Peñón de los baños

Clutching a worn, leather-bound journal, Baron Alexander von Humboldt gazed at the Peñón de los Baños. “Remarkable,” he murmured, “a rocky outcrop amidst a flat landscape.” It was the early 19th century, and the Peñón de los Baños, a rocky hill northeast of what is now Venustiano Carranza in Mexico City, already held centuries of stories. Long before the Spanish conquest, it was an island in Lake Texcoco. The Consulado River flowed past it, winding its way north towards Guadalupe and then Chapultepec. The Peñón de los Baños, then called “Tepetzinco” meaning “small hill”, was a place of recreation for the ruling classes. Even Moctezuma, it was said, enjoyed the thermal springs. Humboldt, ever the scientist, carefully analyzed the mineral composition of the waters, noting their purported healing properties. He wasn’t the first to recognize their value. Centuries before, the Peñón de los Baños was considered sacred. As the lake receded, the Peñón became linked to the mainland. This transformation began roughly 40 years after the fall of Tenochtitlan. The city that rose in the lake’s place would eventually engulf the Peñón. A road, now Avenida del Peñón, connected the hill to Tlatelolco, reflecting the historical ties between the two. By the 18th century, a chapel stood near the springs. Inside, a retablo dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe and a cornstalk paste figure known as the “Cristo del Peñón” watched over the bathers. Emperor Maximilian and Carlota, along with Porfirio Díaz and his father-in-law, Manuel Romero Rubio, all sought the waters’ restorative powers. Romero Rubio even remodeled the facilities, adding luxurious amenities like horse stables, a restaurant, and event halls. Sadly, these additions are now gone. The Peñón de los Baños is more than just a spa. It’s a place where echoes of prehistory linger. The remains of the “Woman of Peñón”, discovered nearby, date back an astounding 12,500 years. The Peñón witnessed the birth of a musical movement in the mid-20th century. “Sonideros,” DJs who played a mix of music at social events, emerged from this neighborhood. Pablo Perea’s “Sonido Arcoíris” was one of the first, bringing South American and Colombian rhythms to Mexico. The Peñón even earned the nickname “Colombia Chiquita” thanks to this vibrant music scene. The thermal baths still operate today, tucked away on the ground floor of apartment buildings at Puerto Aéreo No. 46, nestled between Avenida del Peñón and Oriente 37. The waters, certified by UNAM, offer a link to the past and a chance to experience the Peñón de los Baños as Moctezuma and so many others have.