Cuernavaca

"Place near or by the side of the groove"

Home page of  The Borda Garden
Home page of  The Robert Brady Museum

Cuernavaca is the Capital City of the State of Morelos, Mexico. Located only 45 minutes from Mexico City (one hour and thirty minutes from the international airport) by the way of the Mexico - Acapulco expressway. Actually world-wide known as "The City of Eternal Spring" due to its excellent template climate with an annual average of 20° C.

The ancient name of Cuernavaca is "Cuauhnahuac" in Nahuatl which means "Place near or by the side of the groove".  Founded seven centuries ago almost a mile high in the Sierra Madre Mountains.

Today the pyramid of Teopanzolco rises in a residential neighborhood; a half-hour from where Mesoamerican high priests at Xochicalco studied astronomy in 600 A.D. and arranged the calendar. There remain other vestiges from pre-Hispanic times such as a 14 ton. engraved stone called Chimalli, the great lizard carved in stone found at San Anton  and the Chapultepec Eagle, only to name a few.

Until 1910, the state of Morelos was the third major sugar cane producer world wide, after Hawaii and Puerto Rico, but peasants slaved without hope on the enormous sugar cane haciendas.

When the Mexican Revolution began, most haciendas were burned to the ground.
Some of them have been restored as luxury hotels.

Cuernavaca is a modern tropical city that hosts a score of scientific research institutes, and industrial park with over one hundred industries, seventeen universities and extensions of the National University in Mexico City, and a global assortment of retires diplomats, business executives and government officials.

This casual city also attracts people who seek a sunny place for creative or intellectual inquiry where they can find cultural stimulation and spirited conversations. Residents have included Erich Fromm, Diego Rivera, Carlos Fuentes, Helen Hayes, Malcolm Lowry, Ivan Illich, Gabriel Garcia Marques, Barbara Hutton, Rufino Tamayo, David Alfaro Siqueiros, to name a few.

Cuernavaca has also been established as an international learning center for Mexico's Language, Culture and history. At present, there are prestigious Spanish schools devoted to the high academic standards and strict ethical code of teaching Spanish, art and culture from Mexico and Latin America to foreigners.

The city is filled with gardens, tennis courts, spa's, golf courses, bathing resorts, restaurants and fine hotels offering every commodity.

 Within a 40 km radius, sports like water-skiing, fishing, hunting, horseback riding and mountain climbing can be practiced.

Main tourism attractions:

• Teopanzolco Archaeological Site In Nahuatl means "Behind the Old or Abandoned Temple". Considered one of the most important temples of the Pre Hispanic Tlahuica Culture in the Region. The double-temple of Tlaloc-Hutzilopochtli shows us how the ancient inhabitants of Cuauhnahuac built their worshipping sites over previous structures. Open: Monday thru Sunday from 10:00 to 17:00 hrs.
• Palace of Cortes or Cuauhnahuac Regional Museum  The Palace dates back from the colonial era, built in 1533 over a "Teocalli or Aztec Temple".  It  served as the summer  residence of the conqueror Hernan Cortes and actually houses one of Mexico's finest museums. Among others, you can admire one of the most famous murals of Diego Rivera painted in 1929. Open: Tuesday thru Sunday from 9:00 to 17:00 hrs.
• The Cathedral or
  Assumption's Franciscan  Ex-Convent Amazing architectonic complex formed by an atrium surrounded by tall "battlemented" walls. The Cathedral has been remodeled in the last 20 years and murals depicting the martyrdom of St. Felipe de Jesus were found all along both sides of the walls. There are also some interesting original paintings which date back to the XVII century. In the same complex are found the Chapel of  San Jose, The Chapel of Nuestra Señora de los Dolores, the Chapel of  Carmen as well as the Temple of Tercer Orden. Its also famous for its Sunday "Mariachi Mass". 
• The Borda Garden Famous residence built by Don Manuel de la Borda at the end of the XVII Century. It was also residence of Emperor Maximiliano de Habsburgo. This majestic home and garden hosts numerous art exhibitions, music concerts, conferences and a wonderful site museum.
  Open: Monday thru Sunday from 9:00 to 18:00 hrs.
• The Guadalupe Church  Also built by Don Manuel de la Borda in 1784, near the Borda garden; this church originally had two beautiful towers.
• "El Calvario" Shrine  Built in 1538, it owns its name to the cross on the top of the shrine. It was an important reunion place in the way of the pilgrims to Chalma, a center and river believed to have miraculous and curative properties.
• "El Castillito" Singular construction made of heavy brick, it actually houses the Photographic Museum of Cuernavaca. Open: Monday thru Friday from 9:00 to 15:00 hrs. Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 to 14:00
• Ethno-botanic Garden and
  Traditional Medicine Museum
  This Chalet also belonged Emperor Maximiliano de Habsburgo and was known as "Casa del Olindo" or
  "Casa de la India Bonita".
  Its great gardens and orchards are actually used to exhibit a great variety of medicinal plants.
  Open: Monday thru Sunday from 9:00 to 17:00 hrs.
• The Robert Brady House and Museum Located in the house of the tower behind the Cathedral built in Colonial Spanish style. Its a great museum where you can admire a marvelous collection of household furniture and furnishing, paintings and statuettes from all over the world, that belonged to the painter Robert Brady, who donated it to the City of Cuernavaca. Open: Tuesday thru Sunday from 10:00 to !8:00 hrs.
• San Anton Waterfall Place of natural beauty with its spectacular 30 mts. cascade with access through a long stairway behind it. At the entrance you can purchase a great variety of ornamental plants and red clay pottery produced by the local people.
  Open: Monday thru Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00 hrs.
• Amanalco Ravines
  A scenic 3 kilometers walk along a wooded ravine. This trail was recently conditioned as a tourist walk by the City Council of Cuernavaca. Open: Monday thru Sunday from 9:00 to 18:00 hrs.
• Siqueiros Workshop and Museum Workshop of the famous Mexican muralist David Alfaro Siqueiros.

Near Cuernavaca there are interesting ruins of old sugar cane factories, like the Hacienda de Atlacomulco, which used to belong to Hernan Cortes and the Hacienda de Temixco, which is now converted into a bathing resort with 5 large swimming pools.

Cuernavaca is a central geographic point from which many tourism attractions can easily be reached. The pyramid of Teotihuacan, the ancient Toltec city (90 min.); the colonial city of Puebla (150 min.); Taxco, the silver city (90 min.); the lake of Tequesquitengo (30 min.); the illuminated caverns of Cacahuamilpa (60 min.); the pyramids of Xochicalco (30 min.); the spas of Ixtapan de la Sal (90 min.); the village of Tepoztlan (30 min.); and the resort center of Oaxtepec (45 min.). For all those who wish to go to Acapulco, it is less than a 3 hours away.

Cuernavaca has many gourmet restaurants serving international cuisine as well as shops with lovely traditional handicrafts, antique bazaars and exotic plant and flower nurseries.

For entertainment there are in Cuernavaca plenty of nightclubs, bars and discotheques.

Main Fairs and feasts in Cuernavaca:

• April 16 - Commemoration of the creation of the Free and Sovereign State of Morelos
• Fair of Cuernavaca, Commercial and Popular - Holy Week. During two weeks, this Fair offers an extended variety of commercial products and handicrafts, as well as cultural, popular and musical events, and like in all fairs, mechanical games.
• Tlaltenango's Fair, Feast of Our Lady of the Miracles - September 8. One of the most popular and old fairs celebrated in Cuernavaca. It lasts 8 days, beginning on August 31st; a great number of dancers from Milpa Alta and Iztapalapa meet here to see the virgin and offer a flower entrance. Popular dances, floral ornaments, street fair, numerous stands, Mexican food and mechanical games.
• Fair of the Ceramics (Pottery) - September/October. This fair lasts a week and its celebrated in a movable date. It represents a great opportunity to appreciate the ceramic products that people of the "3 de mayo" colony in Cuernavaca produce and commercialize. You will also enjoy artistic performances, tourism and handicrafts exhibitions.

• Morelos State •
|  Amacuzac Town |  Coatlan del Rio Town  |  Cuautla City  |  Cuernavaca Capital City  |
|  Huitzilac Town  |   Jojutla City  |  Miacatlan Town  |  Puente de Ixtla Town  |  Temixco Town  |
|  Tepoztlan Town  |  Tequesquitengo Town  |  Tlaltizapan Town  |  Tlaquiltenango Town  |
|  Tlayacapan Town |   Xochicalco Archaeological Site  |  Xochitepec Town  |
 |  Yautepec, Oaxtepec and Cocoyoc  |
|  Other Towns: Villa de Ayala, Jantetelco, Jonacatepec, Tepalcingo and Axochiapan  |
|  The Convents Route: (Tlayacapan, Yecapixtla, Ocuituco, Tetela del Volcan, Zacualpan de Amilpas, Temoac)   |

|  Back to Morelos State Home Page  in Tour By Mexico ®  |

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