Central Mexico is famous for its beautiful capital of Morelos State – the city of Cuernavaca. This city with a population of more than 300,000 people is rich in architectural landmarks. Mother Nature was also generous to this land, giving it many interesting attractions. Many Hollywood stars built mansions here, craving for complete silence and serenity in a beautiful setting. The weather is always warm and comfortable here, and this is the reason why Cuernavaca got its informal nickname – the City of Eternal Spring. There are no temperature fluctuations in this area, so nothing can spoil your vacation in Cuernavaca.
The Tlahuica civilization was the first group of people who permanently settled in the area of modern Cuernavaca in the 12th century. Xolotl, the ruler of Texcoco, conquered the Valley of Mexico in the 12th century. Until the 16th century, the American Indian settlement endured multiple attacks from the north. In 1521, conquistadors under the guidance of Hernan Cortes burned down the Indian settlement and established a town. They built a beautiful palace and a church. Cuernavaca was developing quickly since that time. Eight years after the invasion of conquistadors, the fifth monastery appeared in Cuernavaca. One year later, Hernan Cortes settled down in the town and made Cuernavaca his residence.
Do you want to get acquainted with beautiful landmarks of the city? Start your journey with a visit to the cathedral built in the name of Our Lady at the beginning of the 16th century. The main purpose of this building was to increase the number of Christians among the local people. In the 18th century, the beautiful building was a church. It received the status of a cathedral only in the 19th century.
Nowadays, this is a gorgeous building with elements of modern church design. During its long history, the cathedral was restored a number of times, and each restoration brought new details to the building. The latest changes to the look were added in 1957. Almost all elements of décor were replaced with the new ones, so it is hard to imagine now how the cathedral originally looked like in the past. Numerous 16th-century frescos are the only thing that reminds of the past of this cathedral. The beautiful frescos almost entirely cover walls of the church.
The Palace of Cortés is one more attraction in Cuernavaca that definitely deserves the attention of tourists. In 1526, Hernan Cortes ordered his people to build a castle. He settled down in that castle and made it his residence. Cortes spent many years in the castle together with his wife who was the second wife of the famous conquistador. The heir of Hernan Cortes, Martin, was also born in this palace. In the 18th century, the building was transformed into a prison and army barracks.
It was decided to restore the Palace of Cortes only at the end of the 19th century. This restoration brought a new tower to the palace complex. The cylindrical tower is 15 meters tall. It was added to the north-western part of the building. Starting from the 70s of the 20th century, the building has been home to a museum - El Museo Regional Cuauhnáhuac. This is the right place to visit for everyone who wants to learn more about the history of the region starting from its formation and until modern times. Many exhibitions feature findings of local archaeologists.
In order to relax and enjoy pleasant coolness in the midst of a hot day, visit Garden Borda. This popular area frequently hosts various performances and music concerts. Nowadays, this is a public recreation area, but the garden was the residence of the Habsburg Emperor Maximilian at the beginning of the 18th century. The park still has an old botanic garden with many plants from different parts of the world. Besides that, there are many fruit trees of different types and species.
As Cuernavaca doesn’t have an airport, tourists need to get to Mexico City. As a rule, foreign guests prefer to fly to this city first. After that, take a bus at the airport that will take you to Cuernavaca. The journey lasts roughly one hour. If you don’t like public transport, there are always many taxis near the airport. It will take half an hour to get to Cuernavaca by taxi.