Amecameca, Between Volcanoes

Details: Parent Category: Region I (English); Category: Amecameca de Juarez; Hits: 4037

Amecameca is located in the southeast of the State of Mexico, near the mountain range known as “Sierra Nevada”, inside the boundaries of the volcano axis province and meets with the Moctezuma – Panuco river.

It is a starting suitable point to travel to the Popocateptl and Iztaccihuatl volcanoes.

Cortez Road.- It is a small mountain range named Ahualco which unites both volcanoes in a place called Tlamacaxco (known as Tlamacas or Cortez Road).

Amecameca borders Tlamanalco to the north, Atlautla and Ozumba to the south, San Nicolas de los Ranchos and Tochimilco to the east and Ayapango and Juchitepec to the west.

Most of its roads are paved although in diverse manners such as asfalt, pavement and country roads.

PRINCIPAL CELEBRATIONS
The main celebration of this municipality is in honor to “San Pedro Nextapa” on the 29th of July. Many years ago, when the township was celebrating this saint, the Popocateptl volcano began spewing ash and earth, which it continues to do to a smaller degreee to this day.

We were told by a lady from this town, that everyone´s glass began filling with ash and that everyone and everything was covered in white, which caused fear among the population as it had never happened before.

Municipality Facts:
Cabecera	Amecameca de Juárez
Founded on	1 de enero de 1826
Lamd Mass	Total 182.72 km²
Population (2005)
Total Population	48,363 hab.
Density	83.37 hab/km²
What to call people	amequeño, amecense
Official Web Page:
http://www.amecameca.gob.mx/

ACTIVITIES

One of the main draws of Amecameca, is the fact that it serves as an entrance of shorts to the volcanoes Popocateptl y Iztaccihuatl. Here you’ll be able to practice climbing, find hosting in nearby alpine shelters and enjoy breathtaking scenery. The weather in Amecameca is generally cold and as one nears Paso de Cortes, one will be met with fog in the mornings.

This area also receives snow flurries when the weather drops enough and if it also raining, you can be assured of finding snow in both volcanoes.

Iztaccihuatl is an extinct volcano located mostly in the municipality of Tlalmanalco. It is the third highest mountain in the country.

Popocatepetl is an active volcano which borders with the states of Morelos, Puebla and Mexico. It is the second highest volcano in Mexico.

PLACES TO VISIT

AREAS OF HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL VALUE

Amecameca has a rich cultural and historical heritage, which unfortunately lacks appropiate funding.
Amecameca hosts the following sites which are catalogued by the INAH (National Institute for Arqueology and History. Unfortunately, most of these sites do not receive appropriate funding.

Temples, Chapels and Santuaries

Templo de la Asunción , XVI century.
Ex convento Dominico, XVII century.
Capilla de San Antonio, XVIII century.
Templo metodista del Mesías, XIX century.
Capilla El Rosario, XVIII,XIX century.
Templo Evangélico, Independencia s/n, XIX century.
Capilla de San José, XVIII century.
Capilla de Guadalupita, XIX century.
Capilla de San Diego, XVIII century.
Santuario Sr. del Sacromonte, XVIII century.
Sacristía (Sacromonte), XVIII century.
La Cuevita (Sacromonte), XVIII century.
Ermita Jesús de Nazareno, XVIII century.

OTROS INMUEBLES HISTORICOS:
Ex hacienda de Panoaya, XVI century.
Portales, XX century.
Arco de entrada, XIX century.

Aldea de Los Reyes
Capilla de los Reyes, XIX century.

San Antonio Zoyatzingo
Templo de San Antonio, XVII century.

San Francisco Zentlalpan
Templo de San Francisco, XVI century.

Santa Isabel Chalma
Capilla Santa Isabel, XIX century.

Santiago Cuautenco
Capilla de Santiago

THINGS TO KNOW

Amecameca has a campus of the state university “UAEM”.

TRAVELLING INFRASTRUCTURE

Roads:
Amecameca has 79.3 km of roads. The main regional road is “Federal 115”. On the 60th km you’ll find the municipal capital named Amecameca de Juarez. A must visit spot as it’s part of the touristic-economic highway between the country’s capital and Cuautla.

Urban growth in Valle de Chalco has generated a massive amount of comercial ventures which has generated certain stress on Amecameca’s infrastructure.

Most economic activity takes place in Chalco, Amecameca and Ozumba. Amecameca is well placed geographically in this area.
Amecameca is well connected with the rest of the principal communities with the exception of Santa Isabel de Chalma. One has to cross Santiago Cuauhtenco.

Railway:
The Interocean railway continues to provide cargo service along the Mexico – Cuatla – Atlixco. The same route is offered to passengers on the weekend. The detour headed to San Rafael and ends at La Harinera is acceptable for recreative purposes.

ROADS IN THE CITY
The main roads in the city are Calle 20 de Noviembre, Fray M. de Valencia, and Hidalgo which is the main entrance to the city and connects to federal highway 115.

Aerial Infrastructure
Amecameca does not have its own airport. The closes airport is in the city of Mexico.

HOW TO GET THERE

FROM THE CITY OF MEXICO (D.F.).- Take autopista 150 headed towards Puebla and proceed to follow the signs to Cuautla and Tlalmanalco. Take a left on the road headed to Tlamacas.

FROM THE NORTH OF THE STATE OF MEXICO.- From Tepozotlan take Circuito Exterior Mexiquense. You will find it at the Ford plant at Cuautitlan Izcalli, take it in the Tultitlan-Coacalco direction. Head towards Central de Abasto and follo Vialidad Mexiquense which is a road parallel to the Lopez Portillo road. Continue to Ecatepec until you meet Highway 150 headed to puebla. From there follow the signs pointing you to Cuautla and Tlalmanalco.

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