Holiday in Ecatepec

About Ecatepec

Ecatepec de Morelos is the most populous municipality in Mexico, with over 1.6 million inhabitants, located in the northern metropolitan area of Mexico City in the State of Mexico. The name comes from Nahuatl and means "on the wind hill" (Ehecatepetl), named after Ehecatl, the Aztec god of the wind. The Albarrada de Ecatepec (Ecatepec Dam) is a monumental water construction from the colonial period, built between 1604 and 1788 to protect Mexico City from the recurring floods of Lake Texcoco. The dam is nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage site and is one of the most significant hydraulic structures in the colonial history of Latin America. The Casa de Morelos is the historic house where Jose Maria Morelos y Pavon — one of the most important heroes of Mexican independence — was held captive in 1815 before his execution. The building is now a museum and commemorates the legacy of the liberation struggle. The archaeological zone of Ecatepec is located on a small hill and shows remains of an Aztec temple complex dedicated to the wind god Ehecatl. In the Hürto de los Frailes, the former monastery garden, there is one of the oldest parishes in Mexico, the Parroquia de San Cristobal from the 16th century. Ecatepec is a center of vibrant Mexican folk culture: street markets (Tianguis), Lucha Libre events, and traditional festivals shape the daily life of this pulsating, authentically Mexican community.