Popocatépetl was a brave young Aztec warrior, in love with the princess Iztaccíhuatl. To win her hand he went to war, fought bravely, and won every battle. When he returned and found the princess dead, he carried her body to the mountains, laid her on a great tomb, and stayed at her side with a burning torch.

In Nahuatl, his name means “smoking mountain.” He became the volcano that is still active today: according to the legend, when he remembers his beloved, his heart burns and the volcano sends smoke into the sky.