Pueblos Magicos Fall Tour 2025

Diary 1

I visited Malinalco in 1990 with my ex-wife and daughter and in 2001 with Kathy. I am not one

to have a good memory of visuals or able to recall descriptions well. I am more of an information

type of guy. So my main recollections of Malinalco (a couple hours west of Mexico City in the

state of the same name) is that it was a very pretty and artistic haven. So when I arrived here a

few evenings ago, I soon woke up to a town as stunningly lovely as any in the country, and that

is saying something. Part of it was looking through through older and more experienced eyes.

But my main pastime is wandering aimlessly about most of the day, something I was not

previously able to do when encumbered with family. This time around I had plenty of hours to

relish it at my own pace.

When I wrote my Pueblo Mágico book, I was of two minds whether to include and how to

place this town. First, I had not visited in nearly 25 years, and was hesitant to present outdated

views of any of my selected destinations. Also, I tended to avoid writing about the Magic Towns

that are already well-known, and thus not in great need of publicity. I now realize that this is a bit

foolish. What I might consider to be well-known in Mexico is usually anything but. Anyway, I did

include it in the book, and after this retrospective visit would be happy to move it into my top ten

without hesitation. In three days here, I saw perhaps only one or two foreign looking faces,

surprising due to its beauty and attractions, along with being inside spitting distance of the

Mexican capital. So I imagine it is not really part of any standard circuits. In fact the whole town

was totally peaceful and lightly trafficked. I was told by a restaurant hostess that the place jumps

on the weekend, and did notice more activity yesterday evening (Friday).

After four months of summer in the United States, it was amazing how great it felt to be back

in Mexico. The US is a fraught place at the moment, with two armed camps at each others

throats. People are anxious and fearful. Life is far too fast-paced and busy, and everyone is

alarmed by skyrocketing prices. Mexico has similar problems, crime and violence, inflation,

income inequality. But there is no visible strife. People walk around smiling and greeting each

other. There is color everywhere. Things move slowly. Prices are up, but they are completely

inconsequential compared to those in the US - though perhaps not to the Mexicans, I would

guess. Still you rarely hear anyone complaining. It is not a big thing in this culture. And

Presidenta Claudia Sheinbaum has a 79% approval rating after year in office, one of the highest

in the world. Whatever its success level, her government is clearly devoted to making citizen’s

life better.

In the morning I took breakfast at an open stall by the pretty main plaza, observing the Señora

cooking an omelette with mushrooms, cactus vegetable, and cheese served with beans and

tortillas. That and a cup of coffee ran to about $5. I immediately fell into a state of peace and

contentment. The surrounding views were magnificent (see photos)

After reading and people watching on a park bench while I digested my meal, I took a slightly

arduous uphill hike to Malinaco’s main attraction, it’s Archeological Zone, where one visits a

Mexica (Aztec) warrior temple complex carved out of natural rock, one of the largest of its kind

in the world. The view of town center below was as pretty as the views from there looking

upward.

The town cathedral and ex-convent is one of the prettiest around, the grounds green and

immaculate. Strolling around town is a joy. There are murals and street art all around. This town,

set in a gorgeous, verdant valley, draws artists to take up residency. It is also a paradise for

hikers.

The other attraction that I enjoyed immensely was the Museo Vivo, the Life Museum. It was a

bit pricey by Mexican standards, but well worth it after a refreshing thirty minute stroll to the

outskirts. I was guided around by a university student who I was soon to learn had an impish

sense of humor. She showed me rare regional flora, a living butterfly house, the serpent house,

and finally the insect house. All the snakes, mainly boa constrictors, were like family pets with

their own nicknames. She handed me one which draped itself lightly around me as she took a

picture.

In the insect area I got to hold a tarantula in my hand, also a praying mantis, and some large

and scary looking, but harmless beetles. Fortunately I did not have to handle the black widow. I

learned that female mantises after copulating and feasting on their lover’s decapitated head,

never need to mate again. Instead they hold the inseminated eggs in a sac for the rest of their

lives.

Now for the humor. She scraped some parasitic larvae off of a cactus plant and crushed them

into a vial. Every type of liquid she added turned the mixture a different color. When it was

purple she painted some of it on my hand, then said it was insect popo (poop) and dared me to

lick it off. Then she laughed and said it wasn’t really. Next were the larva bins with thousands of

them feasting off of a nutritive mixture. The museum’s small restaurant serves up a menu of

various six-legged treats and beverages, so the supply is needed. She put a couple of the tiny

wormlike creatures in my hand, and one, two, three told me I had to chow them down as she

giggled. What else could I do? Do not miss the Museo Vivo.

I had a fabulous dinner at a fancy place, the Restaurante Casa Colibri (hummingbird). I sat on

a lovely third floor terraza with delightful views. My meal was exquisite a delicious whole trout

filet served with rice and a large salad of local greens, asparagus, beets, and almonds in a

house dressing. I treated myself to a Negra Modelo, knowing that its effects were likely to wake

me up more than once during the night. This whole thing ran to $14 plus tip. Needless to say, I

returned in the morning for an excellent, upscale, but very reasonably-priced breakfast. The

view is probably worth the price of admission.

Mexican towns are always friendly, but Malinalco is overwhelming so. I had a number of

pleasant conversations, and everyone answered my questions with alacrity. The elderly hosts at

my AirBnB - I mean my age - fell all over themselves doting on me and providing me with helpful

information.

I wrote in my book that bus transportation is the way to go in Mexico. Despite the snarled

traffic and glut of automobiles, the majority of the population cannot dream of owning a car.

Public transportation is extensive and very frequent. Foreigners on major routes and visiting the

best-known tourist destinations will have no trouble getting around. But slightly remote Magic

Towns are a different question. I am forced to admit that getting to and back from Malinalco

would be very challenging without any Spanish. Even for someone fluent like me, it can be

tricky.

To get to Malinalco, the internet tells you to take a Flecha Roja bus from the Poniente

(Western) terminal in Mexico City to the nearby town of Chalma. That is pretty simple even

without Spanish. From Chalma you have to locate a combi (collective van) or shared taxi for the

last twenty minute drop down into Malinalco. Of course you can hire your own taxi for more

cash, and any driver will understand enough English to do this. Plus there is almost always

someone standing around who speaks a bit. The bus trip is grueling. Though only fifty miles, the

bad and winding mountain roads, the creeping through villages with frequent stops to leave off

or pick up passengers makes this a bumpy two and a half hour journey. Worst of all are the

incessant topes (speed bumps), the scourge of Mexican travel.

I had done this before. The scenery might be worth the hard crawl. But this time twilight was

approaching rapidly, it was grey, drippy and foggy, and I could hardly see anything the whole

miserable way following a full half day of flying. Then my hostess told me that this was the

wrong way to go. She told me that for my return I should take a combi or shared taxi to the

slightly farther town of Tenancingo where I could transfer to a Mexico City bus. Making that

transfer required some Spanish to the combi driver in order to be set down in the right spot.

Even then there was a bit of confusion that I don’t need to describe in detail. The distance is a

bit longer, but the first part of the country road is straighter and in far better shape than its

predecessor. Best of all, the last half is on a fast toll highway. We were delayed by some

unpredictable road construction work, but that is a different story.

I recommend Malinalco highly for a visit of any duration.