Centro Tepoztlán: Part One

Tepoztlán, Morelos, Mexico. Avenida Tepozteco, one of the main streets.

This is a continuation of the series on neighborhoods in Tepoztlán. It covers the central area, Centro, consisting mostly of businesses and public spaces. The area is large and very important–the hub of the city. Here in part one, I’ve followed along the two main streets and one side street, showing the traffic, along with some places that I frequent for shopping and entertainment. Please note that this is the early morning on a weekday, so the streets are relatively empty compared to weekends.

Main Streets

The main streets are Calle Revolución, running east and west, Avenida Tepozteco, which runs north from the western most part of Revolución, and Avenida Cinco de Mayo, going south from Revolución. 

Here is a photo collage of Avenida Tepozteco, with the northern mountain range in the background.

Here are images from the same street looking in the opposite direction, with the southern mountain range seen in the background:

Calle Cinco de Mayo, shown below, is the southern continuation of Av. Tepozteco after it crosses Calle Revolución near the Zocalo.

Here is Calle Revolución, running east and west, downhill from Av. Tepozteco/ Calle Cinco de Mayo. On weekends, and during holidays it is blocked to traffic and has booths of vendors running along either side for two blocks. More on this street in a future blog.

One block down Revolución is a side street off to the right– Calle Isabel la Católica. Here is the sign of a street vendor on the corner who sells healthy pastries and breads:

Across the street is a booth renting four-wheelers, a very popular vehicle in Tepoztlán:

Where I Shop

Here are some of the places where I go shopping on the main streets outlined above.

There are now three banks and four ATM machines. The one not attached to a bank has the best deal. It’s where I draw pesos using my USA bank card, and located conveniently on Av Tepoztéco.

A half block away is the largest store to buy groceries, called “Super Tepoz.” Next door to it, the photo on the right, is a store with fresh fruits and vegetables, run by the same family.

Please go to this article and scroll to the bottom for more photos of Super Tepoz and of its companion veggie store. Here is a video interview of the family member who runs the veggie section:

There are many good coffee shops. Rustique, shown below, is one of my favorites because it is a meeting hub for a mixture of cultures and has great baked goods to boot.

Rustique is on a side street from Calle Revolución, just a short block down from where it intersects Tepozteco, at the Zócalo. It is the second door down, with an herb shop next door: Pacalli. This is where I get very high quality medicinal tinctures and other items. The staff there are very helpful and knowledgeable.

Cultural Centers

Here are photos of the auditorium, across the street from Super Tepoz, where there are many performances of dance, music, and theater, as well as conference presentations:

There’s a small library for children across from the ATM.

There is a more modern and comprehensive cultural center, in Valle de Atongo: Centro Cultural Pedro López Elias. That could be a blog in itself. 

There is much more to show of Centro, including public buildings and spaces, markets, restaurants and clubs, as well as the health clinic and main cathedral with its museum. We’ll continue exploring Centro in upcoming neighborhood blogs.

Here is a closing video of Av Tepoztéco: