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Amazing caves full of unusual rock formations, stagmites, stalactites, and narrow passages, but the caves are almost eclipsed in beauty by the river area with its unworldly cyan blue water and its warm (but not hot) soothing temperatures, and a popular hot-spring fed swimming pool perched on a terrace embedded on the mountain side. There is camping and on-site restaurant and a picnic area with grills if you bring your own picnic lunch.
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Originally known for cave tours, it's expanded into an adventure park for extreme sports enthusiasts. There are different activities you can choose from or you can do a combined package. Activities include zip lines, various caving experiences (including one where you descend on ropes, and one that includes a subterranean zip line in near total darkness), and an activity they call "xoxobike" which is a totally unique adrenaline rush: it involves steel cables strung 50 meters over a deep canyon and you ride a bike across the cable -- it's scary but safe because the tires are replaced with channeled wheels that grip the bottom cable and you and the bike are secured to a pulley on the top cable. Not for the faint of heart. An on-site campground is available.
Big aquatic park with a wave pool, lazy river, giant water slides, and several swimming pools. Picnic area, soccer field, on-site restaurant, campground with modern facilities and a grocery store. Some pools may be closed on weekdays.
Olympic-size swimming pool, children's pool and wading pool. Hotel, campground and restaurant on-site.
The town square with benches, sidewalks, fountains, and towering shade trees. The Town Hall (Palacio Municipal) faces one side of the park with two sides consisting of charming colonial era buildings with graceful arched porticos under which you'll find shady sidewalk cafes, ice cream shops, and shops selling souvenirs and local hand crafts. The plaza features a famous Diana sculpture. This is the original Diana sculpture from Paseo de la Reforma in Mexico City, but it caused a political scandal when it was first unveiled in the capital. Sadly, President Avila's wife, Soledad Orozco de Ávila Camacho, was an uncultured philistine who declared it "indecent" and forced the artist to re-cast the statue with a loincloth for modesty. The more classically inspired statue of the huntress now graces Ixmiquilpan.
Chapel of Our Lady of Carmen
Elaborate churrigueresque style church built in the 18th century. Stunning interior with gilded altars and many paintings of biblical scenes.
Church of St Michael the Archangel
Augustinian church and monastery built in the 16th century and designed by Fray Andrés de Mata de Barrios. It's a spectacular church that embodies everything tourists love about Mexican churches of the viceregal era. This one stands out because of a series of murals that were originally painted by indigenous artists but were covered up for a couple hundred years until being re-discovered during a mid 20th century renovation. The murals mix Christian symbology with Mexica symbols, jaguar warriors, and fanciful creatures reminscent of the alebrijes that are part of Mexican popular art culture. Historians say that these murals were created by Otomi artists and chronicle Otomi battles against nomadic Chichimecas, who were hostile to the Spanish missionaries. The friars evidently didn't take to having their missions attacked and encouraged the Otomi to take care of the problem "their way", and so the friars rewarded the Otomi by letting them immortalize the story in murals on the church walls.