Malinalco

Prehispanic mysticism and colonial richness in the peacefulness of the Mexican countryside

A Valley Surrounded by Mountains

Only an hour and a half from Mexico City, on an area of semitropical climate and fertile land, is Malinalco. It is a picturesque town located southeast from the State of Mexico in a valley surrounded by mountains of great beauty.

Alleys, ravines, rivers and springs, frame this village which preserves an atmosphere and feeling of a Mexican province, with history, culture and tradition.

This ancestral Magical Town of cobbled streets and multicolored houses made of adobe and dreams, which arises from among a capricious landscapes greenery, has a special charm which wraps you on a suitable calm for rest and reflection.

Pre-hispanic precinct

Between the prehispanic mysticism that is still perceived and the inherited colonial wealth, Malinalco reveals constant surprises to those who visit it.

The archaeological site of Malinalco was built when the Aztecs conquered the place. Its monolithic pyramid (carved in a single stone) is one of the four temples in the world with this quality.

There is a belief that rituals for the Jaguar and Eagle Aztec military hierarchies were performed on Malinalco´s archeological site.

Duality / complementary energies

Malinalco´s name has its origin in the Nahuatl words Malina, Malinalli and Malinticac which mean something or object that twists in itself shaping a spiral or elliptical form, which for ancient Mexicans represented duality and transmutation between the three levels of existence of the universe: the earthly, the underworld and the thirteen cosmic spheres.

The ending “co” which means “in”, gives the name Malinalco an interpretation as “the place where the two are intertwined” (duality), a fundamental idea within the pre-Hispanic concept of complementary energies that are manifested in: day and night, hot and cold, man and woman, life and death.

Another interpretation of Malinalco is “in the place where life is worshiped through death” or vice versa. On the other hand, it is possible that it was named after Malinalxochitl, sister of Huitzilopochtli, which would then mean “in the place of Malinalxochitl”.

To travel through Mexico's Past

After the conquest, the Augustinians settled in Malinalco, building a monastery and the church of the Divine Savior.

The streets of Malinalco are dotted with flowers that spring from the walls of its colonial houses, its main church and its sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries chapels pointing out the eight different neighborhoods that trace the town, each one with its parish and its ceremonies, transport us on a trip through Mexico’s past.

Diversity of Activities

In Malinalco you can enjoy ecotourism, adventure sports and cultural tours with MaliKualli and Maliemociones; or spend an afternoon of relaxation with Ollinyotl´s holistic and recreational center activities.

We also recommend you to contact turimexico.com, where you can find more attractions and information about Malinalco, a Magic Town, which surrounds visitors with its beauty, mysticism and the opportunity for a great diversity of activities.

  • Ecotourism
  • Adventure Sports
  • Cultural Tours
  • Crafts
  • Gastronomy
  • Holistic Activities