Also known as cerro encorvado (humpback hill) or place of the Culhuas, Culhuacán is one of Mexico City’s 21 magic neighborhoods, located on the border between the Iztapalapa and Coyoacán borough.
During Pre-Hispanic times, the town of Culhuacán was the first human settlement in the Anáhuac Valley. Acamapichtli, Mexico’s first emperor was born here. Three Fuego Nuevo rituals were celebrated here. These ceremonies were held every 52 years and called for human sacrifices in which the sacrificial victims’ chests were set on fire to symbolize a new beginning.
The most relevant feature here is the Exconvento de San Juan Evangelista, one of the better conserved former monasteries in Mexico City. The walls are original 16th-century paintings with anachronistic depictions of saints. The influence of Islamic art is evident in doorway decorations. You can also visit the living quarters and confessionals from the original monastery.
The grounds shelter a space worthy of photographing: the reservoir where herons swim surrounded by greenery, lulling you to relaxation. In the past, this pond and pier connected the towns of Xochimilco and Chalco, which together with Culhuacán were dedicated to the chinampera agriculture. It has an outdoor forum functioning as a venue for dance performances, exhibitions, conferences, the Feria Latinoamericana del Tamal and the Medieval Festival of México.