Tula de Allende

Tula de Allende is a town in the state of Hidalgo in Central Mexico, usually referred to simply as Tula. It is the location of an archeological site of a city destroyed in the 12th century at some time between 1168 and 1179 AD. Tula was the center of the Toltec culture and became the de facto dominant capital city in Mexico following the demise of Teotihuacan.

The Tula archaeological site is now a major tourist attraction for the state of Hidalgo and is a national park.

The famous columns resembling Atlantean warriors and the pyramid ruins are the most visited part of the ruins.

Understand
The city of Tollan-Xicocotitlan emerged during the decline of the Teotihuacan culture and was established as a powerful center of influence in Mesoamerica until the 12th century. After its flowering stage, the city was partially abandoned and the region was occupied by the Mexica culture until the conquest of Mexico.

The ruins of the ancient Toltec capital lie north of modern Tula de Allende, which was a rural town until the mid-20th century, when the region experienced a significant investment in the development of the cement industry, oil refining and energy production. While the south and east of the city showed a profound change, the west of the municipality remained a predominantly rural area with a more subdued pace of life.

Get in
There are at least 1-2 buses every hour from Mexico City's Northern Bus Terminal (Autobuses del Norte) to Tula's bus station, which is located in Xicoténcatl Street:

Fees and permits
Admission to the archaeological site is M$90. An additional fee will be charged for video or professional photography equipment.

Get around
From the bus station, you can easily walk to the city center (Cinco de Mayo St, Zaragoza St, Quetzalcoatl St). From there, you can walk north on the pleasant pedestrian Quetzalcoatl St until the little pedestrian bridge over the Tula River. From the bridge, it is only a short walk, with good views, to the southern, pedestrian gate of the Tula Archaeological Area. As of the late 2013, that southern gate is usually closed; the main (northeastern) gate is about a mile away, and while you can walk there (along Avenida del Tesoro and Boulevard Tula), the walk is not pleasant.

There are some city buses, including a route that passes near the bus terminal (the bus stop is called "Elektra") and near the archaeological zone's main entrance (the stop is in Boulevard Tula, near the turn off to the archaeological zone).

Eat
There are plenty of inexpensive eateries in Xicoténcatl St, near the bus station. More restaurants can be found in the city center (specifically, Quetzalcoatl St between Zaragoza St and Moctezuma St).

Go next

 * Tequixquiac
 * Calpulalpan