Cantona

Cantona is a seriously extensive and intense ancient archaeological site in Tepeyahualco, Puebla. Almost on the Veracruz border, the ancient metropolis sits on a malpaís -a rough lava field - where people transform the same hard rock into a city. Housing is surrounded by stone walls, and in just the southern part of the site, archaeologists have identified more than 2,700 dwellings. At its peak, the city is thought to have been home to more than 90,000 people. There are at least 27 ball courts marking a city of incredible social and cultural complexity.

The city reached its maximum splendor between 350 BCE and 550 CE. After 600 CE, the population continued to grow until the year 900 when it was likely the largest and most influential city of the Central Highlands. The people left behind obsidian artifacts made from stone found in the Oyameles-Zaragoza deposits just nine kilometers away. The government here organized and controlled production of implements in more than 350 workshops, and maintained exchange networks with other regions across central Mesoamerica.

No historical source makes mention of Cantona but the greatness of the City endures. Visitors tour the southern zone, with temples, plazas, open streets, houses and six ball courts. The Plaza Oriente or Pirámide del Mirador offers privileged views of the south of the city. From Ball Court 5, visitors can take in the entire western end of the Acropolis.

Tepeyahualco is about three and a half hours dead east of Mexico City. The Cantona archaeological site is about ten minutes north of the town center and lots of taxis and combis will know where you want to go. The region is home to a number of good former haciendas which supplement the smaller hotels and inns in the area extending down to Alchichica. There is no shortage of great colonial architectural sites here, too. 

ATAH (Autotransportes Tlaxcala, Apizaco, Huamantla) runs regular buses from Mexico City TAPO and from the center of Tlaxcala. Most buses will let you off in Alchichica with its famous and legendary lagoon. Together with Tepeyahualco, the region constitutes something of a micro-vacation area. With the peak of the Cerro de Pizarro nearly always visible to the northeast, the area is home to a cool and sometimes surreal vibe, with combi vans regularly shuttling residents and curious travelers between the many sites, Cantona being but one of the most spellbinding.