San Bernabé Apóstol, Ocotepec

The San Bernabé Apóstol church stands at the highest point in the ancient town of San Bernabé Ocotepec. The still-walled atrium can be entered through a prominent arch at the top of the Calle Fresno, part of the commercial center of the town. As rare as the historic atrial wall is, inside are even more ancient remains including the ball-game rings and a ceremonial stone vessel. For these artefacts alone, the town is rather wildly under-rated as an attraction for international visitors.

The atrium is also home to a small outdoor chapel. There’s a baptistry attached to the right outside wall of the church. On the other side are a couple of stone buttresses and quarry-stone downspouts. The plinth supporting the cross in the atrium reads “This church was built in the years 1530 to 1535 by the Dominican fathers and Chichimeca people.”

Together, the San Bernabé Apóstol church and the surrounding atrium act very much as a civic center to the rugged town. But it’s far from the only church. The surrounding streets and territories, the “new” town neighborhoods, are home to many more. And walks through some of the neighboring streets reveal a mountain village, and some of Mexico City’s most welcoming territory. The town is situated between the twin parks of Mazatepetl with its ancient pyramids and the Ecotourism Park that marks the beginning of the broad entrance into the Los Dinamos area to the west and south.