Archaeological site Xochimilco, Ciudad de México Municipality of Xochimilco Valley of Mexico
Hill with 15th-century petroglyphs in Santa Cruz Acalpixca, Xochimilco: free entry, a half-hour climb and views over the canals.
From Mexico City: 35 min by car (27 km by road) How to get there ↓
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Where to stay near Cuahilama
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Tours to Cuahilama
A guide brings Cuahilama to life: look for tours from Tepoztlán that include the site and the ride there.
Tours from Mexico City
Teotihuacan pyramids morning or afternoon without tourist traps
★ 4.9 (10,269) · From US$59
How to get to Cuahilama
- From Mexico City: about 35 min by road (~27 km)
- Nearest airport: Mexico City (MEX), 1 h 25 min by car to Tepoztlán
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Tours from Mexico City, near Cuahilama
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About Cuahilama
Cuahilama is a hill in Santa Cruz Acalpixca, in the Xochimilco borough, covered with reliefs the Xochimilca carved into the rock shortly before the Spanish arrived. The petroglyphs are dated between 1430 and 1521, when the lordship was already paying tribute to Mexico-Tenochtitlan, and the village takes its name from that period: Acalpixca, "where the canoes are watched". The hill's own name reads in Nahuatl as "old woman's head" or "grandmother's head", after the shape of the rise.
On the slope there are between eight and ten reliefs, depending on how they are counted. The best preserved show Ocelotl (the jaguar, a symbol of war), Cipactli (the crocodile that opens the calendar), Xonecuilli (Quetzalcoatl's staff), Itzcuintli (the xoloitzcuintle dog that guides the dead), a butterfly drinking from a huacalxochitl flower, and Nahui Ollin, the Fifth Sun, in the same design as the centre of the Sun Stone. Another relief recalls Itzcoatl, the Mexica ruler who conquered Xochimilco. One carved stone works as a map, with streams, buildings with stairways and paths. Several reliefs sit behind metal grilles.
INAH lists the place as a site of rock-art manifestations and is working to have it recognised as an archaeological zone. Recent surveys have found more than a dozen structures, residential terraces and a causeway climbing to the summit, where the ceremonial area and an observatory are thought to have stood. There is litter and graffiti along the route and no guide on site; at the top a clearing looks south over the city and, on clear days, to the volcanoes. The way up is a stone stairway from Prolongación 2 de Abril. A few blocks away in the village is the Museo Arqueológico de Xochimilco.
How to get to Cuahilama
Drive from Mexico City: 35 min, 27 km
By public transport: Metro Line 2 to Tasqueña, then the Tren Ligero to the Xochimilco terminal (the full ride takes about 35 minutes). From the terminal to Santa Cruz Acalpixca is about 30 minutes by bus or minibus; there is no confirmed numbered route, so ask at the stop or follow a transit app. A taxi from any Xochimilco boat landing takes under ten minutes. From Tasqueña, Ruta 81 buses (Paradero Sur) also run to central Xochimilco. By car: Periférico Sur to the Glorieta de Vaqueritos, then Prolongación División del Norte and Guadalupe I. Ramírez to the centre of Xochimilco, and on to Santa Cruz Acalpixca; set the GPS to Prolongación 2 de Abril, next to calle Cuahilama (the entrance is a gate at the foot of the hill with a single sign). Allow roughly an hour from Tasqueña by public transport. The hill is about 1,000 metres from the Museo Arqueológico de Xochimilco.
Directions to Cuahilama on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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From the nearest cities to Cuahilama
- Mexico City · 27 km by road, 35 min
- San Martín Texmelucan · 87 km by road, 1 h 15 min
- Cuernavaca · 68 km by road, 1 h 20 min
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Before you go to Cuahilama: hours, prices and tips
- Hours
- The gate at the foot of the hill is never closed, since the path is a local shortcut; there is no ticket booth or guard. Go in daylight. Chilango · checked Oct 2026
- Entry
- Free entry. Chilango · checked Oct 2026
- Time needed
- The climb to the summit takes 20 to 30 minutes at an easy pace; with the reliefs and the clearing at the top, allow one to two hours. Food and Pleasure · checked Oct 2026
- Best time of day
- A clear day, to see Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl from the top. Food and Pleasure · checked Oct 2026
- Guide or tour
- There are no guides on site; for an explanation, ask for a tour at the Museo Arqueológico de Xochimilco. Tours: Viator GetYourGuide Chilango · checked Oct 2026
- What to bring
- Comfortable shoes and a cap: there are stone steps and dirt and rock stretches in the sun. Chilango · checked Oct 2026
Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.
Visiting Cuahilama: what to see and do
The hillside reliefs, in the order of the climb: Ocelotl, Itzcoatl, Cipactli, Xonecuilli, Itzcuintli, the butterfly with huacalxochitl and Nahui Ollin.
The carved map stone with streams, stairways and paths.
The summit: platforms, shrine foundations and a clearing with views of the Xochimilco canals and, when clear, Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl.
The Museo Arqueológico de Xochimilco, a few blocks away in a Porfirian house, with more than 12,000 pieces of which about 2,000 are on show.
The village of Santa Cruz Acalpixca, known for crystallised fruit candy and murals about the chinampas.
Plan your trip
Places to stay in Cuahilama
Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Cuahilama.
Tours & activities
A guide brings Cuahilama to life: look for tours from Tepoztlán that include the site and the ride there.
Rental cars
Pick up a car at MEX (Mexico City): about 1 h 25 min by road to Tepoztlán, then 29 km more to Cuahilama, on your own schedule.
Flights
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Mexico City (MEX), about 1 h 25 min by road from Tepoztlán, the base for Cuahilama.
Mobile data
Signal can drop away from Tepoztlán: download a map of the way to Cuahilama before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.
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When to go to Cuahilama mild
Cuahilama shares the climate of Tepoztlán, 29 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, March, and December.
See the month-by-month climate of Tepoztlán
Weather in Cuahilama now and the next 7 days
Live forecast from Open-Meteo. Chance of rain is the day's highest.
The closest Pueblo Mágico: Tepoztlán
Tepoztlán is the Pueblo Mágico closest to Cuahilama, with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Also close to
- Tlayacapan · Morelos · 33 km away
- Teotihuacán · Estado de México · 55 km away
- Tepotzotlán · Estado de México · 55 km away
- Xochitepec · Morelos · 56 km away
- Metepec · Estado de México · 56 km away
Closest to Cuahilama
-
San Gregorio Atlapulco · Town · 1 km away
-
Isla de las Muñecas · Island · 4 km away
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Xochimilco · Town · 4 km away
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San Pedro Atocpan · Village · 5 km away
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Museo Dolores Olmedo · Landmark · 6 km away
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San Salvador Cuauhtenco · Town · 6 km away
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Lago de los Reyes Aztecas · Lake · 7 km away
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Volcán Teuhtli · Mountain · 7 km away
Near Cuahilama
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Parque nacional Fuentes Brotantes de Tlalpan · Nature reserve · Ciudad de México
25 min drive · 16 km
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Lists with Cuahilama
Ruins in Ciudad de México · 6 Ruins near Mexico City · 17 Ruins near Tepoztlán · 19 Ruins near Tlayacapan · 17 Ruins near Cuernavaca · 17 Ruins near Cuautla · 12 Ruins near Tepotzotlán · 14 Ruins near Teotihuacán · 17Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.