Cerro Gordo is a hill visible from every point in San Martín de las Pirámides. Churches, monoliths in the plaza and obsidian works offer other ways to get to know the town. The wider destination of Municipio San Martín de las Pirámides also offers nature, cycling and festival experiences.
Townscape and plazas
San Martín de las Pirámides lies east of the Teotihuacán archaeological zone and is the region’s second Pueblo Mágico. Two monoliths named Chalchihuitlicue and Huehueteotl stand in the plaza. Plaza Juárez, in the center, has benches and a kiosk. These are practical landmarks for a stay in town, alongside the highly visible hill and the churches.
Churches and obsidian crafts
The Templo de Ecce Homo in San Martín de las Pirámides was built in the late 1970s. Inside is a painting of Jesus Christ depicted as Ecce Homo. Another way to explore local culture is the “Museo de la Obsidiana” library. Established in 2020–2021, it presents the history of local crafts and a variety of works, especially those made of obsidian. A specific religious artwork and the history of crafts thus offer distinct themes to explore.
A walk or a balloon ride
A short walk through the center passes the Parroquia de San Martín Obispo de Tours, the Iglesia Ecce Homo and the Capilla de Santa María Palapa. This provides a route through the center for anyone wishing to explore the town’s churches. Hot-air balloon rides are another activity offered in San Martín de las Pirámides. If you plan to take a ride, check availability and conditions in advance.
More to explore in Municipio San Martín de las Pirámides
In the wider destination of Municipio San Martín de las Pirámides, construction of the Parroquia of San Martín de las Pirámides was completed in 1920 in the Plateresque style adopted from Italy. The Parroquia also has a musical clock that plays a different song every six hours. These details add distinct architectural and musical points of interest to the town’s churches.
The regional landscape also includes Parque Estatal Cerro Gordo. Designated a nature reserve in 1976, it covers 3,027 hectares across the municipios of Axapusco, San Martín de las Pirámides and Temascalapa. A cycling tour along the outer edge of the archaeological zone passes through San Martín de las Pirámides, covers approximately ten kilometers and takes three hours. Other cycling routes in Valle de Teotihuacán run outside the archaeological zone along roads in San Martín de las Pirámides and lead to entrances to caves and obsidian workshops.
Feria and regional specialties
The Feria Nacional de la Tuna is celebrated in August in the wider destination of Municipio San Martín de las Pirámides. Its food exhibition features jams, liqueurs, soft drinks, fruit pastes, sweets and snacks made from prickly pears and xoconostle varieties grown in the municipio. If you want to plan your trip around the festival, check the specific dates in advance. Local vendors also sell handmade ice cream and fruit in the Centro Histórico of Municipio San Martín de las Pirámides. This lets you plan your trip around the town’s churches and plazas as well as the additional offerings in the wider municipio.
See the wider travel guide: Municipio San Martín de las Pirámides.
