City’s results are in part driven by the peso’s strength against the dollar and hotel price increases reflecting its “importance as a leisure and business travel destination,” the report says more than half the goods and services in Mexico City are cheaper than the global average “These three key lifestyle elements […] make Mexico City an appealing place for the wealthy,” the report adds Mexico City has three restaurants on World’s 50 Best list and Rosetta again made it on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list Dropping eight positions this year Quintonil thus was crowned Mexico’s best restaurant for the first time local ingredients and traditional Mexican flavors and techniques weaved into modern preparations Quintonil is fast becoming a classic,” 50 Best said After working cruise ships and at Mexico City restaurants The St owner Jorge Vallejo opened Quintonil with his wife Alejandra Flores in 2012 “The charismatic duo brings a winning combination of warmth energy and exceptional food that has diners returning again and again,” 50 Best wrote adds “a modern twist to traditional recipes” and “serves them in the most elegant way possible.” Rosetta, whose owner Elena Reygadas won the World’s Best Female Chef award in April was recognized for a “ubiquitous interpretation of Mexican cuisine.” The fire has grown to affect 180 hectares and is the largest on record in the area Environmental emergencies chief Raymundo Rosales Martínez said 244 firefighters were working to extinguish the fire which could continue to burn for another six days due to adverse weather conditions Three helicopters are also helping to tackle the blaze “We have 20% control but it grew exponentially even when we were working against it … This fire is bigger and has behaved much more aggressively than those in the past and we might end up with another 50 hectares affected,” Rosales said State Civil Protection coordinator Enrique Clement Gallardo said the fire came within 300 meters of the community of San Juan Tlacotenco yesterday but confirmed there was no longer any risk to the population The closest populated area that could be in any danger is three kilometers away National Civil Protection head Laura Velázquez confirmed that the fire in Tepoztlán was one of the five biggest in the country “We are going through a moment of atypical dryness which is aggravating the situation,” Velázquez said Source: Reforma (sp) This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. 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Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. but also to expose its structural simplicity and neutrality towards the astonishing nature You'll now receive updates based on what you follow Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors If you have done all of this and still can't find the email is the world’s second most romantic destination The designation was based on the high number of reservations by travelers from around the world for Valentine’s Day 2019 The Morelos destination was ranked just behind Lake Geneva The travel reservation platform said Tepoztlán is not only recognized for the natural landscapes that surround it but also for the elegance of the views from its hotels a wide range of spa treatments and yoga retreats and experiences like hiking or horseback riding Local restaurants specialize in organizing romantic open-air dinners surrounded by the Sierra del Tepozteco ideal spots for couples celebrating an anniversary Two other destinations ranked highly for United States and Canadian travelers Mexico City ranked fifth among favorite Valentine’s destinations for U.S citizens while Puerto Vallarta was the sixth most popular destination among Canadians Source: Notimex (en) Subscribe to BuzzFeed Daily NewsletterCaret DownThere's A "Magic Town" In Mexico And It's Majestic AFIs there a hidden Wizarding school here or... Arielle Calderon is a writer temporarily based in Latin America participating in Remote Year. Read all her Remote Year adventures on BuzzFeed all images by onnis luque the hotel by taller carlos marín and pasquinel studio houses 11 rooms and is diluted through 4 volumes that allow for a balanced program arrangement an imposing staple of pigmented concrete intertwines with the beautiful tabebuias visitors continue to find the geographic peculiarity of the terrain which takes center stage as it reveals the volcanic landscape thanks to the stony richness of the land and its strategic extraction the project plays between solids and voids the design turns voids into functional service spaces bucolic landscapes and craters that become natural water mirrors due to rainfall the solids are translated into wonderful fences and floors made by local craftsmen the terracotta-colored concrete volume that surrounds the rooms converges with the surrounding rock formations this volume is fragmented by railings and doors which are made with the recycled wood and create a visual rhythm that matches the airy terraces a geometric composition of light and shade is created between the columns and the wooden marimba that protects from the sunny blue sky of tepoztlan one can find the restaurant and yoga room made with recycled wooden floor the natural slope of the terrain along with a landscape allowed the creation of meeting spaces for architecture and nature the project managed to rescue 99% of the species found in the site the amenities building houses the hotel’s kitchen and bar along with a volcanic stone wall and recovered vegetation the basement comprises the warehouses and machine rooms as well as treatment tanks to reuse water collected from rooftops and distributed through channels.  name: casa de agua boutique hotel architecture office: taller carlos marin, pasquinel studio lead architects: carlos marin crimson pasquinel  location: tepoztlán designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here. edited by: myrto katsikopoulou | designboom Search More results... located 50 kilometers from mexico city, the ‘tepoztlan lounge’ by barcelona-based cadaval & solà-morales is a relaxation space amidst the nature of tepoztlán méxico. the structure’s triangulated footprint places three enclosed spaces at its corners visitors are immersed within the landscape of garden vegetation and may also enjoy the scenery from a circular pool.circulation is uninhibited across the central space connecting the functional rooms: a kitchenette reading room and living area with a TV.while framing views of the distant mountains the concrete ceiling also frames two mature trees their trunks pass through circular openingswithin the roof.  aerialimage © cadaval & solà-morales image © sandra pereznieto hammock area overlooks poolimage © sandra pereznieto images © diego berruecos image © diego berruecos site plan roof plan floor plan / level 0 elevation render conceptual diagram name of the project: tepoztlán loungename of the office: cadaval & solà-moralesproject: eduardo cadaval & clara solà-moralescollaborators: eugenio eraña lagos manuel tojalstructural engineering: ricardo camacho de la fuentelocation: tepoztlán méxicoarea: 250sqmdate: project 2009 construction 2012photos: © diego berruecos Albino Quiroz Sandoval is seen at age 10 (bottom right) with relatives including his parents and brother Albino Quiroz Sandoval popped out of the house around 5 p.m Quiroz had been a public school teacher for 48 years Quiroz likely went missing from near his home in Tepoztlán a tourist destination not far from Mexico City — with relatively little crime who was a 90-minute drive away in Mexico City "We didn't know what to do," Juan Carlos recalls "My sister and I thought it could be a kidnapping." It is a reasonable assumption. More than 37,000 people have disappeared in the country since 2007, according to a Mexican government database Independent monitors say the number is even higher The family quickly found Albino's car just a few blocks from his house but saw no sign of him He questioned neighbors and reported the disappearance to police But searching for people who've disappeared isn't easy in Mexico A sign at the front of Quiroz's home reads: "June 16 15 months since the aggravated kidnapping of Professor Albino Quiroz Sandoval The human rights of the victim and the family have been violated There is no prompt and expeditious justice." "People are afraid to speak out because they don't know the consequences who might be behind a certain action or if they might become implicated," says Juan Carlos He pushed on and soon learned his father had been lending money to a local lawyer More stories emerged about the lawyer: He was allegedly a con man targeting retirees with sob stories of mounting medical bills for a sick daughter who had lost a son in a tragic house fire years earlier Juan Carlos later found an eyewitness who said he saw Albino in the lawyer's office and watched the lawyer hit him knocking him to the ground the night he went missing like that of thousands of Mexicans across the country "It's like this house has been left without its soul," says Albino's wife Maricela and Albino settled into the shared peace of being close together "I can't sleep in the bed anymore," Maricela says An empty chair and an unworn shirt sit in the Quiroz home in June More than 15 months after Albino Quiroz went missing the family still has no idea what happened to him More than 15 months after Albino went missing the Quiroz family still has no idea what happened to him but no one has been tried for his disappearance The pain and anger of the Quiroz family is duplicated across Mexico. On top of disappearances, 2017 was Mexico's most violent year since data collection began in the 1990s, with more than 29,000 homicides. Through May 2018 homicides are up by another 21 percent compared with last year More than a decade after launching a military-led drug war, and with at least 130,000 soldiers and marines deployed annually in the fight each year While more than 110 of the country's top drug kingpins have been captured or killed under the administration of President Enrique Peña Nieto leading to bloody fights over territory to produce and traffic narcotics They co-opt local governments and security forces and extort anyone they can With presidential, congressional and local elections set for July 1, violence has been a top issue this cycle, heightened by the fact that there have been at least 120 political killings in the electoral process, according to the Mexican political consultancy Etellekt Presidential front-runner Andrés Manuel López Obrador We must attack the problem at its roots," he told a massive crowd during a recent campaign stop in Mexico City "The most humane and efficient way to deal with violence is by combating poverty." Carrying double-digit leads in almost every poll López Obrador's vision is likely to govern Mexico for the next six years "We see a contradiction: As police and military have grown the top public security adviser to López Obrador "Our plan is to train and professionalize police forces around the country so that we can gradually pull soldiers and marines off the streets." But López Obrador's most controversial proposal has been amnesty as a path to ending the drug war young people who are used by traffickers as lookouts and drug mules could be candidates for amnesty His opponents say it will let kingpins off the hook "What we're proposing is a process of national reflection in which Mexican and international groups will participate .. and the consensus from that will be brought to victims "We have to be the force moving it forward" But there is no easy answer behind crimes like that one that made Albino Quiroz vanish He was most likely not disappeared by a powerful network of organized crime, but rather by a common criminal, enabled by a country with extraordinary levels of impunity and a weak criminal justice system. According to the Global Impunity Index 93 percent of crimes in Mexico go unreported fewer than 4 percent result in judicial action It also says the criminal justice systems in 26 of Mexico's 31 states and Mexico City are on the verge of collapse because of a lack of police and judges And so it is often left to family members like Juan Carlos Quiroz to lead the investigation into loved ones' disappearances He presented documents linking his father to the lawyer He tried to get morgues in neighboring states to let him do DNA tests on unidentified bodies Quiroz's family scoured the streets of Tepoztlán questioning neighbors and seeking witnesses in the 71-year-old's disappearance His efforts paid off: The lawyer whom the family suspected of conning Albino Quiroz was arrested for the "false imprisonment" of Quiroz two weeks after he disappeared But there has yet to be a hearing on the case The lawyer maintains he is innocent and is challenging his detention "We have trusted the system over these past 15 months," says Juan Carlos We have tried to strengthen the investigation we have to be the force moving it forward because at every turn we get responses that are so discouraging." He feels let down by police and prosecutors and judges And he doesn't see presidential front-runner López Obrador as the answer "This has been a very disappointing election because despite the violence my feeling is that no one has presented a serious alternative," Juan Carlos says "My feeling is that everything will just continue as it has been for the last 20 years." believes in López Obrador and plans to vote for him Albino Quiroz's presence can still be felt in the kitchen Maricela Peñaloza Flores — and a gift from her husband While Juan Carlos may not have faith in politics "If this case can become just a small example that the system can work and we can put pressure on different parts of the system we can slowly improve the system so that it works for everybody," he says "My son still believes in the law," she says The audio version of this story was produced by NPR's Peter Breslow and Samantha Balaban and edited by Jordana Hochman This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page News | Nov 17 Mexico ” Unless you have Aztecs in your family tree you might find this city’s name hard to pronounce But so much else about the city is irresistible Tepoztlan — pronounced teh-pose-LAWN ” is a smallish city that sits in a lush valley rimmed by mountains that appear to have been smuggled out of a Chinese landscape painting a 16th-century convent and church rise above a marketplace full of locals making tortillas nibbling on fried grasshoppers and licking locally concocted sherbets the pyramid built on a mountaintop by the Aztecs about 700 years ago to honor Tepoztecatl If it weren’t for the influx of big-city sophisticates every weekend you never would guess that Mexico City is just beyond the mountains a few hours too late to enjoy the traditional Wednesday farmers market but in good time to spend two quiet days before weekend visitors started streaming in Because it’s always good to have a quest to the degree that our 3-year-old would permit Tepoztlan has been fascinating strangers for a long time (Anthropologist Robert Redfield came from the University of Chicago to write a book analyzing the town’s social structure in 1930 only to be followed by Oscar Lewis of the University of Illinois But it’s thick with myth and history The city’s eight neighborhood churches keep their calendars crowded with festivals you can always duck into the darkness of a purifying temazcal and chant amid the steaming rocks and herbs and what a happy task that turned out to be It was built in the 1940s as a mansion on a hill two blocks from the town center and the property was converted into a hotel about 10 years later Its views of the valley and jutting mountains are commanding in three directions a barrel-vaulted dining room and a swimming pool Guests are mostly foreigners during the week whose picture hangs on a wall behind the desk took up residence for about three weeks during the shooting of the 2001 film “Original Sin.” there’s another elegant arch or a lily pond or a patio table facing a vista that spreads from the spires of the Parroquia de la Natividad church to the jagged outline of the surrounding mountains a party of English-speaking foreigners stepped up to that view for the first time There are other agreeable lodgings in and near the town I would be tempted to book the half-as-costly Hotel Amatlan de Quetzalcoatl about five miles outside the city — but of those I saw The only flaw we found is one the hotel can’t control: If you go to bed with your window open you’ll be sleeping with all of Tepoztlan the occasional bottle rocket from somebody’s street celebration ” all these noises bounce around Tepoztlan like bugs looking for an open window we marched down to town ” careful marching on a cobblestone down slope — and checked out the quiet zocalo butchers sharpened their knives and vendors peddled peppers stirred vats of saffron-colored soup and sorted squash blossoms which frequently turn up in the local quesadillas every fall the Centro Holistico Arcoiris offered tarot readings Cafe Isis offered “mokachinos” for about $2 Almost as common as churches were the bright-hued outlets of Tepoznieves (“ice cream of the gods”) the menu running to scores of whimsically titled flavors worshipers and visitors tiptoed into the Parroquia de la Natividad or filed into the hushed cloisters of the adjacent ex-convent or circled back to the Carlos Pellicer Museum of Pre-Hispanic Art reminding ourselves that when the church and convent went up in 1580 the Spanish had resided in North America less than 60 years But there was another fine reminder outside: an arco de seminas a mural-covered arch in front of the church showing an Aztec being baptized by a priest the whole scene made entirely from colored seeds Even with the crystal vendors and detoxifiers here and there Tepotzlan remains traditional and earthy enough to please anyone who would rather not put his chakras in the hands of a stranger another church looms or a shrine to Mary peeks from a wall niche is said to have been born just a few miles from here Some of the old-timers apparently still speak the Aztec language of Nahuatl which can be blamed for the tongue-twisting propinquity of T’s L’s and Z’s in the names of local towns we headed north down the town’s main drag But it’s not the lively storefronts or even the brooding La Santisima neighborhood church that makes Tepozteco a memorable street into an area that’s been designated a national park toward a smudge of gray atop a high canyon wall the loose stone steps thick with black beetles in the shade and you remember that the floor of this valley is more than 5,000 feet above sea level Sure-footed hikers can manage it in a little less than an hour The actual pyramid is only about 30 feet high with 13 steps but the top-of-the-hill payoff is still terrific Not only can you clamber around on a pre-Columbian monument you get an IMAX view of the town and mountains And don’t be alarmed by the rustling at your feet: At least one family of raccoon-like coatimundis dwells on the mountaintop I suppose it’s possible to get a 3-year-old to the top of this climb; I’m told that some local women carry their infants up the slope daily But after about 20 minutes of the loose stones and the steepening path explored the neighborhood and took a table at Axitla a sprawling restaurant surrounded by dense foliage at the foot of the trail If you found some in a corner of your shower you would pay big money for a professional to banish it and it’s been a delicacy in these parts for decades There were no grasshoppers on the Axitla menu But I was curious about those Aztec steam baths usually run by a leader who takes a handful of sweating subjects through a series of introspective exercises Depending on where you sign up and how many people crowd into the circular enclosed space where the steaming rocks lie you can pay $20 to $130 per person for a ceremony that lasts about an hour with ventilation holes in the roofs and a fireplace for heating rocks nearby Within three hours of descent from the pyramid approaching the little igloo on the grounds of the Posada del Tepozteco and meeting a guide named Minerva a half-dozen laborers were swinging axes at a rock pile Joining me in the igloo while the hot rocks hissed in the middle brandishing a fistful of herbs and speaking of fire she thwacked me on the arms and legs and pelted me with exotically scented droplets we conducted the four-part ceremony in Spanish and the low stone dome gave our voices more resonance than I’ve found in any shower Every syllable resounded like a Pavarotti aria without the pitch control I tried not to imagine the smirking of the men outside And then Minerva instructed me to chant about “flying like an eagle,” leading to a vision of the singer-songwriter Steve Miller I came out of the igloo calm and refreshed and I padded up the path to join my family in that 80-degree pool I leaned against one side and once again scanned the serrated skyline We had a fine dinner at Sibarita yet to come and an excellent lunch with a view at El Ciruelo and a happy prowl through the crowds at the Saturday-morning crafts market Kentucky Derby Parties The 151st Kentucky Derby is set for Saturday at 4:57 p.m and here are a few places you can go for watch parties: Lookout Bar at Westin Riverfront in Avon Celebrate the Kentucky.. Easter events in the Vail Valley Church services An Easter tradition that’s been going on for over 30 years is the Vail Mountain Easter Sunrise Service bright and early on Sunday morning Après Madness Championship Party at Avanti F&B The NCAA College Basketball Tournament may have crowned a champion on Monday but Friday is when you can congratulate this year’s winner of Vail’s own form of competition:.. Après at The Amp For its third year in a row Ford Amphitheater has proven that it’s not just a summer venue the Swedish pop band that took the world by storm in the 1970s and early 1980s with its hits “Waterloo,” “Take a Chance on Me” and “Dancing Queen,” will virtually.. Large tempered glass doors swing outwards to expose the interior The house's four main zones are spatially separated but linked by external yards and covered walkways encouraging visitors to engage with the outdoors Internal and external spaces are united by the house's polished concrete floor which line the main bedrooms and their individual courtyards The pinewood wall of the two guest bedrooms creates a discreet frontage while providing access out to a shared patio space Walls of glazing open up on either side of the long as well as the Mexican sunshine to stream in  The white monolithic volume of the first floor studio space stands out boldly against the rocky lower floor and the mountainside beyond The modern scheme is located within nature and the 500 year old landscaped terraces of El Tepozteco Water is collected on site in three large containers (the pool a maintenance reservoir and a potable water tank) to ensure there is no waste and to allow year-round irrigation Designed as a couple's retreat for leisure and entertainment the house blurs boundaries between indoors and outdoors with wide rotating glass doors opening up to welcome the surrounding nature inside Take an interactive tour of Casa Meztitla Large tempered glass doors swing outwards to expose the interior, blending inside and outside The house's four main zones are spatially separated but linked by external yards and covered walkways, encouraging visitors to engage with the outdoors Internal and external spaces are united by the house's polished concrete floor, and white cement and lime plastered walls, which line the main bedrooms and their individual courtyards The pinewood wall of the two guest bedrooms creates a discreet frontage, while providing access out to a shared patio space Walls of glazing open up on either side of the long, open planned living space, allowing for ample cross ventilation, as well as the Mexican sunshine to stream in  The house also features a narrow, elevated swimming pool. Water is collected on site in three large containers (the pool, a maintenance reservoir and a potable water tank) to ensure there is no waste and to allow year-round irrigation Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox. TEPOZTLAN, Mexico | Unless you have Aztecs in your family tree, you might find this city's name hard to pronounce. But so much else about the city is easy, or irresistible. The Aztec echoes, the steam baths, the ice cream, the pyramid, even the corn smut. Tepoztlan - pronounced teh-pose-LAWN - is a smallish city in a lush valley rimmed by mountains that appear to have been smuggled out of a Chinese landscape painting. At its center, a 16th-century convent and church rise above a marketplace full of locals making tortillas, nibbling on fried grasshoppers and licking locally concocted sherbets. Just north of town stands Tepozteco, the pyramid built on a mountaintop by the Aztecs about 700 years ago to honor Tepoztecatl, god of fertility and pulque, also known as Aztec moonshine. If it weren't for the influx of big-city sophisticates every weekend, you never would guess Mexico City is just beyond the mountains, 47 miles north, or that Cuernavaca, the language-school capital of Mexico, is 11 miles south. We arrived late on a weekday, a few hours too late to enjoy the traditional Wednesday farmers market but in good time to spend two quiet days before weekend visitors started streaming in. Because it's always good to have a quest, I decided I had to make the short, steep climb to the pyramid. My wife, Mary Frances, and our daughter, Grace, were interested in the hike, too. But mostly, my wife and I just aimed to explore, to the degree that our 3-year-old would permit. Tepoztlan has been fascinating strangers for a long time, first conquistadors and missionaries, later dueling academics, now tourists and movie stars. (Anthropologist Robert Redfield came from the University of Chicago to write a book analyzing the town's social structure in 1930, only to be followed by Oscar Lewis of the University of Illinois, who published a rival volume in 1951.) These days, with about 35,000 residents, Tepoz is not so tiny. But it's thick with myth and history, it's walkable, and the weather is mild. (Even in the more humid summer months, average highs top out around 78 degrees, and average winter lows are in the 40s.) The city's eight neighborhood churches keep their calendars crowded with festivals, but if you need solitude, you can always duck into the darkness of a purifying temazcal and chant amid the steaming rocks and herbs. We started by taking measure of our hotel, the Posada del Tepozteco, and what a happy task that turned out to be. It was built in the 1940s as a mansion on a hill two blocks from the town center, and the property was converted into a hotel about 10 years later. Its views of the valley and jutting mountains are commanding in three directions, the landscaping is immaculate, and the service is crisp and bilingual. Over the years, it has grown to include 22 guest rooms, a barrel-vaulted dining room and a swimming pool, kept at about 80 degrees. Guests are mostly foreigners during the week, mostly from Mexico City on the weekends. Angelina Jolie, whose picture hangs on a wall behind the desk, took up residence for about three weeks during the shooting of the 2001 film "Original Sin." Everywhere you turn, there's another elegant arch or a lily pond, a burbling courtyard fountain, a sculpture placed just so, or a patio table facing a vista that spreads from the spires of the Parroquia de la Natividad church to the jagged outline of the surrounding mountains. One night as we dug into dinner, a party of English-speaking foreigners stepped up to that view for the first time. There are other agreeable lodgings in and near the town. If we returned and had a rental car, I would be tempted to book the half-as-costly Hotel Amatlan de Quetzalcoatl, about five miles outside the city - but of those I saw, the Posada del Tepozteco ranks first. On the morning after that first night, we marched down to town - careful marching, on a cobblestone down slope - and checked out the quiet zocalo, or square, the market and main streets. In the market, tarp-shaded and smell-rich, butchers sharpened their knives and vendors peddled peppers, stirred vats of saffron-colored soup and sorted squash blossoms, which frequently turn up in the local quesadillas every fall. On a corner, the Centro Holistico Arcoiris offered tarot readings, massages and a circle of fire. The Taj Mahal shop was selling crystals, fossils, masks, wood carvings and Asian imports. Cafe Isis offered "mokachinos" for about $2, and a dozen stands sold local art. Almost as common as churches were the bright-hued outlets of Tepoznieves ("ice cream of the gods"), the menu running to scores of whimsically titled flavors. (I recommend Song of Mermaids, with bits of pear, apple and pine nuts.) Just off Avenida Revolucion, worshipers and visitors tiptoed into the Parroquia de la Natividad or filed into the hushed cloisters of the adjacent ex-convent, or circled back to the Carlos Pellicer Museum of Pre-Hispanic Art. We followed, reminding ourselves that when the church and convent went up in 1580, the Spanish had resided in North America less than 60 years. But there was another fine reminder outside: an arco de seminas, a mural-covered arch in front of the church showing an Aztec being baptized by a priest, the whole scene made entirely from colored seeds, grain and other local crops. Even with the crystal vendors and detoxifiers here and there, Tepotzlan remains traditional and earthy enough to please anyone who would rather not put his chakras in the hands of a stranger. Every few blocks, another church looms or a shrine to Mary peeks from a wall niche. Quetzalcoatl, the Aztec feathered serpent god, is said to have been born just a few miles from here. You can still buy pulque, made from fermented agave juice, all over town. Some of the old-timers apparently still speak the Aztec language of Nahuatl, which can be blamed for the tongue-twisting propinquity of T's, L's and Z's in the names of local towns. After the city center, we headed north down the town's main drag, Avenida del Tepozteco, past more ancient walls, bold-colored eateries and modest lodgings. But it's not the lively storefronts or even the brooding La Santisima neighborhood church that makes Tepozteco a memorable street. About six blocks north of the town center, the road narrows to a pedestrian path. Then it creeps uphill, into an area that's been designated a national park, toward a smudge of gray atop a high canyon wall. At first the path climbs gently, bordered by ramshackle refreshment stands, the loose stone steps thick with black beetles in the shade. Then the path gets steeper, your breath gets shorter, and you remember that the floor of this valley is more than 5,000 feet above sea level. You climb about 1,300 feet in 1.2 miles. Sure-footed hikers can manage it in a little less than an hour, and at the top they find Tepozteco itself. The actual pyramid is only about 30 feet high with 13 steps, but the top-of-the-hill payoff is still terrific. Not only can you clamber around on a pre-Columbian monument, you get an IMAX view of the town and mountains, a vista made dreamy by the shifting mists. And don't be alarmed by the rustling at your feet: At least one family of raccoon-like coatimundis dwells on the mountaintop, living well on snacks begged from hikers. I suppose it's possible to get a 3-year-old to the top of this climb; I'm told that, to stay in shape, some local women carry their infants up the slope daily. But after about 20 minutes of the loose stones and the steepening path, we resorted to Plan B. While I summited on behalf of the family, Mary Frances and Grace turned back, explored the neighborhood and took a table at Axitla, a sprawling restaurant surrounded by dense foliage at the foot of the trail. Once I was down the hill again, we consulted the menu, and I got my chance to face the corn smut. Huitlacoche, also known as corn smut, is a black fungus that grows on corn. If you found some in a corner of your shower, you would pay big money for a professional to banish it . But it tastes creamy and mushroomy, and it's been a delicacy in these parts for decades. There were no grasshoppers on the Axitla menu, nor was there pulque. Nor did we seek them out anywhere else. But I was curious about those Aztec steam baths. The temazcal is a purification ceremony, usually run by a leader who takes a handful of sweating subjects through a series of introspective exercises. Depending on where you sign up and how many people crowd into the circular enclosed space where the steaming rocks lie, you can pay $20 to $130 per person for a ceremony that lasts about an hour. The venues look like little stone igloos, with ventilation holes in the roofs and a fireplace for heating rocks nearby. Within three hours of descent from the pyramid, I was in swim trunks, approaching the little igloo on the grounds of the Posada del Tepozteco and meeting a guide named Minerva, who had come from Cuernavaca. A few steps away, a half-dozen laborers were swinging axes at a rock pile. Joining me in the igloo while the hot rocks hissed in the middle, Minerva explained what was coming. Then, brandishing a fistful of herbs and speaking of fire, water, earth and air, she thwacked me on the arms and legs and pelted me with exotically scented droplets. The temazcal was an inarguable success. I came out of the igloo calm and refreshed. Pia RiverolaSave this storySaveSave this storySaveAll products and listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links All listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors From the historic Yucatán port city of Campeche with its pastel villas and delightful malecón to the whitewashed adobe-lined streets of Pátzcuaro a Michoacán town beloved for its Día de Muertos festivities well-known architects are creating design-forward residences that can be booked by in-the-know visitors A stay at one of these homes is an opportunity to spend some quality time with regional craftsmanship and materials as well as to explore a corner of the country like a local Leaning into building materials like locally sourced stone the structure references the surrounding tropical and temperate forests and the craggy Sierra de Ajusco-Chichinauhtzin range nearby Casa Ayehualco's architecture creates moments that invite deep connection with the landscape dimly lit stone passageway ending in a courtyard that perfectly frames the nearby peaks The artwork has a similarly elements-first ethos: A terra-cotta tunic by Xawery Wolski hangs in the kitchen while traditional folk-art figurines—in this case little ceramic reinas with scenes of rural life exquisitely depicted on their dresses—decorate the living room Mother-and-son owners Georgina Esparragoza and Daniel Manos tapped Mexico City–based architect Paolo Sarra and Mérida-based firm Punto Arquitectónico to transform the long narrow historic home into a series of airy The firm embraced materials like palm and chokum that have been used to build and decorate homes throughout the Yucatán Peninsula for centuries The entrance spills into a traditional open kitchen with a large communal dining table topped with palm-leaf cloths made by artisans from the nearby town of Becal (they do their weaving in underground caves where the humidity keeps the fronds pliable) The dining area opens onto the property's showpiece a courtyard pool framed by exposed limestone walls and decorated with playful ceramic animals—a hedgehog perches on the side of the pool At the back of the home are nine earth-toned bedrooms with woven light fixtures and tzalam-wood furniture made by artisans from the village of Temozón Basque architect Miguel Arregui and French owner Sandra Chollet astutely blending global design with the region's rich craft traditions One of Chollet's most prized family heirlooms an antique Algerian wedding chest that belonged to her grandparents sits in the entryway; in the living room hang copper light fixtures in the shape of calla lilies that were designed by Arregui and produced by master coppersmiths from the neighboring village of Santa Clara del Cobre and lemon trees of the three interior courtyards have cream-colored textured walls inspired by a Moroccan plaster technique and bed covers that were woven at the La Fábrica de San Pedro heritage textile factory in nearby Uruapan This article appeared in the April 2022 issue of Condé Nast Traveler. Subscribe to the magazine here.