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At an altitude of 7,500 feet (2.250 meters) and located about 30 miles (48 km) north of Mexico City sits one of the world’s most impressive archeological sites: the pyramid city of Teotihuacan.  Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, the site receives over 4 million visitors annually.

Pyramid of the Moon (click pictures to increase size)
 

The pyramids and temples at Teotihuacan date back to 100 BC and predate the other – mostly Mayan – ruins in Mexico, Belize and Guatemala. Even though historians have been exploring Teotihuacan since the early 1900s, 95% of the site has yet to be excavated.  It is believed that in its heyday, about 150,000 people lived in Teotihuacan: that made it the largest city in the ancient world.

The people of Teotihuacan mysteriously left their city in the 7^th century AD and it sat empty until the Aztecs arrived in the 14^th century.  They couldn’t quite figure it all out either so they connected it to their religion and creation myth: the Aztecs named the site “Teotihuacan” or “the place where gods are born”.  They also named the most impressive monuments at the site: the “Pyramid of the Sun”, “Pyramid of the Moon” and the “Avenue of the Dead”.

Walking the "Avenue of the Dead" towards the Pyramid of the Moon
 

The city of Teotihuacan was built on a chessboard grid layout, similar to modern cities in the USA.  Clusters of buildings and pyramids are connected via a 2 mile (3 km) long causeway called the Way of the Dead, oriented 15.5 degrees of North-South.  At the southern end stands the small Pyramid of Quetzalcoatl.  In the middle stands the largest pyramid of the site, the Pyramid of the Sun, with a height of 63 meters and which you are allowed to climb all the way to the top. At the northern end of the Way of the Dead stands the Pyramid of the Moon with a height of 48 meters.  It is believed that the pyramids and temples were once covered in stucco and decorated with colorful murals.  An interesting theory regarding the site suggests that the entire Way of the Dead was originally covered in water, which would have made one amazing, giant reflecting pool.

View of the "Avenue of the Dead" from atop the Pyramid of the Sun
 

What makes Teotihuacan even more amazing is the similarity between its architectural features, which are all based on advanced math and astronomy, and other archeological sites around the world including Angkor Watt in Cambodia, the Incan ruins at Machu Picchu in Peru and the pyramids and temples in Egypt.  Based on what we think we know of those cultures today, they weren’t supposed to have that high level of science and astronomy; let alone share similar myths regarding their origin and religion with civilizations they – supposedly – were unable to contact. If you are interested in reading more about this topic, I recommend the book “Fingerprints of the Gods” by Graham Hancock.

Teotihuacan is very impressive and unique compared to the other archeological sites throughout Latin America.  It’s not just the size that makes it impressive. The climate is very dry here, which has kept Teotihuacan in a very good condition, even though it’s supposed to be much older than most other ruins. Most of the other sites are located in a wet, jungle-like environment and haven’t been as well preserved.  Our main tips for visiting the site: bring a hat, sunscreen and plenty of water.

If you travel by RV, Teotihuacan is also blessed in another way: one of the best campgrounds in Mexico is located 5 minutes away from the ruins in the neighboring town of San Juan Teotihuacan.  It is frequented by international travelers, many in expedition-ready campers driving the Pan-American highway from Alaska to Argentina.  The small town itself is within walking distance of the campground and has a nice central plaza and market.  We had the dubious pleasure of staying in San Juan Teotihuacan during yet another religious holiday. Every couple of hours well into the night, the church bells rang, followed by loud bangs and finally even a live music band …

Note that when traveling in your own vehicle in or near Mexico City; including Teotihuacan; it is important to understand the special traffic regulations in and around the city.  They have what is called a Hoy No Circula zone.  This means "today your car does not circulate".  In other words, unless you have a Mexico City - license plate on your car, you cannot drive your car in the Mexico City area on specific days and times, based on the last number of your license plate.  For example, our foreign license plate ends in a ‘3’ so we couldn’t drive our car on any Wednesday between 5 AM and 10 PM, plus any other weekday between 5 AM and 11 AM, plus any third Saturday of the month.  The goal of the Hoy No Circula zone is to improve Mexico City’s air quality by reducing car emissions.  Not a bad idea, since over 20 million people live in the Mexico City metro area!