Site Museum Xochicalco — Attraction in Morelos

You have no idea what awaits you here. Yes, getting to Xochicalco isn’t exactly easy, but trust me—it’s absolutely worth it!

The museum is quite large and packed with fascinating artifacts. The locals here clearly loved shells and starfish—so many were found! Some of the starfish sculptures even look like car wheel covers. 😆

Alongside the usual small figurines and ceramics typical of central Mexico, there are some unique pieces I’ve never seen anywhere else—like a crescent moon with its horns facing up, a ceremonial crown, and what appears to be sculpted ceremonial attire. There’s also a model of Ehecatl’s temple pyramid.

Entrance to both the museum and the pyramids is 100 pesos, and you can pay by card. A win!

By the way, the museum is about a kilometer away from the main archaeological site, and the path is uphill—if you can, drive up instead of walking.

Now, about Xochicalco itself—where do I even begin? Is it the breathtaking view from the mountain, stretching across the valley from edge to edge? The mirror-like lake? The distant towns? The rugged peaks? Truly stunning. Eagles soar overhead, adding to the dramatic scenery.

Climbing the monuments is no longer allowed, though some structures, like the Temple of Quetzalcoatl, are partially accessible. This temple has unique panels with incredibly high relief carvings that are beautifully preserved—you can see every detail.

We kept wandering through the ruins, and they just never seemed to end. Temples, pyramids, overgrown paths, piles of stones with trees growing on them, a ball court with two preserved stands, and in the center, two rings still in place for the game. I could go on and on, but just trust me—this place is worth it.

Xochicalco is way more impressive than Templo Mayor, and I’d rank it right after Teotihuacan—maybe even on par with it. The site is peaceful, with no noise, no pushy vendors, and barely any other visitors.

Highly recommended! Just a heads-up—if you plan to visit Cuernavaca and Xochicalco in one day, be prepared for a fast-paced trip and an early start. While they look close on the map, driving through the mountains isn’t quick, especially on the way back to Mexico City. Splitting the trip into two days would be ideal.

But let’s be honest—the real highlight isn’t the museum (as great as it is) but the archaeological...

Great excavation site, unique Quetzalcoatl temple with stone carvings, great views from the mountain, very well worth seeing...

But: Dodgy rules enforced by stolid site staff. On the one hand, one has to pay 45 pesos extra to be allowed to take video. I pay and stick my phone on my Osmo stabilizer. Staff at the entrance says I cannot take the “stick” in, shows me a board which says no selfie sticks, no tripods, no drones. I tell him it is neither a selfie stick, nor a tripod nor a drone, explain what it is for and that the rules as stated do not apply to this device. He still says no and calls his supervisor, for whom I wait. Supervisor reiterates the rules and explains they are there to prevent visitors from making professional video. I argue that one can hardly make pro video with a 120€ stabilizer and an iPhone 6. An being told I can go argue with their local judge. Tell him it’s not worth my time, my stabilizer has to be shelved against a return chit.

Go there, enjoy the site and the view, stay clear of the...

Visited or rather unsuccessfully attempted to visit on November 16. The archeological zone as well as the museum are closed with no indication of when they may reopen. The website is not updated since January, nor anyone answers the listed phone number when I tried contacting 2 days before travelling. The 2 stars are for the bad management and communication, I might give more stars if manage to visit when open in the future. I did indeed see reviews from a month ago that mentioned the closure but having visited other sites which too were closed but have reopened recently and further mislead by 2 reviewers in the last 2 weeks who gave excellent ratings without bothering to mention how long ago they had visited, I had decided to make the detour from a trip to Cuernavaca. The lesson for others would be not to trust any reviews that do not specifically mention regarding the site being reopened and not waste their time making the trip, only to be...