Do you like a good mystery? This one involves ancient pyramids, an abandoned city, and a feathered serpent deity. If I have caught your attention, then you must consider booking a trip to Mexico City to see the ancient Teotihuacan site, a pre-Columbian city that is now a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site, just 25 miles from Mexico City. 

No one really knows who built the Teotihuacan city, dating back to 600 BC and containing major pyramids, temples, sculpture, and the remains of residential buildings that at one point housed over one hundred thousand people in a thriving, thoughtfully designed city. The three largest and most famous pyramids located at Teotihuacan are the Pyramid of the Sun, Pyramid of the Moon, and the Temple of Quetzalcoatl (the Feathered Serpent).

Although there’s no way to know exactly what happened to Teotihuacan, it’s possible that the civilization was wiped out by an agricultural disaster or a social uprising and subsequent burning of the entire town around 750 AD.

HOW TO GET TO TEOTIHUACAN

There are frequent, inexpensive busses that will take you from Mexico City to the entrance to Teotihuacan, but if you’re traveling with one or two others, it will be fairly easy and economical to use an Uber car service, at the cost of approximately $30 each way. We asked our Uber driver to take us to the site entrance closest to the Pyramid of the Sun, and we enjoyed starting our day at Teotihuacan around 9AM just as it was opening to the public. 

TIPS FOR A BETTER VISIT

Be sure you bring plenty of sunscreen, water, and maybe even a hat to protect you from the sun. The entire site requires a lot of walking and climbing out in the direct sun with very few places to find shade. Arriving first thing in the morning helps you not just to escape the crowd but allows you to begin your visit during a cooler part of the day. We were able to climb up the Pyramid of the Sun, the largest pyramid, before the hottest temperatures hit, and we were so glad as it would have been miserable in both high heat and heavy crowds. 

Approach Teotihuacan with patience. We are, thankfully, fit and able to climb stairs quickly, however, we saw several older or less able visitors struggling with their climbs. This will require some patience and understanding as you wait for others holding onto the ropes before you. I suggest you simply look around and appreciate a slower pace. There are beautiful, distant mountain ranges to appreciate, as well as stellar views of the entire Teotihuacan site below.

WHERE TO EAT LUNCH

There are several lunch spots you could choose from, all located on the perimeter of Teotihuacan and just a few minutes walk from the main parking lots. Most appear to provide basic Mexican fare and 99% of them are grandma’s kitchen casual. We were unsure if La Gruta, undoubtedly the most famous of the lunch spots, would match the hype. But after climbing down into the massive cave and sitting amongst the flickering candlelight lining the cave walls, we knew we had made the right choice. While the food is not as good as the remarkable places we ate at in Mexico City, it was a solid meal in an utterly unique setting.

La Gruta: Circuito Arqueologico, Avenida del Puente S/N, 55820 San Francisco Mazapa, Méx., Mexico