Malinalco

Cliffside temple, frescoes, and the many sides of Malinalco

Malinalco can be explored through a wide range of discoveries: a temple carved into the rock, a Plateresque architectural complex with frescoes, activities such as hiking and paragliding, and trout dishes all shape the character of the place. This lets you make culture, outdoor activities, and local cuisine the focus of your stay—depending on what interests you most about Malinalco.

A temple and a historic complex

The archaeological zone of Malinalco is home to the Cuauhcalli, a temple carved into the rock. It is also known as Templo I or Templo Monolítico. The names point to a specific structure whose defining feature is the way the rock was worked. If you are interested in archaeological sites, this offers a distinctive way to get to know Malinalco through its history and architecture.

Another cultural highlight is the Parroquia and Ex-Convento del Divino Salvador, also known as the Convento Agustino de la Transfiguración. Built in 1540, the complex is in the Plateresque style. Its features include murals, or frescoes, created by Indigenous artists known as Tlacuilos. The temple and convent thus offer different cultural impressions: the temple carved into the rock on the one hand, and a complex with its own architectural style and paintings on the other.

The Museo Vivo Los Bichos de Malinalco offers another way to experience the place. It is a nature conservation museum in an old villa in the Pueblo Mágico of Malinalco, offering a variety of visitor experiences. If you do not want to plan your trip solely around historic buildings, you can include this museum as a distinct cultural and nature-focused aspect of your plans.

Activities, townscape, and cuisine

Rappelling, paragliding, hiking, and camping are available in Malinalco.

The historic center retains its colonial style. You can explore its streets and main square with its traditional kiosk; there are also several restaurants and rustic cafés. This offers a more relaxed way to get to know Malinalco through its townscape and dining options. The culinary scene is also reflected in the traditional Las Truchas gastronomic corridor, where visitors can enjoy dishes made with trout freshly sourced from the fish farm.

The municipality also includes the rock art sites of Las Caritas and Los Diablitos, which are particularly easy to access. If you are interested in rock art, you can keep these two places in mind as further cultural inspiration for exploring Malinalco. Unlike the Cuauhcalli temple and the Plateresque convent complex, Las Caritas and Los Diablitos are rock art sites within the municipality; buildings and rock art are thus distinct forms of cultural heritage.

More town pages to explore: Cuautlancingo, Amecameca, San Antonio, Ecatepec De Morelos, Nezahualcóyotl, Polotitlán, Metepec and Buenavista.

For the broader travel overview: México.