Malinalco

Set amidst dramatic scenery in a remote corner of the mountains between Toluca and Cuernavaca, Malinalco is well worth the trip just to see this not oft-visited region, as well as to check out the 16th-century convent in the center of town and the impressive archaeological site on a hill just outside. Because of its natural beauty and bucolic ambience, Malinalco has become a popular spot for Mexico City residents to have a weekend home.

  Malinalco was a strategic spot dominating a mountain pass and was not conquered by the Aztecs until shortly before the arrival of the Spaniards. The Aztec ruins are thought to have been a means of impressing the local population with the empire’s dominance. After the Spanish conquest, a mission of seven Augustinian monks made their way to Malinalco in 1540 to begin evangelization of what was considered an important region. Malinalco also served as a strategic site during the Mexican Revolution, when it was used as a base by Zapata’s troops.