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Top 10 Interesting Facts about Santa Cecilia Acatitlan

Pirámide Santa Cecilia Acatitlán by Comunitecnico/

Santa Cecilia Acatitlan is an archaeological zone of the early Aztec or Epi-Toltec culture situated in the town of Santa Cecilia.

Spain’s conquest of Mexico partially destroyed the pyramid, smashing segments of the structure and its sculptures to pieces.

Acatitlan is an archeological zone of the early Aztec culture located in the town of Santa Cecilia.

This settlement was associated with Tenayuca, the political and religious center of the time; the two sites are about 3 km apart.

In 1962, the architect and archaeologist Eduardo Pareyon Moreno reconstructed and reinforced the pyramid’s basement and rebuilt the temple that crowns it.

1. The Remarkable Acatitlan is located in the town of Santa Cecilia north west of Mexico

Acatitlan is an archeological zone of the early Aztec culture located in the town of Santa Cecilia, in the municipality of Tlalnepantla de Baz in Mexico State, about 10 km northwest of Mexico City.

In Aztec times, this pyramid stood amid an area of wetland. Its name, Acatitlan reflects this, as it translates from Nahuatl to the place among the reeds.

Today, the pyramid is notable for being perhaps the most complete of Mexico’s Aztec ruins albeit the fact that its completion is due to its modern reconstruction.

The dual pyramid temple of Santa Cecilia Acatitlan has twin temples dedicated to the Tlaloc rain god facing North and Huitzilopochtli war god facing South.

2. There is a fascinating small museum onsite with interesting Prehispanic artifacts

Museo de sitio, Santa Cecilia Acatitlán by Gunnar wolf/

There is a small museum onsite with some interesting Prehispanic artifacts and a nice but modest garden where further artifacts are displayed.

The site is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the entrance fee costs 55 pesos.

Be careful when wandering around the wider Tlalnepantla area, as certain neighborhoods are notorious for their crime and can be dangerous.

The temple to Huitzilopochtli at Acatitlán lay within a large fenced-off area adjacent to a museum exhibiting several pieces excavated at the site.

3. To get to the amazing Acatitlan pyramid by public transport or taxi it’s a short drive

Metro Bus Weston M/

The pyramid is located in the northern suburbs of Mexico City you will need to take several buses to get here from the Centro Historico.

From Mexico City, through the Vallejo Road or the Central Axis to Tenayuca, take Santa Cecilia-San Rafael Avenue to the town of Santa Cecilia.

Through the Jesús Reyes Heroles Road, take Santa Cecilia-San Rafael Avenue. By public transport, it is accessed by Metrobus line 3 which runs from Lindavista to Tenayuca.

You can also use an Uber, although bear in mind the traffic in Mexico City is often terrible, especially during rush hour.

The exquisitely preserved ruins of the ancient city of Acatitlán are just a short drive from Mexico City.

4. The exquisite pyramid is guarded by a giant serpent sculpture it has an impressive interior

The base of the pyramid is guarded by giant serpent sculptures traced with vestiges of the paint with which they were once decorated.

The road, leading through a narrow gateway near the entrance to the pyramid site, makes a sharp left and continues about a mile and a half to Santa Cecilia Acatitlan.

The construction method was probably characteristic of successive structures, one on top of the other, and at least four successive periods have been detected.

Today, the inside of the pyramid is one of the best-preserved interior structures. The exterior structures were removed and many of their stones were used to build the adjacent church,

5. The astonishing pyramidal base has four construction periods 

The Aztec Pyramid at St. Cecilia Acatitlan by Maunus/

It is a pyramidal base with at least four construction periods that can be seen. Little remains of the building correspond to the last stage.

Since it was dismantled in colonial times when the inhabitants of the town used it to build their houses and other buildings.

These temples had stepped bases with two stairs, separated by balustrades, leading to two temples located at the top, each related to a direction, north, and south.

The basement of the temple on the north side was restored, from a time before that of the south, the latter was extensively rebuilt to the extent that a temple was built on it.

6. The remarkable pyramid Santa Cecilia Acatitlan has a steeply pitched 

The pyramid is steeply pitched and surmounted by a restored temple with a heavy wooden lintel and loft.

Tucked in the village is the small, beautifully proportioned pyramid of Acatitlan in the courtyard of the church of Santa Cecilia.

If the weather has been drying you can drive down the dirt road and park in front of the church.

There is a cobbled path along the right of the church and a garden leads to the pyramid.

It makes it one of the few in the entire country that can be seen in this approximately original state.

7. The astonishing Valle de Mexico Toreo Hotel is a luxurious place for tourists to stay

Hotel Valle de Mexico Toreo is located in Mexico City’s Naucalpan Business Park, 20 minutes drive from the Polanco business area.

The rooms at Hotel Valle de Mexico Toreo feature a work desk. Each one has cable TV and a private bathroom.

You can drive to Chapultepec Park in around 10 minutes from the hotel. Mexico City Airport is 45 minute drive away.

8. The interesting La Imperial restaurant is inspired by its architecture 

Inspired by the architecture, menu, and service of 19th-century cantinas, restaurants, and lounges in Mexico, La Imperial is a faithful and living tradition of Mexican restoration.

Gift Cards are Available, Reservations, Seating, Parking Available, Television, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Free WIFI, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Wine and Beer, and Live Music.

9. The amazing Tenayuca pyramid is an archeological Mesoamerican site in Mexico

Tenayuca is an archaeological Mesoamerican site in Mexico that dates back to the Aztec and Chichimec civilizations.

The site of Tenayuca is nestled right in the heart of the modern municipality of Tlalnepantla de Baz in Greater Mexico City and consists of a vast Mesoamerican pyramid structure that dominates the site.

10. The fascinating Acatitlan was reconstructed in 1960 

Santa Cecilia by Comunitecnico/

Though a huge and impressive structure, the site itself is a little misleading, having been significantly reconstructed in the 1960s.

Probably inhabited since the 12th century, the site was later part of the area dominated by the Aztecs before the arrival of the conquistadors.

The name ‘Acatitlan’ translates from Nauhautl as ‘the place among the reeds, and the site is thought to have been dedicated to Tlaloc, the god of water and rain.