Town 23 km east of Tlayacapan
A small town on the volcano's slopes with the first Augustinian convent in New Spain and its 16th-century lion fountain.
Ocuituco is a small town on the lower slopes of Popocatépetl, among orchards and ravines, with a place in history out of proportion to its size. Construction of its convent of Santiago Apóstol began on June 8, 1534, making it the first convent the Augustinian order built in New Spain. The friars had wanted to start in Mexico City, but the crown refused because the Franciscans and Dominicans were already building there, so they came to Ocuituco, which had been granted in encomienda to Mexico's first bishop, Juan de Zumárraga, and whose people had asked for missionaries.
The convent is one of the fourteen 16th-century monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl declared World Heritage by UNESCO. It has the usual walled atrium and fortress-like church of the period, but its jewel is in the cloister: a stone fountain from the 16th century with six carved lions around it, one of the finest pieces of early colonial sculpture in Morelos. A copy of it stands in Cuernavaca.
The town itself is calm and rural, a good stop if you're following the convent route east from Yecapixtla toward Tetela del Volcán and Zacualpan. Keep an eye on news about Popocatépetl's activity before heading up this way.
What to see and do
See the 16th-century lion fountain in the convent cloister.
Walk the atrium and the fortress-like church of Santiago Apóstol.
Continue along the convent route to Tetela del Volcán and Zacualpan de Amilpas.
Getting there
Ocuituco is about 35 km southeast of Tlayacapan by road; allow about 45–50 minutes by car via the Mexico City–Cuautla highway and Yecapixtla, then up the road toward Tetela del Volcán. Combis run from Cuautla. Convent access depends on church activities, so mornings are usually best.
23 km east of Tlayacapan
Directions from Tlayacapan on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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Weather mild
Ocuituco shares the climate of Tlayacapan, 23 km away. The best months to visit are Jan, Feb, Mar, Dec.
Make Tlayacapan your base
Ocuituco is an easy trip from Tlayacapan, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
More around Tlayacapan
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Zona Arqueológica de Yautepec
· Archaeological site · 12 km away
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Yecapixtla
· Town · 15 km away
Famous across Mexico for its cecina, with a UNESCO-listed Augustinian convent and its Gothic rose window. -
Balneario Agua Hedionda
· Hot springs · 16 km away
A classic sulfur-spring spa on the edge of Cuautla, with big lukewarm pools fed by the spring. -
Tetela del Volcán
· Town · 27 km away
A cool mountain town under Popocatépetl with a Dominican convent full of murals, near the weaving village of Hueyapan. -
Zacualpan de Amilpas
· Town · 29 km away
A sleepy town with a UNESCO-listed Augustinian convent and a Sunday market where people still barter goods without money.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.