Explore the Map
Castillo de Teayo (Mesoamerican site)
20.7497° N, -97.6333° E
About
Castillo de Teayo is a mesoamerican Prehispanic archeological site and Mesoamerican pyramid, located in the La Huasteca region in northern Veracruz, Mexico. The main access to the site is via Federal Highway 130 México-Tuxpan up to the city of Teayo, it belongs to the Huastec culture and it is estimated it was inhabited between the 10th and 12th centuries. In the modern era the contemporary settlement of Castillo de Teayo developed around the ancient pyramid that the settlement and its municipality of Castillo de Teayo were named after. In the Tuxpan Canvas, this place is represented by the Teayotlán glyph. According to one version, the name etymology comes from the Huastec language word teayo o teayoc, which means “on the stone turtle”. Another official version of the name is that it comes from the Nahuatl word Teayok, Te-ayo-k “Turtle on stone”. The site received its current name because there is a temple or archaeological monument in the municipality, as the only remaining vestige of a large ancient city, a mixture of the Olmec and Huastec cultures. It used to be called Tzapotlán.
Historical Timeline
Journey through time and discover key events in this site's history
Huastec occupation
10th–12th centuries
Toltec-period attribution
15th century
Archaeological Features
Unique architectural and cultural elements found at this historical site
Public and Civic Structures
Burial and Funerary Structures
Religious and Ritual Structures
Artistic and Decorative Features
Domestic and Habitation Structures
Frequently Asked Questions
Plan Your Visit
Tours, travel arrangements, and practical information
More Sites in Mexico
La Mojarra
Epi-Olmec archaeological site in Veracruz, occupied c. 300 BCE–1000 CE
Texcotzingo
Aztec imperial gardens, 15th century
Candelaria Cave
Mortuary cave with 13th-century hunter-gatherer burials, Mexico
Tepetlaoztoc
Aztec settlement with irrigation remnants
Sak tzʼi (Maya site)
Maya city and palace complex, Upper Usumacinta region
La Campana (archaeological site)
Prehispanic ceremonial center near Colima, Mexico


