Fodor's Expert Review Teotihuacán

Just 50 km (31 miles) from the center of Mexico City, Teotihuacán is one of the most significant and haunting archaeological sites in the world. Imagine yourself walking down a pathway called Calzada de los Muertos (Avenue of the Dead). Surrounding you are some of Earth's most mysterious ancient structures, among them the Palace of the Jaguars, the Pyramid of the Moon, and the Temple of the Plumed Serpent. From the top of the awe-inspiring Pyramid of the Sun—at about 210 feet, the third-tallest pyramid in the world—you begin to appreciate your 248-stair climb as you survey a city that long ago was the seat of a powerful empire. This is Teotihuacán, meaning "place where men become gods." You can easily spend several hours here seeing all of the key sites.

At its zenith, around AD 600, Teotihuacán (teh-oh-tee-wa-can) was one of the world's largest cities and the center of an empire that inhabited much of central Mexico. Archaeologists believe that Teotihuacán was once home to some 100,000 people. The questions of just who built this city, at whose hands it fell, and even its original name, remain a mystery, eluding archaeologists and fueling imaginations the world over.

Excavations here first began as part of the dictator Porfirio Díaz's efforts to prepare for the centennial celebration of Mexican independence. Between 1905 and 1910, he sent his official archaeologist, Leopoldo Batres, to work principally on the Pyramid of the Sun. Later studies of these excavations have shown that several elements of this pyramid were destroyed in the excavation and others were falsely presented as being part of the original pyramid.

In 2010, archaeologists took part in another commemorative excavation, this time to celebrate 100 years of archaeological work at Teotihuacán. They discovered a tunnel, about 40 feet down, that passes below the Templo de Quetzalcóatl and is thought to have been intentionally closed off between AD 200 and AD 250. The tunnel leads to chambers into which thousands of objects were thrown, perhaps as a kind of offering. Archaeologists hypothesized that, after a couple of months of digging, they might find the remains of some of the city's earliest rulers. Although rulers were often deified at other sites, no tombs, or even depictions of rulers, have ever been found at Teotihuacán.

The Ciudadela is a massive citadel ringed by more than a dozen temples, with the Templo de Quetzalcóatl (Temple of the Plumed Serpent) as the centerpiece. Here you'll find incredibly detailed carvings of the benevolent deity Quetzalcóatl, a serpent with its head ringed by feathers, jutting out of the facade.

One of the most impressive sights in Teotihuacán is the 4-km-long (2½-mile-long) Calzada de los Muertos (Avenue of the Dead), which once held great ceremonial importance. The Aztecs gave it this name because they mistook the temples lining either side for tombs. It leads all the way to the 126-foot-high Pirámide de la Luna (Pyramid of the Moon), which dominates the northern end of the city. Atop this structure, you can scan the entire ancient city. Some of the most exciting recent discoveries, including a royal tomb, have been unearthed here. In late 2002 a discovery of jade objects gave important evidence of a link between the Teotihuacán rulers and the Maya.

On the west side of the spacious plaza facing the Pyramid of the Moon is the Palacio del Quetzalpápalotl (Palace of the Plumed Butterfly); its expertly reconstructed terrace has columns etched with images of various winged creatures. Nearby is the Palacio de los Jaguares (Palace of the Jaguars), a residence for priests. Spectacular bird and jaguar murals wind through its underground chambers.

The awe-inspiring Pirámide del Sol (Pyramid of the Sun), the first monumental structure constructed here, stands in the center of the city. With a base nearly as broad as that of the pyramid of Cheops in Egypt, it is one of the largest pyramids ever built. Its size takes your breath away, often quite literally, during the climb up 248 steps on its west face. Deep within the pyramid, archaeologists have discovered a natural clover-shape cave that they speculate may have been the basis for the city's religion and perhaps the reason the city was built in the first place.

The best artifacts uncovered at Teotihuacán are on display at the exceptional Museo Nacional de Antropología in Mexico City. Still, the Museo de la Sitio, adjacent to the Pirámide del Sol, contains a number of noteworthy pieces, such as the stone sculpture of the saucer-eyed Tlaloc, some black-and-green obsidian arrowheads, and the skeletons of human sacrifices arranged as they were when first discovered.

More than 4,000 one-story adobe and stone dwellings surround the Calzada de los Muertos; these were occupied by artisans, warriors, and tradesmen. The best example, a short walk east of the Pirámide del Sol, is called Tepantitla. Here you'll see murals depicting a watery realm ruled by the rain god Tláloc. Restored in 2002, its reds, greens, and yellows are nearly as vivid as when they were painted more than 1,500 years ago.

There are five entrances to Teotihuacán, each near one of the major attractions. Around these entrances there are food and craft vendors as well as several restaurants. Among these, the most famous and interesting is La Gruta (www.lagruta.mx), which is near Pirámide del Sol and just a short walk east of Museo de Sitio Teotihuacán. The restaurant, which dates to 1906 and is set within an immense cave with dramatic rock ceilings, serves traditional Mexican food.

There are several ways to approach a visit to Teotihuacán. A number of companies give guided tours that include transportation. As good English-language guidebooks are sold at the site, it's actually quite easy to explore and learn about Teotihuacán on your own—don't feel a guided tour is a necessity. Another good option is either renting a car for the day and making the one-hour drive yourself (there's ample, reasonably priced parking on-site) or taking an Uber here and back (which will cost something in the neighborhood of MX$800 to MX$1,200 each way). There's also frequent bus service to Teotihuacán from Terminal del Norte bus station and from outside the Portrero (line 3) metro station; the trip takes about an hour and one-way fare is around MX$55.