Situated within the suburb of the same name, Tenayuca is considered to be the best-preserved Aztec temple, as it was one of the few that the Spanish never touched. Despite being accessible via Mexico City's public transport system, few tourists venture out here. But if you're interested in pre-Hispanic archaeology, visiting Tenayuca is well worth the moderate effort.
Just nearby, meanwhile, is yet another Aztec pyramid known as Santa Cecilia Acatitlan. While we know little about its early history, it was rebuilt decades ago and serves as yet another rare example of intact Aztec architecture.
Be sure to check the end of the article for info on reaching both archaeological sites, as well as where to stay in Mexico City.
Tenayuca
While it's easy to forget while traversing the city today, Mexico City was actually a big lake until several centuries ago. And many of the region's most important cities arose along the shores of Lake Texcoco, such as Cuicuilco and the metropolis of Teotihuacan.
After the fall of Teotihuacan, the next great empire to control Central Mexico, the Toltecs, wouldn't emerge until several centuries later. And they would eventually fall too in the 12th century. And it was around this time that a semi-nomadic people from the north known as the Chichimecas began arriving in the region.
While 'Chichimeca' is a vague term encompassing various tribes and groups, one particular Chichimeca tribe, led by a chieftain named Xolotl, conquered this area and made Tenayuca his capital.
Before their arrival, Xolotl's tribe had largely been concerned with hunting and war. But the high culture they encountered throughout former Toltec lands influenced them greatly, and they began learning things like agriculture, writing, crafts and fine arts.
And as we'll go over shortly, they would go on to build the splendid pyramid of Tenayuca that would later leave a strong impression on the Aztecs.
The Museum
Everyone visiting Tenayuca must first walk through the on-site museum. While in Spanish only, if you understand a bit of the language, it's a good way to get acquainted with Tenayuca's history.
And you'll also find plenty of artifacts that were dug up during the main excavations that took place here throughout the 1920s.
Highlights include relief fragments, intricately carved stone, and even a chac mool sculpture - likely used to present offerings to the gods.
You'll also find a scale model of how the pyramid appeared in ancient times. If you've already been to Templo Mayor in Mexico City, you'll have seen a strikingly similar model at the museum there.
But Tenayuca came first. The Mexica (now commonly referred to as the Aztecs) first arrived in this region around 1300, initially stopping at Tenayuca. And the dual-temple design influenced them so much that they later copied it for their main temple at their capital of Tenochtitlan.
Tenayuca was still being ruled by the Chichimecas in the early 14th century. But the ruler at the time decided to move his capital to the city of Texcoco on the other side of the lake.
Several decades later, one of the many tribes based around Lake Texcoco, the Tepanec, were set on expanding their territory. And they managed to conquer Tenayuca around 1370 with help from Mexica mercenaries.
The Tepanecs would maintain control over Tenayuca until 1426, until the empire was defeated by the Aztec Triple Alliance. Finally, in the 15th century, Tenayuca, which had served as the main inspiration for Templo Mayor, became a proper Aztec city.
As such, at the museum you'll see a tzompantli, or skull rack that was so common at Aztec sites. And as we'll cover shortly, you'll find one outside the pyramid as well.
The Pyramid
The Tenayuca pyramid complex sits right within Mexico City's urban sprawl (though it's technically within Mexico state, not the Distrito Federal). The pyramid is presently surrounded by convenience stores, restaurants and ice cream shops. What you're unlikely to encounter, however, is other tourists.
Exiting the museum, you'll first find yourself along the pyramid's back side, where you'll see a multitude of fierce-looking serpent heads!
Left in place for centuries, their bodies consist of rock held together by mortar, while their heads are comprised of individually carved stones.
Tenayuca contains around 150 stone serpents in total, and the design choice was implemented as far back as Chichimeca rule.
But the Aztecs clearly liked the style, making sure the serpents remained throughout the pyramid's numerous expansions and renovations over the years.
Notably, according to early Spanish accounts, the Aztecs kept three live snakes at the temple, whom they allegedly worshipped.
Today, the serpents along the walls aren't the only ones. Some corners of the complex contain much larger coiled serpents - a feature I have to see at any other ancient Mesoamerican site.
These particular sculptures represent Xiuhcoatl, an important serpent from an Aztec myth in which their patron deity Huitzilopochtli uses the fiery serpent to kill his sister.
Xiuhcoatl was also believed to be an incarnation of the ancient Aztec fire god, Xiuhtecuhtli.
Along some of the walls, you'll notice some cavernous openings. These aren't original, but were created during excavations in the 1920s.
While archaeologists never found any tombs or treasures within, they did, at least, learn more about the pyramid's various construction phases. And they determined that there were as many as seven, some of which can be observed concurrently today.
You'll eventually come around the the front of the pyramid. Here is another tzompantli in which archaeologists discovered human remains - likely those of sacrificial victims.
While the Aztecs did indeed sometimes use real skulls to decorate a tzompantli's exterior, this one utilized carved and painted ones.
The tradition dates back to Toltec Empire, and was later adopted by subsequent groups like the Chichimecas and Mexica (Aztecs).
As mentioned, the Tenayuca pyramid utilized the design that would later be copied by Templo Mayor. It was built with two staircases leading to two separate temples. But we're still not sure exactly which deities were worshipped here during the Chichimeca period.
During the Aztec era, we know that they worshipped the same two gods as at Templo Mayor - Huitzilopochtli, the Aztec patron deity, and Tlaloc, the ancient Mesoamerican rain god.
Given all the different construction phases, the Tenayuca pyramid now takes on a rather confusing shape. The pyramid is unclimbable, and much of it was off-limits during my visit.
But I couldn't resist walking through a narrow alleyway through the side, at the end of which I spotted a steep internal staircase. Apparently, it was established during the pyramid's fifth stage of construction.
Walking along the other side, you'll unsurprisingly encounter more well-preserved serpents. And over to the edge of the complex are some small temple platforms.
Back near the museum, be sure to look down into the trench to get a feel for how deep the manmade platform beneath the pyramid really is.
While Tenayuca won't take you very long to see, the journey from central Mexico City is well worth it for those with more than a passing interest in Mesoamerican archaeology.
And Tenayuca isn't where this day trip has to end.
In addition to nearby Santa Cecilia Acatitla, which we'll cover shortly, Tenayuca is actually home to one more set of ruins. The large pyramid mentioned above has been labelled by archaeologists as 'Tenayuca I.'
A seven-minute walk north (see map above) leads one to Tenayuca II, which largely served as a residential district. While the gates were locked during my visit, one can get a pretty clear view of the ruins through the gaps.
Santa Cecilia Acatitlan
Just a short ride away from Tenayuca is yet another pyramid known as Santa Cecilia Acatitlan. And while this one is even smaller and more obscure, it's an excellent little pyramid that those visiting Tenayuca shouldn't miss.
You could probably find a public bus or colectivo running between the two areas, but it would likely require a lot of waiting. It's far easier to call an Uber. The ride takes about ten minutes and cost me only 40 pesos during my visit.
The pyramid of Santa Cecilia Acatitlan is well-marked on Google Maps. You'll also be able to clearly see it from outside the gates as you approach. Just beside it, meanwhile, you'll encounter a colonial-era church built of stone from the original pyramid.
Even when arriving at the small archaeological site during opening hours, don't be surprised to encounter a closed gate with no staff in sight. As there's usually just a single person working here at a time, wait around long enough and they should eventually appear.
The Museum
As with Tenayuca, a visit to this pyramid begins with the museum. For such a small and obscure archaeological site, it's great that they have an on-site museum for visitors to enjoy.
Santa Cecilia Acatitlan doesn't appear in any ancient records. As far as we know, it was built by the Aztecs and not just taken over by them. As such, you'll find a nice collection of typical Aztec-style sculptures found nearby.
The museum now sits on the grounds of a former pulque hacienda which just happened to be owned by an archaeologist. His name was Eusebio Dávalos, and he's responsible for excavating and preserving most of these sculptures.
In addition to the covered portion of the museum, you'll also find numerous sculpture placed throughout the former hacienda garden. What's more, is that the kitchen has been preserved to appear how it did in the 19th century.
Another highlight of the museum and garden is a recreation of a tzompantli, the Mesoamerican skull rack described above.
The Pyramid
Past the museum, it's time to explore the archaeological site, which in this case consists of just a single structure: the Aztec pyramid.
The caretaker of the ruins gave me permission to climb the structure. But as there doesn't seem to be any hard rule in place, anticipate potentially not being able to do so.
Like most Aztec pyramids, the pyramid of Santa Cecilia Acatitlan was a twin structure dedicated to Tlaloc and Huitzilopochtli. But this isn't obvious at first, as the shape is completely different from that of Tenayuca or Templo Mayor.
What appears to be a mere platform to the left of the taller structure actually counts as the second pyramid, though it's former temple is missing. One wonders if this was the original design plan or if it was only added later.
If you get the chance to ascend the structure, you'll find a broken chac mool sculpture in front of the temple. While these sculptures were a trademark of the Toltec Empire that collapsed in the 12th century, they were also utilized by later civilizations like the Aztecs.
As the Aztecs associated their chac mools with water, we can presume that the main pyramid hosted the Tlaloc temple. At the time of my visit, the temple was locked, but there didn't seem to be anything inside regardless.
While the pyramid of Santa Cecilia Acatitlan looks remarkably preserved, it's actually been mostly reconstructed. After initial excavations in the 1920s, it was largely rebuilt in 1961 by archaeologist Eduardo Luis Pareyón Moreno.
As mentioned, much of the original stone had already been usurped in colonial times to create the nearby chapel. And as no illustrations of the temple's original appearance exist, Moreno based the design off his extensive knowledge of Aztec architecture.
Additional Info
How to Get to Tenayuca and Sant Cecilia Acatitlan
Visiting Tenayuca from central Mexico City is pretty straightforward – at least in theory. Conveniently, Tenayuca is the final, northernmost stop on Line 3 of the Metrobús.
For those unaware, the Metrobús is a special bus system where the buses have their own designated lanes on major roads, allowing them to bypass regular traffic. And like the subway, the Metrobús system consists of several different lines.
I happened to be staying right outside a Line 1 station. And not wanting to transfer, I decided to walk twenty minutes or so to the nearest Line 3 station. That way I could zone out for the duration of the ride and read a book until the final stop.
But at some point, and for some unknown reason, the bus switched mid-route from Line 3 to Line 1! I then found myself having to ride several stations back before hopping on a new Line 3 bus.
I still have no idea what happened, as there didn't seem to be any announcement about the switch. Then a few days later, a similar switch happened to me again on a different line! Needless to say, I'm not a big fan of the Metrobús.
Anyway, assuming you've made it to Tenayuca, I recommend taking an Uber to Santa Cecilia Acatitlan. While there isn't much to see, you may want to walk to the 'Tenayuca II' ruins first.
When finished with Santa Cecilia Acatitlan, it's easiest to take another Uber back to the Tenayuca Metrobús station, and then riding from there to the center.
While you could take an Uber all the way back if you wanted, it wouldn't be cheap considering how massive Mexico City is.
Tenayuca Tour?
For those who prefer the convenience of a tour and the expertise of a local guide, it unfortunately seems like no joint tour to both Tenayuca and Santa Cecilia Acatitlan exists.
If you're hoping to explore further, however, consider this tour that starts with visiting Tenayuca before taking you to the ruins of Tula and the Magic Town of Tepotzotlán. They're all great destinations and getting to see all three in a single day would be a major time saver.
Where to Stay in Mexico City
Mexico City is an incredibly massive city of nearly 10 million people. And its various tourist attractions are scattered throughout, making choosing where to stay a challenge. But here are a few suggestions to help you decide:
Centro Histórico
As the name suggests, this is the historical part of the city built by the Spanish. But they constructed it over the former Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan, even filling in the lake around it. As such, it's the district where you're going to find most the significant landmarks from both the colonial and pre-Hispanic era.
Just keep in mind that at the time of writing, Line 1 of the subway which runs through this area is down for maintenance.
A highly-rated high-end hotel here is Círculo Mexicano, while popular mid-range options include Hotel Metropol and Hotel Marlowe.
Those on a stricter budget, meanwhile should consider Hotel Sonno Plaza Allende.
Roma/Condesa
The Roma and Condesa neighborhoods, which are adjacent to one another, are widely considered Mexico City's hippest districts. They're also hugely popular with foreigners, so it may be a good place to stay if you're not comfortable speaking Spanish.
On the higher end, Roso Guest House is conveniently located and includes free breakfast.
Stanza Hotel and Hotel Marbella are highly-rated mid-range options, while those on a budget should consider Anys Hostal.
Other popular neighborhoods include Coyoacán, home to the Frida Kahlo Museum, and just an interesting place to wander around in general. But while worth visiting, it's not a very convenient base from which to explore the rest of the city.
If you plan on taking a lot of day trips, another good option is to stay near one of the city's main bus stations. The problem is, however, that the city has no less than FOUR main stations – to the west, north, east and south of the center.
While there's no perfect option, you could get a head start on visiting Teotihuacan by staying somewhere near the northern station (Autobuses del Norte).
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