Town 29 km southeast of Tlayacapan
A sleepy town with a UNESCO-listed Augustinian convent and a Sunday market where people still barter goods without money.
Zacualpan de Amilpas is a small, slow-paced town in eastern Morelos, close to the Puebla border, that keeps two remarkable things: a 16th-century convent and one of the last barter markets in Mexico.
The convent of the Inmaculada Concepción was begun by Augustinian friars in 1535 and is one of the fourteen monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl declared World Heritage by UNESCO. Its design is attributed to Fray Juan de la Cruz, one of the order's notable builders. Behind the plain fortress-like front, the church and cloister keep altarpieces and mural paintings, and the big atrium is shaded by old trees.
The reason most people come, though, is Sunday morning. From early in the day until around noon, the center fills with the tianguis, and alongside ordinary buying and selling there's trueque: people from Zacualpan and nearby villages in Morelos and Puebla trade what they grow or make at home, such as fruit, vegetables, seeds, bread, pottery or flowers, directly for other goods, without money changing hands. It's a living version of a very old way of doing business. Go early, bring some cash for the regular stalls, and be respectful with photos.
What to see and do
Come early on a Sunday to see the trueque, goods traded without money.
Visit the convent of the Inmaculada Concepción, its cloister and atrium.
Buy fruit, bread or pottery at the tianguis.
Combine it with the convents of Ocuituco and Tetela del Volcán.
Getting there
Zacualpan is about 40 km southeast of Tlayacapan by road; allow about 1 hour by car via Cuautla and then east toward Temoac and Zacualpan. Combis run from Cuautla. For the barter market, aim to arrive by around 8 or 9 a.m. on Sunday, since trading winds down toward noon.
29 km southeast of Tlayacapan
Directions from Tlayacapan on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
Plan your trip
Places to stay in Zacualpan de Amilpas
Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Zacualpan de Amilpas.
Tours & activities
Guided tours, tastings, and day trips in and around Zacualpan de Amilpas.
Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.
Photos
Weather mild
Zacualpan de Amilpas shares the climate of Tlayacapan, 29 km away. The best months to visit are Jan, Feb, Mar, Dec.
Make Tlayacapan your base
Zacualpan de Amilpas is an easy trip from Tlayacapan, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
More around Tlayacapan
-
Oaxtepec
· Town · 5 km away
A UNESCO-listed Dominican convent, the site of an Aztec royal garden and the big Hurricane Harbor water park. -
Totolapan
· Town · 7 km away
A quiet hill town with the Augustinian convent of San Guillermo, another stop on the UNESCO convent route. -
Atlatlahucan
· Town · 9 km away
Home of the Augustinian convent of San Mateo, a UNESCO site with a towering facade and painted vaults. -
Zona Arqueológica de Yautepec
· Archaeological site · 12 km away
The excavated platform of a Tlahuica lord's palace in the middle of Yautepec. -
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. -
Ocuituco
· Town · 23 km away
A small town on the volcano's slopes with the first Augustinian convent in New Spain and its 16th-century lion fountain. -
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.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.