Tepoztlán is a village set at the foot of dramatic volcanic cliffs about 25 km northeast of Cuernavaca. Its Nahuatl name and its setting below the rugged Sierra de Tepoztlán give it a character quite different from the colonial capital: the town square is dominated by the massive 16th-century Dominican monastery of La Natividad, and the surrounding streets fill on weekends with visitors drawn by the market, the food, and the atmosphere.
Above the town, the small pre-Columbian pyramid of El Tepozteco clings to a ridge at around 2,000 metres. The hike up takes 45 minutes to an hour through forest and steep rock. The pyramid itself is modest in size but the position — looking out over the entire valley — is spectacular. The site is associated with the pulque god Tepoztécatl, and the local legend of a prince who defeated a devouring monster is still celebrated in the annual festival of El Tepozteco each September.