Planning a Trip

Getting There & Departing

By Car -- From Mexico City, the quickest route is Hwy. 95 (the toll road) to Cuernavaca; just before the Cuernavaca city limits, you'll see the clearly marked turnoff to Tepoztlán on 95D and Hwy. 115. The slower, free federal Hwy. 95D, direct from Mexico City, is also an option and may be preferable if you're departing from the western part of the city. Take 95D south to Km 71, where the exit to Tepoztlán on Hwy. 115 is clearly indicated.

By Bus -- From Mexico City, buses to Tepoztlán run regularly from the Terminal de Sur and the Terminal Poniente. The trip takes an hour.

You can book round-trip transportation to the Mexico City airport through Marquez Sightseeing Tours (marqueztours@hotmail.com; www.tourbymexico.com/marqueztours) and some hotels. The round-trip is about 2,000 pesos.

Cooking Classes in Tepoztlán

An engaging cooking school called Cocinar Mexicano offers weeklong programs in Mexican cuisine. The founder, Magda Bogin, conducts class from her large, sunny outdoor kitchen, tiled in blue-and-white Talavera. Participants study recipes typical of the festival that coincides with their visit. During the Day of the Dead workshop, for example, students learn to make tamales, the traditional dish that families bring to the gravesites of deceased loved ones. For other festivals, the focus is mole, a typical fiesta food often made with chocolate and chiles that's arguably the most complex dish in Mexican cuisine. All the programs include a range of contemporary dishes, and participants spend a day of fine dining in Mexico City, where they meet with the country's top chefs. Prices range from $150 for a 1-day class to $2,895 for a 5-day workshop, which includes round-trip transportation from Mexico City and most meals, but not airfare or accommodations. Frommer's readers receive a $100 discount. For more information, visit www.cocinarmexicano.com.