Visiting Teotihuacan, Mexico: A guide to The Ruins

just outside greater Mexico City, the ruins of Teotihuacan are a place of massive pyramids and profound mystery.

The ancient city is so old that the Aztecs, the dominant group in the Valley of Mexico at the time of the arrival of the Spanish, didn’t even know who built it.

Today, there’s much speculation about the origins of Teotihuacan, although not many facts. Archeological research is ongoing, with new tunnels and chambers still being discovered and explored.

I was fortunate enough to visit Teotihuacan several times during the many years I lived in Mexico.

I’ve taken public transportation from Mexico City to get there, and I’ve driven on my own. I’ve taken friends who were visiting Mexico for the first time, and I’ve gone all by myself. Each visit was an unforgettable experience.

Visiting Teotihuacan is one of the top day trips from Mexico City and one of the best things to see in Mexico. Don’t miss it. 

Learn everything you need to know about visiting the Teotihuacan Ruins in this guide.

Cuprins
Teotihuacan Ruins Facts and History
Teotihuacan Pyramids and Temples to Visit
Things to Do at the Teotihuacan Ruins
Best Teotihuacan tours from Mexico City
5 top tips for visiting Teotihuacan
întrebări frecvente
Concluzie

Teotihuacan Ruins Facts and History

As mentioned, it’s unclear which culture founded Teotihuacan and constructed its immense pyramids and temples. The two most likely groups are the Toltecs and the Totonacs.

The Toltecs were from central Mexico, and they’re best known today for their improbably huge statues and head carvings, which can be seen at archeological sites such as Tula.

Their peak came between that of Teotihuacan and the rise of the Aztecs, and they exerted a deep influence on many Mesoamerican cultures.

The Totonacs are from what is the state of Veracruz today. The people still exist, and part of their belief system is that their ancestors were the ones responsible for building Teotihuacan.

Evidence does show, however, that Teotihuacan was home to several cultures from various parts of pre-Hispanic Mexico, including the Toltecs, Totonacs, Mayans, Mixtecs, and Zapotecs.

Compounding the mystery of its origin is the mystery of its language. The residents of Teotihuacan had a written language, but researchers haven’t yet deciphered it.

Consequently, the original name of the city also isn’t known. Teotihuacan is a Nahuatl word that means “the place where men become gods.” It was given by the Aztecs, who arrived in the Valley of Mexico around 1250 CE, centuries after the demise of Teotihuacan.

Teotihuacan was probably settled as early as 400 BC. The peak of the city, when it was home to more than 100,000 people, was from 100 BC to 650 CE. The city covered 8 square miles and was the largest city in the Western Hemisphere.

The long collapse and abandonment of the city came next. One theory is that a brutal class war occurred between the city’s powerful elite and the much more numerous poorer classes.

Supporting this theory is evidence of a large fire that happened around 550 CE. Whatever the reasons for its decline, Teotihuacan was fully abandoned by 750 CE.

Teotihuacan Pyramids and Temples to Visit

Here’s a breakdown of the most important temples to visit at Teotihuacan.

Pyramid of the sun and Pyramid of the Moon

The two most significant structures are the Pyramid of the sun and the Pyramid of the Moon, which are also known as the temple of the sun and the temple of the Moon.

The Pyramid of the sun is the biggest structure at the ruins of Teotihuacan. At 213 feet tall, it’s the third-highest pyramid in the world, a little more than half as tall as the great Pyramid at Giza, Egypt.

The Pyramid of the sun is actually six pyramids, each one built over the other. and underneath it all is a cave.

Running in front of the Pyramid of the sun is the street of the Dead (Calle de los Muertos). This broad thoroughfare goes from the Pyramid of the Moon on its north end to the Ciudadela complex on the south end, near the main entrance to the park.

On the way, the street of the Dead passes many ceremonial platforms that house intricate murals and carvings. When Teotihuacan was an active city, the road was 40 meters wide and 4 kilometers long.

At the far end of the street of the Dead, the 147-foot-tall Pyramid of the Moon is the second largest structure at the archeological site. It was a place of human and animal sacrifices.

An excavation of the pyramid uncovered 12 human bodies, 10 of which were decapitated, along with a menagerie of wild animal corpses that included jungle cats and eagles.

Palace of QuetzalpapáLOTL

Palatul Quetzalpapálotl este cea mai semnificativă structură din piață înainte de piramida lunii. Sculările detaliate din curtea sa interioară nu ar trebui să fie ratate.

Palatul Tepantitla

La est de piramida lunii, Palatul Tepantitla este puțin în afara drumului din strada morților. Are unele dintre cele mai impresionante picturi murale de pe întregul sit arheologic.

La Ciudadela

În fața piramidei lunii de pe strada morților, La Ciudadela (Cetatea sau Plaza Ceremonială) este o curte expansivă care conține templul lui Quetzalcoatl.

Quetzalcoatl a fost șarpele cu pene și un zeu important pentru majoritatea culturilor mezoamericane. Templul său este decorat cu sculpturi mari de capete de șarpe dinți cu corpuri de sheling, împreună cu imagini cu viața marină, cum ar fi scoici și scoici de conch.

Lucruri de făcut la ruinele Teotihuacan

Urcarea piramidelor este unul dintre cele mai bune lucruri de făcut atunci când vizitați Teotihuacan. În mod normal, puteți merge până la vârf până la cel mai înalt, piramida soarelui și la o platformă cam la jumătatea drumului cel de -al doilea cel mai înalt, piramida lunii.

De asemenea, puteți urca și intra în multe dintre celelalte temple și locuri ceremoniale. Unele dintre ele conțin picturi murale bine restaurate sau sculpturi îngrozitoare. Regulile se pot schimba, așa că asigurați -vă că verificați și vedeți dacă aveți voie să urcați piramidele înainte de a face acest lucru.

Există două muzee la ruinele Teotihuacan, iar intrarea la ambele este inclusă cu biletul dvs.

Muzeul muralelor Teotihuacan, lângă Poarta 3A, are fragmente de diferite tipuri de picturi murale antice, care este o formă de artă mexicană distinctivă care continuă să fie practicată până în zilele noastre.

Muzeul Culturii Teotihuacan, aproape de poarta 5, are expoziții permanente de artefacte din orașul antic și informații despre cercetările arheologice actuale. Muzeul are, de asemenea, o grădină de sculptură și o grădină botanică.

O activitate populară este de a zbura peste ruinele Teotihuacan într -un balon cu aer cald. Verificați secțiunea de mai jos despre tururile Teotihuacan pentru mai multe informații.

Puteți experimenta ruinele Teotihuacan după întuneric cu Experiencia Nocturna en Teotihuacán (Nocturnal Experience in Teotihuacan), care începe cu un tur ghidat al parcului și continuă cu un spectacol ușor și sonor.

Spre deosebire de ruinele în sine, trebuie să cumpărați bilete în avans pentru spectacolul de lumină prin Ticketmaster. Puteți cumpăra bilete de pe pagina web Ticketmaster și apoi le puteți ridica la o priză Ticketmaster din Mexico City.

Ruinele Teotihuacan (și orașul Teotihuacan) sunt site -ul ocazional al festivalurilor de muzică, cum ar fi festivalul Música Para los Dioses (Music for the Gods Festival), un festival rock care a inclus camping. Nu este clar dacă acest festival va continua să aibă loc. Verificați pagina de Facebook pentru mai multe informații.

Orașul San Juan Teotihuacan sărbătorește mai multe festivaluri anuale. Cel mai important este ziua de naștere a lui Ioan Botezătorul, patronul orașului, care are loc la sfârșitul lunii iunie.

Acesta este un moment bun pentru a petrece noaptea într-un hotel local pentru a experimenta un adevărat festival mexican din orașul mic. Vor fi mâncare, muzică, băut, dans și o mulțime de artificii.

Desigur, vizitarea lui Teotihuacan este o modalitate bună de a elabora un apetit. Din fericire, ruinele Teotihuacan sunt înconjurate de restaurante care servesc mâncăruri locale reprezentative.

Cel mai bun și mai interesant este restaurantul La Gruta. Se află într -o peșteră mare de origine vulcanică. Este oarecum pe partea scumpă, dar mâncarea este remarcabilă și sunt prezentate spectacole de dans populare obișnuite. La Gruta a avut mulți mese celebri, chiar și regina Elisabeta a II -a.

Situat vizavi de parc de la intrarea principală (și parcarea), La Gruta se află la 10 minute cu mașina sau la 30 de minute de mers pe jos de acolo. Este mult mai aproape de Poarta 4 (lângă Palatul Tepantitla), așa că dacă intenționați să mergeți, părăsiți parcul din acea ieșire.

Cele mai bune tururi Teotihuacan din Mexico City

Puteți găsi multe tururi pentru vizitarea lui Teotihuacan, cum ar fi cele care pleacă devreme și săriți linia. Alții includ degustări de lichior, excursii în baloane cu aer cald și opriri la alte atracții din Mexico City.

Din Mexico City: Teotihuacan Acces timpuriu și degustare de lichior

Acest tur Teotihuacan te duce la ruine dimineața devreme și sări linia. Include prânzul și o oprire pentru degustarea reprezentativă a lichioarelor mexicane tequila, mezcal și pulque.

Zbor cu balon cu aer cald peste Teotihuacan, din Mexico City

În acest turneu Teotihuacan, veți petrece 45 de minute într -un balon cu aer cald zburând peste zona arheologică. Timpul total este de cinci ore și include micul dejun și transportul din Mexico City.

Teotihuacan, tlatelolco, Guadalupe Shrine and Tequila tasting Tour

This tour combines a trip to the ruins with two other famous attractions in Mexico City.

The ruins of Tlatelolco, located in the Plaza of three Cultures (pre-Hispanic, Spanish colonial, and modern Mexico), was the final refuge of the Aztecs during the Spanish conquest. The Guadalupe Shrine contains the original Virgin of Guadalupe painting and is one of the most important Catholic sites in Mexico.

5 top tips for visiting Teotihuacan

The most important tip for visiting Teotihuacan is to go early. If you’re doing it on your own, allow at least three hours for taking the metro to the bus station, buying tickets, riding the bus, and finally buying tickets for the ruins.

Getting there early will not only beat the crowds, but you can also climb the pyramids before it gets too hot.

There’s hardly any shade at the Teotihuacan ruins, so bring protection from the sun. Be sure to wear good shoes for climbing. flip flops may keep your feet cool, but they’re not very sturdy on rugged stones.

Teotihuacan is full of vendors selling all kinds of souvenirs of varying degrees of tackiness. You’ll surely get tired of hearing the loud jaguar call the vendor’s blow every few minutes.

A smile, a quick shake of the head, and a firm “gracias” (“thanks,” which also means “no thanks”) is the best way to deal with them. Please don’t be rude — they’re only trying to make a living — but you shouldn’t apologize or express interest, or one may follow you around for a while, being a nuisance.

You should make time to visit the museums, which are somewhat easy to miss off of the street of the Dead. They have interesting exhibits and informative explanations, along with air conditioning, which you may find more beneficial.

Finally, I highly recommend eating at La Gruta. It has a wonderful setting and the food is excellent, with outstanding versions of traditional dishes. They have good margaritas too.

Remember to keep an eye on your watch if you’ll be taking the bus back to Mexico City. You don’t want to miss the last one. It can be hard to keep track of time when you’re eating tacos and sipping tequila in a cave.

Planning on visiting other ruins in Mexico? See these related articles:

How To visit The Tulum Ruins

Visting Chichen Itza: A guide to the Ruins

10 best Mayan Ruins and Archaeological sites in Mexico

întrebări frecvente

Below are some answers to frequently asked questions about visiting Teotihuacan.

Where Are the Teotihuacan Ruins?

The Teotihuacan ruins are 25 miles (40 kilometers) northeast of Mexico City. They’re located in the state of Mexico in the town of San Juan Teotihuacan.

How to get to Teotihuacan from Mexico City

Frequent buses depart from Mexico City’s North Bus terminal and go directly to the archeological site. The metro station at the terminal is called Autobuses del Norte, and it’s on Line 5, the yellow line.

There’s no need to buy tickets in advance. just show up, buy the tickets, and get on the bus. You’ll need to walk through the station and look at the signs for each bus company to find the right one.

When you buy the tickets, ask what time the final bus departs for the return trip to Mexico City. There may be a timetable behind the counter, but still, confirm the schedule.

The trip from the North Bus terminal to the ruins takes about two hours.

Alternatively, you can join a tour so you don’t have to worry about transportation. 

Teotihuacan Ruins opening Hours

Currently, the ruins are open from 9:00 AM to 15:00 PM. check the official website for any changes.