Story: Xochicalco

Xochicalco is a nahuatl word which means “In the place of the house of flowers”. You won’t see all that many flowers anymore, but what you will see are fantastic ruins. One pyramid in particular, the “Quetzalcoatl pyramid“, has some of the most impressive hieroglyphs still in existence in Mexico—according to my husband who has visited just about every major site in Mexico.
Plan to spend the day because it’s a huge place. When I first went several years ago, there were only ruins. Now, they’ve made multiple new discoveries, added a museum, a gift shop, and a beautiful indoor gallery filled with additional items that have been found during years of excavations.
We went recently on a Sunday. It’s open, but Sunday is “free day” at all government run attractions for locals. School is out right now so it wasn’t terribly busy, but when school is in session, be prepared for bus after bus of school children to arrive. The fee is minimal and is well worth it. There is no charge for photography, but there is a small fee for video recordings.
You start off on a very long path that essentially takes you to the far end of the ruins. It can be extremely hot, so bring lots of sunscreen. You might also encounter cows and burros as you walk the path, just keep out of their way, and they’ll keep out of yours. Also, you aren’t supposed to have food or drink in the park, however, we’ve always brought a water backpack, like a “CamelBak” which is self contained and nobody yet has had a problem with it.
One fun thing to do that usually only the locals know about is getting an echo at the center of the first section you come to. In the center, there is a square with a monolith. Stand on the side that faces the tallest of the pyramids and clap as loud as you can (more people contributing makes it better). What you’ll hear is the sound echoing between the structures and it makes a very interesting sound.
You can climb most of the pyramids, but not necessarily to the top anymore. They are trying desperately to retain the original structures and sometimes it’s necessary to the keep the public out of more fragile sections. Don’t worry though, even the closed off sections won’t stop you from enjoying the spectacular views.
Another cool feature is the “Observatory”. You go into a cave with a guide and walk through the dark tunnels until you come to a place where there is a circular opening with a hexagonal opening to the sky. Dependent on how the sun’s rays pass through this hole, the people who built it were able to determine time of year which they used for agricultural and spiritual purposes. Note that the guide only speaks Spanish, so it’s helpful if you know the language. Otherwise, just watch closely, you’ll be surprised at how much you can pick up from their gestures.
This is one place that I keep going back to. The views, the history, and the new additions have kept it on the top of my list of things to see in central Mexico.