The name “Cuautla” has its origins in the Nahuatl language.

The name is a combination of two Nahuatl words: “cuauhtli” (“eagle”) and “tlān” (“place” or “land”). When combined, “Cuautla” can be roughly translated to “Place of the Eagles”.

The choice of the eagle as part of the name likely reflects the importance of eagle imagery in Aztec culture.

The eagle was a powerful symbol associated with warriors, nobility, and strength. Eagle warriors, known as “Cuāuhtin,” were a prominent and respected class of Aztec warriors who donned eagle feathers and were known for their courage and skill in battle.

The oficially name is “Heroica e histórica Ciudad de Cuautla” (“The Heroic and Historic Cuautla”) or H. H. Cuautla, Morelos.

Cuautla experiences a warm tropical climate, with dry and hot weather during most of the year.

The temperature tends to remain fairly consistent, averaging around 24-30°C. The rainy season occurs between June and September, bringing a respite from the heat and turning the surroundings lush and vibrant.

The ideal time to visit Cuautla is during the cooler and less humid months, which typically fall between November and February. This period offers comfortable temperatures for exploring the city and its attractions without being overwhelmed by the heat.

Pre-Hispanic Cultures Era

The presence of an Olmec group in Chalcatzingo, where they actively developed their culture (Piña Chan), stands as a pivotal and foundational event that marks the very commencement of the rich historical narrative of Cuautla de Morelos.

During their migration, they founded or influenced several towns, including Tepalcingo, Jonacatepec (Las Pilas), Cuautla, Olintepec, Atlihuayan, Oaxtepec, Gualupita de Cuernavaca, and Tlayacapan

Tenochca Conquest and Tribute

After five years of the conquest of Cuauhnáhuac (Cuernavaca) by Itzcóatl, Moctezuma Ilhuicamina, a significant figure in the formation of the Aztec nation, conquered Huaxtépec, Yautepec, Tlayacapan, and other towns in Morelos and Guerrero.

In Oaxtepec, Moctezuma Ilhuicamina built his palace and established it as the pre-Hispanic and colonial center of the Plan de Amilpas towns. The town of Cuauhtlah, within this region, had to provide regular tributes to the Aztec empire.

Colonial Era

The Spanish did not conquer each individual town in the Plan de Amilpas region by force but rather targeted the central town, Huaxtepec, in 1521 under Captain Gonzalo de Sandoval.

The success of sugarcane cultivation led to land appropriation from indigenous communities. In 1580, the Dominican friars constructed the Santiago Apóstol convent in Cuautla. Later, in 1640, the Franciscans built their own convent.

Silver mines were opened in the southern Sierra near Cuautla in the late 16th century. The Spanish Crown replaced Oaxtepec’s pre-Hispanic center with a royal administration in Cuautla in 1585.

By 1609, this region was designated as the Alcaldía Mayor of Cuautla de Amilpas. It had royal houses that functioned as customs offices, recording the gold and silver shipments from Cuautla to Veracruz and then to Spain.

Mexican Independence

One of the most intense battles of the Mexican War of Independence took place in Cuautla.

The Siege of Cuautla started on February 19 and ended on May 2, 1812. General José María Morelos defended the city against the Spanish forces led by General Félix María Calleja del Rey.

The city was eventually taken by Morelos’ forces, marking a significant event in the struggle for Mexican independence.

Creation of the State of Morelos

On December 23, 1857, Cuautla became the center of the Ciudad de Morelos district within the Cuernavaca district.

After the establishment of the state of Morelos, Cuautla became a municipality and the first capital of the state. It served as the administrative center and district seat under the Provisional Organic Law of March 15, 1870.

Mexican Revolution

During the Mexican Revolution, Cuautla was the first city to be taken by the rebel forces of Emiliano Zapata. Zapata’s revolutionary movement, driven by the demand for land restitution, gained momentum in the region.

Zapata’s Legacy

Emiliano Zapata’s legacy is deeply tied to Cuautla. He led the revolutionary movement demanding land rights, and his famous Plan de Ayala was formulated in the region. His remains were brought to Cuautla, where he currently rests.

Ceremonies are held every April 10th to commemorate his death.

The history of Cuautla de Morelos is marked by its pre-Hispanic roots, Spanish colonization, pivotal roles in Mexican independence and revolution, and its association with Emiliano Zapata’s struggle for agrarian rights.

The vast majority of buildings in Cuautla are made of stone and cement with metal rod reinforcements. Also, many homes in this city, are made with only cinder blocks, cement, and a tin roof. Many of these homes also lack electricity and running water.

Nearly all homes have a “tinaco,” which is a large plastic container for water, which is refilled regularly by the city. These containers let water out into pipes which can be opened or closed to wash clothes and dishes or to bathe.

The heart of the city, the Zocalo, is a square where locals gather.

Parroquia de San Diego is a historic church showcases colonial-era design and artistic elements.

The Morelos Museum contains artifacts and descriptions about Mexico’s War of Independence from Spain. It honors José María Morelos, whose rebel troops managed to hold off Royalist troops for 58 days.

The Museum adjoins the old narrow-gauge railroad which was used to haul sugar cane to the local mills.

The narrow gauge was retired in 1973. The tomb of the famous Mexican revolutionary hero Emiliano Zapata is also located in this city, and every year several festivities are held around the anniversary of his death.

Los Limones Waterpark is a great spot for families. This waterpark features pools, slides, and various recreational activities.

The Tren Escénico is a 914 mm narrow gauge tourist railroad offering train rides pulled by a historic steam locomotive once used by the former Interoceanic Railway of Mexico.

Iztaccíhuatl-Popocatépetl National Park: While not directly in Cuautla, this national park is nearby and offers opportunities for hiking and exploring the volcanic peaks of Iztaccíhuatl and Popocatépetl.

Traditional Markets: Explore local markets to discover artisan crafts, fresh produce, and delicious street food.

Cultural Festivals: Depending on when you visit, you might have the chance to experience local festivals and celebrations that showcase the city’s traditions and heritage.

Balnearios and Hot Springs: Cuautla is known for its “balnearios” (thermal pools) and hot springs. These natural hot springs offer a relaxing escape and are especially inviting during cooler months.

The area is a tourist-friendly region with abundant hot springs and health spas/resorts. It features many archeological sites such as Chalcatzingo and indigenous communities such as the Tepoztlán and Tetelcingo among others.

Agua Hedionda (“Stinky Water”), classified as one of the important water springs of the world due to its chemical composition, is also located in this little city. These waters have a characteristic smell reminiscent of rotten eggs because of their sulfur content.

Cuautla de Morelos is a destination that combines history, natural beauty, and local charm, making it a delightful place to explore and experience the culture and landscapes of Mexico.

• January 6: Día de Reyes
• February 5: Día de la Constitución
• March 8: Día Internacional de la Mujer
• August 25: Noche que Nadie Duerme (es)
• September 16: Día de la Independencia

Some roads in Cuautla are not paved.

Public transportation is mainly dominated by a metro bus system. These buses are referred to as “combis.” These buses are small and can hold up to roughly 10 people. Also, taxis are available, but less common.

Cuautla contains many bus terminals, for long-distance travel, such as the Terminal Central de Autobuses del Norte (es), with destinations as far as Monterrey, Nuevo Laredo, and Ciudad Juarez.

The city is located in a tropical region, but its temperature is kept fairly constant in the 70s (°F). It is located on the southern slope of the Sierra de Chichinautzin mountains. In the morning, warm air flows up the mountains from the valley below and in the late afternoon, cooler air flows down from the higher elevations. A ubiquitous flowering plant in the city is the bougainvillea.

This pleasant climate has attracted royalty and nobles since Aztec times. Most of the Aztec emperors called Cuernavaca their summer residence. Foreign princes, archdukes and other nobles have been attracted to this place because of its flowers, sun, fruits, fresh-water springs and waterfalls. Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico set up a country residence in the city. Philanthropist Barbara Hutton, who held several royal titles through marriage, had a home in the city. The Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, lived in exile in the city following the Iranian Revolution. Although a native of the U.S., Bauhaus designer Michael van Beuren established his residence in a family hacienda in Cuernavaca while fleeing the rise of the Nazi regime in Germany (where he studied and practiced his profession), and a colony of Bauhaus designers grew in the city during World War II.

Cuernavaca has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classification Aw) with temperatures that are moderated by its altitude. The warmest month is May with an average temperature of 23.5 °C (74.3 °F) and the coolest month is January with an average of 18.7 °C (65.7 °F).

The municipality has two distinct climates. In the north, is a temperate climate that is somewhat moist with rain predominantly in the summer. That area is covered in forests of pine and holm oak. In the south, the climate is warmer with the same moisture pattern.

The southern area is primarily grassland with some rainforest. Average annual temperature is 20.9 °C (70 °F) with the warmest months being April and May and the coldest December. Temperatures only occasionally exceed 34 °C (93 °F) or fall below 10 °C (50 °F).

Cuernavaca (in nahuatl means “Cuauhnāhuac” – “near the woods”) is the capital and largest city of the state of Morelos in Mexico.

The name “Cuernavaca” is derived from the Nahuatl phrase “Cuauhnāhuac” and means “surrounded by or close to trees”. The name eventually was Hispanicized to Cuernavaca.

Cuernavaca was nicknamed “city of eternal spring” by Alexander von Humboldt.

The coat-of-arms of the municipality is based on the pre-Columbian pictograph emblem of the city which depicts a tree trunk (cuahuitl) with three branches, with foliage, and four roots colored red. There is a cut in the trunk in the form of a mouth, from which emerges a speech scroll, probably representing the language Nahuatl and by extension the locative suffix “-nāhuac”, meaning “near”.

The first major culture to inhabit this area was the Tlahuica, whose main settlement was where the city of Cuernavaca is today. The Tlahuicas have inhabited this area at least since the 12th century.

The first incursions south into the area by peoples of the Valley of Mexico occurred in the 12th century, when a lord named Xolotl (ruler of Tetzcoco) conquered most of the Valley of Mexico. An allied Chichimeca tribe also moved south into what is now northern Morelos state, making Techintecuitla lord of the Cuernavaca area, with the Tlahuicas concentrated in the nearby towns of Yecapixtla and Yautecatle. According to the Tlatelolco Annals, in 1365, the lord of Cuernavaca, Macuilxochitl, tried to conquer lands as far as the Valley of Mexico, but was met by the lord of Chalco, Tzalcualtitlan, with similar ambitions.

The first Aztec emperor, Acamapichtli, began to expand his empire to the south of the Valley of Mexico and beyond in the 1370s. His successor, Huitzilihuitl, was eager to press on into what is now Morelos state because of the cotton grown there, it was called Tlalnahuatl at that time. He asked to marry the daughter of the ruler of Tlalnahuatl, but was rejected. That rejection started a war that ended with an Aztec victory in 1396. Huitziliuitl then married the princess and Moctezuma I was born of the union. Credit for the conquest of Cuernavaca is given to Acamapichtli in the Mendocino Codex, but later writings cite Itzcóatl, or even Moctezuma I, as conqueror. The conquered dominion, Tlalnahuac, was roughly the size of the modern state of Morelos, and subsequently was renamed as Cuauhnahuc by the Aztecs.

From 1403 to 1426, this province grew in strength, subduing neighboring peoples such as the Coauixcas. Eventually, the province, then ruled by Miquiuix, rebelled against the Aztec Empire. This rebellion was put down by Totoquihuatzin and Netzahualcoyotl in 1433. This area then joined in the conquests of what now are known as Taxco, Tepecuacuilco, and Ocuilán. For tribute purposes, the dominion was divided into two zones, one headed by Cuernavaca and the other by Huaxtepec.

At the time of the Spanish Conquest, Itzohuatzin was governing Cuernavaca. It was a rich city and densely populated, with large farms and its characteristic ravines bridged over. In the center of the city was a large fort, however, this fort and the entire city fell to the Spanish. The Spanish marched on Cuernavaca even before taking the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan.:338–340 They were led by Gonzalo de Sandoval and he was joined later by the conquistador, Hernán Cortés.

Cortés returned to Cuernavaca in 1523, stopping in Tlaltenango, where he founded the Church of San José and constructed the first sugar plantation. The fertility of these lands compelled the conquistador to found his favorite residence here. Juana de Zúñiga, Cortes’s wife, lived in Cuernavaca in the palace that was constructed in 1526. Cortes then moved the hacienda in Tlaltenango to Amatitlan and finally settled in his hacienda at Atlacomulco. The Franciscans arrived in Cuernavaca in 1529 and founded their 5th monastery in New Spain there. This first group included Martín de Lua, Francisco Martínez, Luis Ortiz, Juan de Cervo, Francisco de Soto, Andrés de Córdova, Martín de Jesús, Juan Juárez, Juan de Motolinía, and Juan García de Cervo. Originally they lived at the San Francisquito hermitage, but later they constructed the open-air chapel, Capilla Abierta, at the Church of San José in Tlaltenango. They extended their presence into the neighboring communities of Tetecala, Jiutepec, and Tlaquiltenango, among others, eventually forming the province of Santo Evangelio, which would be part of the province of Mexico in 1543. In 1646, this province was reorganized several times. Cuernavaca and Cuautla became high mayorships which answered directly to the viceregal authorities in Mexico City. In 1786, New Spain was divided into twelve provinces and in 1824, Cuernavaca was initially a district of Mexico City.

During the Mexican War of Independence, José María Morelos was imprisoned at the Palacio de Cortés in November 1815. Agustín de Iturbide’s army passed through Cuernavaca to fight Vicente Guerrero in 1820 and came through again in 1821, as the head of the Ejército Trigarante. After Independence and with the Constitution of 1824, the territory now known as the State of Morelos became part of the State of Mexico. Between 1827 and 1829, Cuernavaca was a district of this state. From 1829 to 1833, it was called a prefecture. In 1833, the State of Mexico declared the Atlacomulco Hacienda, which contains the Palacio de Cortés and Cortés’s houses in Coyoacán, to be public property.

In 1834, Ignacio Echevarría and José María Tornel drafted the Plan of Cuernavaca, which permitted Antonio López de Santa Anna to disregard the laws protecting church property, exile Valentín Gómez Farías, reopen the university, and dissolve the tribunal that was set to convict Anastasio Bustamante for the assassination of Vicente Guerrero. In the same year, the State of Mexico declared Cuernavaca to be a city.

During the Mexican-American War, Cuernavaca was captured by the Cadwalader Brigade and was forced to pay retributions to the U.S. Army after the Cuernavaca Infantry under Francisco Modesto Olabuibel fell. During the Ayutla Rebellion in 1854, Santa Anna was forced out of the capital of Mexico City in 1855. He moved his government to Cuernavaca, reorganized it, and named a junta to elect an interim president. This junta consisted of Valentín Gómez Farías, Melchor Ocampo, Benito Juárez, Francisco de P. Zendejas, Diego Álvarez, and Joaquín Moreno. They then voted for Alvarez as president. This new president swore to uphold the Plan of Ayutla and his inauguration was celebrated with much pomp in the city. In 1856, the District of Cuernavaca and the District of Mexico were declared separate. During the Three-year War (1858–1860) when conservatives rejected the liberal constitution of 1857, Juan Vicario voiced the cry of “Religión y Fueros” in Cuernavaca on 13 January 1858. In 1861, the Government of the State of Mexico created the districts of Cuernavaca, Morelos, Jonacatepec, Tautepec, and Tetecala.

In order to facilitate operations against the French during the French Intervention, President Juarez divided the State of Mexico into three military districts. The third consisted of the territories of Cuernavaca, Yautepec, Morelos, and Tetecala, with its capital in the city of Cuernavaca. Soon thereafter, this district fell into French hands. Maximilian I converted the Borda Garden into his summer residence and bought land in nearby Acapantzingo to construct a chalet. This prompted the construction of the Mexico-Cuernavaca highway.

When the French-installed monarch fell in 1867, Republican forces under Francisco Leyva, Ignacio Figueroa, and Ignacio Manuel Altamirano laid siege to Cuernavaca, which was defended by General Joaquín Ayestarán. The attackers cut off water supplies to the city and attacked on 3 January, but were met with a long series of street battles throughout the city. During the fighting, the general was killed and the Republican forces withdrew, victorious, to Mexico City, but only after burning a large portion of the city.

The State of Morelos was created in April 1869, with General Francisco Leyva as its first governor. Cuernavaca was declared the capital of the new state in November of the same year. In 1877, the Toluca-Cuernavaca highway was built and a rail connection created between Cuernavaca and Mexico City. In 1891, the Diocese of Cuernavaca was established by Pope Leo XII, comprising the entire state of Morelos, with Fortino Hipolito y Vera as first bishop of Cuernavaca. The first locomotive to arrive in the city was in 1897 and greeted by President Porfirio Díaz. The Bank of Morelos was founded in 1903. In 1909, the anti-reelection movement was established in Cuernavaca, and by the end of this same year guerilla operations against the Diaz government were headed by Genovevo de la O in Santa María Ahuacatitlán. Emiliano Zapata took over the movement in the south and named De la O in charge of the Cuernavaca area.

Wealthy North Americans and Europeans established secondary residences in Cuernavaca and took long vacations there or frequently traveled back and forth, while servants maintained the haciendas in their absence. Sometimes, their offspring have made Cuernavaca their permanent residence, creating an enclave of natives with international roots bearing the influence of their cultures. For example, when the American designer, Michael van Beuren fled Germany with members of Bauhaus, where he was practicing his profession, he took up residence at the vacation hacienda of his parents in Cuernavaca, and stayed permanently, establishing his factory nearby and raising his family there. Others in his family began to reside there year ’round. Their children became natives of Mexico.Video on YouTube

In the first decades of the 20th century, Cuernavaca became a place to vacation and gamble when the Hotel de la Sevla was converted into the Casino de la Selva, which attracted people such as Rita Hayworth, Bugsy Siegel, and Al Capone to Cuernavaca, however, gambling was shut down by Lázaro Cárdenas in 1934. He is the same president who declared the area a ZPG (Forest Protection Zone). The casino hosted very important artistic works, including murals of Alvarez Icaza, Messeguer, and the architecture of Candela. The main vault was considered to be the “Mexican Sistine Chapel” by Nobel Prize author, Gabriel García Márquez.

1936 was the year that Malcolm Lowry wrote his short story, “Under The Volcano”, which inspired his 1947 novel of the same name. It is still considered[who?] one of the top five greatest novels of the twentieth century, and has never gone out of print. Cuernavaca, or Quaunahuac, as it is called in the novel, and the surrounding area, figure prominently in this great historical novel, where extensive details on Mexican history, culture, topography, and especially, politics and religion figure prominently. The recurrent artifacts are the twin volcanos, Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl, and the barranca, symbols of division, death, and rebirth in the city of eternal spring.

In the 1960s, the city was one of the centers of the psychedelic movement. Timothy Leary tried psilocybin mushrooms there in the summer of 1960 and came back regularly to repeat the experience. In 1956, Erich Fromm founded the Sociedad Mexicana de Psicoanálisis and from his house in Cuernavaca promoted new ideas in the field of psychiatry, incorporating Zen Buddhism and “communal psychoanalytic studies” (estudios psicoanalíticos comunitarios). This attracted many artists, composers, architects, and counterculture types here.

More recently the city has seen a very active society dedicated to the preservation of its environment and cultural heritage. The Frente Civico which is now influential throughout the country, along with some 150 other organizations has promoted a boycott against Costco for having destroyed the Casino de la Selva to build a couple of warehouses. One of its members, Professor Jaime Lagunez, (also promoter of Zen buddhism) lobbied a general agreement in the national congress for the purpose of protecting its sixty archeological sites, its vegetation, historic center, and neighboring forests, among other important cultural aspects of the city. (see https://es.scribd.com/document/322348956/Punto-de-Acuerdo). The Frente Civico received the 2004 National Mendez Arceo Human Rights Award for having protected the world cultural heritage found in the city.

Cuernavaca metropolitan area

Cuernavaca always has been a popular place for people from Mexico City to escape the city. In the 20th century, the climate and flora began to attract many foreigners as well. Population increase in this urban area began in 1940, but the metro area was not created, nor recognized, until the 1960s. From this time the population and the extension of the metropolitan area has grown. From 1960 to 1980, the population had grown from 85,620 to 368,166. From the 1980s to the present, the municipalities of Emiliano Zapata, Jiutepec, Temixco, Tepoztlán, Xochitepec, and Yautepec have been added to the metropolitan area. These municipalities have seen the highest rates of growth, however, population and economic activity remains concentrated in the city of Cuernavaca proper. As of 2005, the metropolitan area had a population of 802,371, with 349,102, living in the city proper.

Over the decades since 1970, this metropolitan area has become more economically and socially integrated with the Mexico City metropolitan area. Many people from Mexico City own second homes there for weekend retreats, both for the climate and for the well-developed infrastructure. Starting in the 1980s permanent migration of Mexico City residents began, spurred by pollution and crime problems in the capital.

The 1985 Mexico City earthquake also pushed many well-to-do families there, fearful of the next catastrophe. In many of these cases, the main breadwinner commutes each day to work in Mexico City. This has produced the great increase in housing developments on the outskirts of the city, especially in the late 1990s and 2000s. This influx has had a positive economic benefit for the city, but has put pressure on the infrastructure as well. 85% of the city of Cuernavaca is dedicated to housing, and much of this is in upper class housing developments such as Rancho Cortés, Rancho Tetela and Colonia del Bosque, which are located on the outskirts of the city. Lower-income housing is concentrated in the city proper. Only 2% of the housing in Cuernavaca is in high-rise buildings. Cuernavaca has been called the “Beverly Hills of Mexico” because from just about any elevation in the city, one can see that many of the homes have swimming pools. Cuernavaca is the second city in the world with most pools per capita.

International presence in Cuernavaca

Cuernavaca has been a getaway, especially for the well-to-do, since Aztec times. This has continued to the 21st century, with many of these residents including artists, intellectuals, and film stars. For example, María Félix, a Mexican diva, had an opulent, cobalt-blue and papaya-colored villa on Avendia Palmira, along with five other houses. It is known as the Casa de las Tortugas (House of the Turtles) and has Louis XV beds, is adorned with silk brocades, Venetian mosaics, talavera urns, marble fireplaces, sixteenth-century Spanish armor, Italian gilded chairs, and portraits of her created by Antoine Tzapoff.

The legalization of gambling for a short time in the 1930s attracted Hollywood visitors such as Rita Hayworth and Mafia figures such as Bugsy Siegel and Al Capone from the United States. Cuernavaca was the setting of Malcolm Lowry’s Under the Volcano written in 1947. It is a tale of despair and self-destruction due to alcoholism. In the 1950s and 1960s, the city attracted many directors, producers, and actors from Hollywood, many of whom had been blacklisted through the influence of McCarthyism.

Cuernavaca became the host of the CIDOC (Centro Intercultural de Documentación) in 1961, a Catholic institution that indoctrinated priests from developed countries before they were deployed elsewhere in Latin America. CIDOC’s lasting reputation was assured by its founding director Ivan Illich, though it closed, “a victim of its own success”, ten years later under right-wing political pressure. In the 1960s, the city became one of the centers of the psychedelic movement, attracting many artists, composers, and hippies. Another infamous resident was Sam “Momo” Giancana, a mafia boss from Chicago, who made Cuernavaca his home from 1967 until his arrest and deportation in 1974. He was associated with the Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre. Many of these foreign residents, famous or not, first come as visitors, but then decide to stay.

Gene Gauntier, actress and scenarist of silent film, spent the rest of her life in Cuernavaca. She lived in her sister’s home, Marguerite Wenner-Gren, wife of Swedish millionaire Axel Wenner-Gren who owned an hacienda Rancho Cortès (today Hotel Racquet). Gauntier died in 1966.

The trend continues today, with a large number of retirees, diplomats, business executives, and government officials living in Cuernavaca from all over the world. It still attracts creative and intellectual people. Many of these foreign residents have formed active expatriate groups, such as the Cuernavaca Newcomers Club to offer get-togethers and advice for its members and newcomers to the city. Services for foreign residents include a large network of English-speaking doctors, foreign mass media via satellite, and ATMs networked to U.S. banks.

The deposed Shah of Iran Mohammed Reza Palevi, during his exile, lived for a short time in Cuernavaca.

Cuernavaca also has attracted Hollywood production with parts of the 1969 Western film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid being shot in the countryside south of the city, and parts of the classic 1979 comedy The In-Laws, starring Alan Arkin and Peter Falk, being filmed there. In 1984, John Huston shot there Under the Volcano from Malcolm Lowry’s novel, with Albert Finney and Jacqueline Bisset.

Palace of Cortés

The Palacio de Cortés is east of the Morelos Garden and is considered to be the most representative building of Cuernavaca. Built by Hernán Cortés, it was finished in 1535. It is one of the oldest European-style, civil constructions in the Americas, but is executed in Renaissance style. The series of arches of the central terrace, the battlements, and the thick walls are the most representative aspects of the original construction. It is said that this residence looks much like the mansion built in Santo Domingo by Diego Colón, the son of Christopher Columbus. Just outside the front of the building is an old pyramid base over which Cortés had the structure built, on a hill that dominated the old city. Petroglyphs recovered from the site and from throughout the city are on display. From right to left the petroglyphs are named Lagarto de San Antón, Aguila de Chapultepec, Piedra Chimalli, or Piedra de los Encantos.

After having been the residence of Cortés and his descendents for several centuries, the building became a warehouse, a jail, a military barracks, and then the State Government Palace (until 1969). From 1971 to 1973, the building was restored extensively and today houses the Museo Regional Cuauhnáhuac, dedicated to the history of Morelos State. It often is referred to as, the Palacio. It has ten exhibit halls with maps, illustrations, photographs, works of art, and everyday items from various epochs representing the first human settlements in the state to the present day. It has murals created by Diego Rivera that reflect both Morelos and Mexican history. Adjacent to the Palacio a permanent local handicraft market in which one may purchase silver jewelry, T-shirts, beaded bracelets, pottery, hammocks, blankets, and much more.

Cathedral

Cuernavaca Cathedral is the main church of what was the monastery of the Third Order of the Franciscans, called La Asunción, that dates back to the 16th century. It sits on the southeast corner of a large atrium, which also contains a number of other chapels that were built at different times and with different architectural styles. This complex is located at the intersection of Hidalgo and Morelos streets, a few blocks west of the town center.

The cathedral was built by Cortés to double as a fortress, with cannons mounted above the buttresses. Over time, this church underwent a number of transformations, updating its interior. This was undone in the mid-20th century, when restoration work removed all the Neoclassical altars and images. These now are stored in the cathedral’s pinacotheca and not available to the public. Restoration work uncovered al fresco murals on the lateral walls, relating to the martyrdom of Philip of Jesus, the first Mexican canonized as a saint. The only other decoration inside this church now is a modern-style crucifix and an image of the Assumption of Mary. This restoration work was carried out by Bishop Sergio Méndz Arceo.

After the Reform Laws in the 1860s, most of the monastery property passed into state, then private hands, leaving only what is now the cathedral and several smaller chapels on a very large atrium. The Revolution Garden was the orchard of the Cathedral, and the cloister with its observatory, is now the Robert Brady Museum. The church became the Cathedral of Cuernavaca in 1891.

Next to the cathedral is the “open chapel” (capilla abierta) of San José, which is an original structure built in the 16th century. It also was rescued and restored by Bishop Méndez Arceo and is one of the oldest constructions on the site. The building consists of a vault with three arches that face the atrium. These arches are supported by a pair of flying buttresses. Inside the arches is an altarpiece dating from the 17th century.

The main entrance is on Hidalgo Street, where one passes between two large chapels called the Chapel of Santa Cruz and the Chapel of the Tercera Orden. The Tercera Orden is considered to be the more valuable artistically of the two, with its highly sculpted early Baroque main and side portals painted in various colors. Inside, there is a later Churrigueresque main altar. A third chapel, called the Chapel of Nuestra Señora de los Dolores is farther into the atrium and near the Open Chapel of San José.

Chapitel del Calvario

The Chapitel del Calvario is a church located at the corner of Morelos and Matamoros Streets, which was constructed in 1532. The word “chapitel” means “spire” as the church is named after two spires that define its appearance. It also has a fourteen-meter-high dome. It was constructed in the 16th century and was the last building encountered within Cuernavaca, as one left the city on the road to Mexico City. In 1772, this church was dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe.

El Castillito

Museo de Fotografía Antigua, also known as El Castillito (the little castle), is located one block from the Chapitel del Calvario. It is a very small brick building that dates from the late 19th or early 20th century. It is now a small museum dedicated to antique photographs of the city of Cuernavaca.

Tallera Siqueiros

The Sala de Arte Público Siqueiros is a museum and research center, but is also hosts countless of lectures and panel discussions on contemporary art. The SAPS is dedicated to give continuity to the technical and thematic concerns of the muralist in relation to contemporary art. The SAPS promotes the legacy of Siqueiros. In recent years, the murals at the SAPS were restored. While, more than 80,000 documents and materials were digitized. Also, the institution was renovated, which changed the façade and bookstore.

Salto de San Antón

The Salto de San Anton is a large ravine with a small waterfall that is located within the city limits of Cuernavaca. The waterfall is 36 metres (118 feet) high, with its water coming from a small tributary of the Zempoala River. The vertical walls of the ravine are of basalt and broad-leafed vegetation grows in nooks and crannies of the stone. A series of stairs and platforms have been built to enable access to the waterfall area from the park above. Unfortunately, a lot of trash gets dumped there.

Robert Brady Museum

The Robert Brady Museum is on Nezahualcoyotl Street and occupies the building known as the Casa de la Torre, originally part of the monastery of La Asunción. In 1960, it was purchased by the U.S. artist, Robert Brady, who transformed it into his home and a private art and collectible museum. It contains a collection of art and crafts from around the world as well as the original Self-Portrait with Monkey painted by Frida Kahlo. Other works are by artists such as Miguel Cobarruvias, Pelegrí Clavé, María Izquierdo, and Rufino Tamayo. Non-Mexican paintings include those from North America and Europe. Other objects in the collection include antique furniture, African and Indian crafts, and archeological pieces. The collection occupies fourteen rooms of the old house, which has been kept mostly the way it was when Brady died in 1986 and bequeathed the house and its contents to the city.

Museum of Traditional and Herbal Medicine & The Ethnicbotanical Garden

South of the city center is Acapantzingo, which had been a separate town, but now is part of the city. A large farm owned by Emperor Maximilian I existed there in the 1860s. It was named Olindo, referring to a character in the poem by Torquato Tasso. The emperor used this property as one of his residences in Cuernavaca, and according to rumor, to enjoy the company of a certain beautiful Indian woman. On this farm and in what was the Pavilion, is now the Museum of Traditional and Herbal Medicine (Museo de Medicina Tradicional). The museum sponsors workshops and classes on the use of plants to make soap, cremes, dyes, decorative objects and more. Outside is the ethnicbotanical garden with exhibits including 800 species of plants organized by uses, such as the making of textiles, animal feed, condiments, ritual, and others.

Museo Muros

Located a short distance outside the city center is another art museum called the Museo Muros (Avenida Vicente Guerrero 205, Colonia Lomas de Selva). This museum exhibits the art collection of Jacques and Natasha Gelman. Jacques, a Russian émigré, made his fortune as the producer of hit comedies by the legendary Mexican comic, Cantinflas. A good portion of the money he made went into the acquisition of art, which he collected for half a century. Works by Rivera, Kahlo, David Alfaro Siqueiros, Francisco Toledo, Rufino Tamayo, Cisco Jimenez, Gerardo Suter, and Juan Soriano are among the works that could be found there. This museum was closed in 2008. Opened in its place is the Papalote museo del niño an interactive children’s museum with up to thirty exhibitions and artistic experiences for children, such as Mindball, Kandinsky Rug, Gigantic Piano, and others.

Morelos and Juárez Gardens

The Juárez and Morelos Gardens are in the center of the city, both of which are plazas lined with trees. Between the two is the State Government Palace, a three story building with a tezontle façade built between 1955 and 1969. The Morelos Garden dates from 1908 and is easily recognizable by the large stone statue of José María Morelos, which is known colloquially as “Morelotes”. The Juárez Garden is located to the north of the State Government Palace and is the oldest public square in Cuernavaca. The Garden contains a kiosk from Britain dating from the end of the 19th century. Unlike most main squares in Mexico, neither of these open up the way to the main cathedral. The main cathedral in Cuernavaca is located a few blocks west of the square.

These two gardens or plazas are known colloquially as the “zócalo”. Spectacles are often to be seen here and can include people dancing the “danzón” or other popular dances and “estudiantinas” dressed in colonial-era Spanish garb, playing instruments and dancing, and any number of free concerts. Often clowns perform on the zocalo as well, with balloons and tricks for the children and tell double-entendre jokes for the adults. Locals use the plazas to sell products such as honey, yogurt, traditional candies, and crafts. Street food such as corn on the cob, snow cones, candies, fruit smoothies, and more generally are available.

Borda Garden

The Borda Garden is located near the cathedral on Morelos Street. Originally, this was a house bought by José de la Borda, the mining magnate of Taxco in the mid-18th century. Later, his son, Manuel de Borda y Verdugo, transformed the grounds of the house into gardens filled with flower and fruit trees to satisfy his passion for botany. These gardens also contain a number of fountains and an artificial lake that were completed in 1783. The complex also contains lodgings, offices, a restaurant, and a nightclub. In 1865, this was the summer home of Emperor Maximilian I and his wife Carlota Amalia. It hosted major political soirées in the 19th and 20th centuries, such as those sponsored by Porfirio Díaz and Emiliano Zapata. Today the area is a public park where the gardens have been maintained and it is possible to take a short boat ride on the lake. The house has been converted into a museum. Six of its halls are dedicated to temporary exhibits while the other seven are devoted to recreating the characteristics of the 18th and 19th centuries.

The Church of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe is located next to the Borda Garden, and was constructed by Manuel de la Borda in 1784. It has a Baroque façade and what is considered to be the best cupola in the city. It was the royal chapel of Emperor Maximilian.

Chapultepec Ecological Park

The Chapultepec Ecological Park is located about four km southeast of the Cuernavaca city center. It contains fresh-water springs, which form the beginning of a river, and is surrounded by large trees called Chapultepec. Before 2003, this area was privately operated under concession as the “Magic Jungle”. Today, it is a public park administered by the State Commission of Water and Environment. In addition to a large family picnic area with playgrounds, the park has constructed habitats for monkeys, birds, crocodiles, reptiles, and aquatic plants. It also has a petting zoo, environmental museum, planetarium, house of terror, theatre, and tour train.

Teopanzolco

Teopanzolco is an archeological site located just east of the historic downtown of Cuernavaca. Its construction is dated to the year 1427, and it was an important ceremonial center during the 15th and 16th centuries when the native Tlahuicas were dominated by the Aztecs. The site shows significant Aztec influence. It has a large pyramidal base, called the Gran Basamento, topped by two shrines, much like the Templo Mayor in Tenochtitlan. Only the stone columns of these shrines remain today. The teocalli, or sacred plaza, contains fourteen monuments including a circular altar dedicated to the wind deity Ehécatl. There are also two concentric structures separated by a moat or ditch. Both might have been dedicated to Quetzalcoatl, the feathered-serpent deity.

Tlaltenango

Tlaltenango used to be a separate town, but now is a neighborhood of Cuernavaca city. The main attraction there is the church compound containing the Church of San José and the Church of Nuestra Señora de los Milagros de Tlaltenango. San José is one of the oldest churches in Mexico, built between 1521 and 1523. Two centuries later an image of the Virgin appeared to members of this village, prompting the building of the second church. This is the Sanctuary of Nuestra Señora de los Milagros, which was built in 1730, with its bell towers built at the end of the 19th century.

Hacienda Atlacomulco

The Hacienda de San Antonio Atlacomulco is located south of the Cuernavaca and was established by Hernán Cortés as one of the first sugar plantations in Mexico. Descendants of the Conquistador held the property until the 19th century, when it became the property of Lucas Alamán, who modernized the facility. The hacienda lost its surrounding properties during the Mexican Revolution and all that remains is the main house. After a long period of restoration and modification, the hacienda today houses an exclusive hotel, which can accommodate conventions and banquets.

The Feria de la Flor was established in 1965 as a festival that is held from 2 to 12 May. In the Borda Garden, flower growers from all over Mexico come to exhibit their wares, competing for an annual prize. The event also has traditional fair rides, cockfights, and horse competitions as well as music and sociocultural events. Neighborhood celebrations are held in Cuernavaca, mostly for patron saints, they include 15 May, the feast of San Isidro Labrador; 13 June, the feast of San Antonio in the neighborhood of San Antón, with Aztec dances; 6 August, the feast of the Savior or the Transfiguration in Ocotepec, featuring the Moors and Christians dance, mole, and pulque; 10 August the feast of San Lorenzo in Chamilpa; 15 August, the festival of the Assumption of Mary in Santa María Ahuacatilán; and 8 September, Festival of Nuestra Señora de los Milagros in Tlaltenango. Since 1965, the city Cuernavaca has had a carnival as well.

The Huehuechis, a dance group, was started in Cuernavaca in 1870 by a group of young people. They dressed up in old boots and clothes, covering their faces with cloth, dancing sponteaneously in the streets with whistles and shouts. The name comes from a Nahuatl word for old, worn-out clothing. The event spread to other municipalities. It became popular enough among participants and spectators alike to be organized formally in 1871, when it became a traditional way to celebrate the days just before Lent, or the Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday of Carnival. The tradition spread to Tepoztlan, where it became even more famous after the people there modified the clothing worn, adding masks with beards and large mustaches. The dance there was renamed “Chinelos”. This new version became a fixture at the carnaval of Yautepec and other towns in Morelos as well.

As municipal seat of Morelos, the city of Cuernavaca has governing jurisdiction over 142 other communities. The municipality is located in the northeast portion of the State of Morelos and borders the municipalities of Huitzilac, Texmixco, Xochitepec, Tepotztlán, Jiutepec, and Ocuilan. In the 2005 census, the municipality was recorded as having a total population of 349,102 and only 3,041 are counted as speaking an indigenous language. The city of Cuernavaca is located in the southern portion of the area of the municipality. Urban development covers about 38%, which is the city of Cuernavaca and a few suburbs. The rest of the municipality is isolated towns and villages.

The municipality is located between the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt in the north and the Sierra Madre del Sur in the south, in a sub-mountain range named the Sierra del Chichinautzin. The municipality contains an area of 151.2 square kilometres (58.4 square miles); 5,668 hectares (14,010 acres) is dedicated to agriculture, 8,227 ha (20,330 acres) for fishing, 5,400 ha (13,000 acres) is developed, and 1,390 ha (3,400 acres) is forest. The average altitude is 2,200 metres (7,200 feet) above sea level, varying between 1,255 and 2,355 metres (4,117 and 7,726 feet). The highest elevations are in the east and north. The municipality is located in the Amacuzac Basin. Major rivers there include the Ixtapan, Apatlaco, Yautepec, el Pollo, and Chapultepec. There also are a number of small streams and fresh-water springs.

Crafts from this area primarily consist of ceramics and wax products. The wax used is from bees and generally it is shaped into capricious figures. Flowerpots and clay objects from San Antón, handcrafted paper from wood chips with multicolored paintings, and wood lacquered masks are other products of the municipality.

You can dial 078 from any phone, where you can find free information about tourist attractions, airports, travel agencies, car rental companies, embassies and consulates, fairs and exhibitions, hotels, hospitals, financial services, migratory and other issues.

Or dial the toll-free (in Mexico) number 01-800-006-8839.

You can also request information to the email correspondencia@sectur.gob.mx

MORE EMERGENCY NUMBERS:

General Information: 040 (not free)

National Emergency Service: 911

Radio Patrols: 066
Police (Emergency): 060
Civil Protection: +52(55)5683-2222
Anonymous Complaint: 089

Setravi (Transport Mobility): +52(55)5209-9913
Road Emergency: 074

Cruz Roja: 065 o +52(55)5557-5757
Firefighters: 068 o +52(55)5768-3700

The location of the municipality is north of the Mexico City, and is located in the low extreme geographical coordinates of Greenwich, north latitude 19º29’23” minimum, 19º40’28” maximum, west longitude 98°58’30” minimum, 99°08’35” maximum.

The town of San Cristóbal Ecatepec, a municipal seat, has governing jurisdiction over the following communities: San Pedro Xoloxtoc, Tulpetlac, Chiconautla, Ciudad Azteca and Villa de Aragón. The total municipality extends 157.34 km2 and borders with the municipalities of Tlalnepantla de Baz, Tecámac, Coacalco de Berriozábal, Jaltenco, Acolman, Texcoco, Atenco, Nezahualcóyotl and Mexico City (Gustavo A. Madero). The area of this municipality is 155 km² (59.85 sq mi).

The human senttlements in Ecatepec de Morelos are an elongated valley from the Valley of Mexico to Sierra de Guadalupe.

75% of Ecatepec de Morelos municipality is urbanized, on this territory no big animals; in the highlands of Sierra de Guadalupe live principally small mammals as mouse, rabbit, gray squirrel, bat and gopher, birds as cenzontle and sparrow. The flora in Sierra de Guadalupe is interesting, here there are oyamel pines, oaks, ocote pines, century plants, prickly pears, zacatón (mountain grass) and others.

Remains of earliest human inhabitation of the area have been found on the nearby Cerro (Hill) de Ecatepec. The area was initially settled by successive waves of Otomis; however, because of the later arrival of Toltec-Chichimecas that dominated the rest of the Valley of Mexico, this area eventually assimilated to the rest of the Valley, ending with its domination by the Aztec empire. Ecatepec was an Aztec altepetl or city-state in the Valley of Mexico. From 1428 to 1539, Ecatepec was ruled by a tlatoani (literally “speaker”). The tlatoque (plural of tlatoani) of Ecatepec were closely related to the ruling dynasty of Tenochtitlan. – Chimalpilli I, grandson of Moctezuma I. – Tezozomoc, son of Chimalpopoca. – Matlaccohuatl, whose daughter Teotlalco married Moctezuma II. – Chimalpilli II, son of Ahuitzotl. – Diego de Alvarado Huanitzin, grandson of Axayacatl.

Diego Huanitzin was subsequently made tlatoani of Tenochtitlan by Antonio de Mendoza, viceroy of New Spain.

During the Aztec empire, the Mexicas used the town to control trade routes going north.

Ecatepec was considered an “República de Indios” (Indian Republic) 1560, allowing the village to maintain a certain amount of autonomy and keeping the succession of tlatoanis or chiefs. However, in the first part of the 17th century, this was changed to a mayorship, with the Spanish administrating, along with the communities of Zumpango and Xalostoc.

The municipality was officially created on October 13, 1874. On October 1, 1877, San Cristóbal Ecatepec was declared a village and “de Morelos” was added to its name.

The national hero José María Morelos y Pavón was executed in Ecatepec in 1815 by the Spanish during the Mexican War of Independence. The house in which he was executed is now the Museo Casa de Morelos (Museum House of Morelos). Ecatepec was declared a city on December 1, 1980.

In April 1995, the remains of a mammoth were found in Colonia Ejidos de San Cristóbal, where the ancient lakes of Xaltocan-Ecatepec and Texcoco came together and where the Aztecs build a dam to keep the fresh and salty waters separate. The bones have been tentatively dated to around 10,500 years B.C.

Ecatepec de Morelos had a 2010 census population of 1,656,107 inhabitants, which makes it the most populous municipality in the nation , as well as in the state.

In February 2016, Pope Francis celebrated Mass in the city in front of a crowd of 300,000. The Pope’s message was one of encouragement and opposition to the violence and drug trade that permeates the region.

Ecatepec is served by Line B of the Mexico City Metro system, including stations Muzquiz, Ecatepec (a.k.a. Tecnológico), Olímpica, Plaza Aragón, and Ciudad Azteca

In 2016, a new transportation system was introduced to Ecatepec’s inhabitants: Mexicable. This project is a cable car which main purpose is to help people displace faster (contrary to most cable cars which have tourists as their main users), specially in areas with complicated geography. The idea was originally developed in the South Americas, with Colombia being the first country to add a cable car system, called Metrocable, as part of their metro. The Mexicable, the first cable car constructed in Mexico as a public transport, has a length of almost 5 kilometers (3 miles), 190 cars and it runs the entire line in about 17 minutes.

Ecatepec is located on Mexican Federal Highway 85, the Mexico City-Pachuca highway, Mexican Federal Highway 57/57D (Circuito Exterior Mexiquense), and Mexican Federal Highway 132 (Ecatepec-Teotihuacán highway).

It has tourist attractions like spas.

It has the hotel Ex-Hacienda de Cortez. It is a hotel and Hernan Cortez’s hacienda too.

Another interesting place is Hotel Sumiya. It is a Japanese place one can visit.

It has its zocalo (like a plaza) with a tower that has a clock, this zocalo is surrounded by trees and some stores, in front of it, is the old church. Here traditional parties are held. People sell traditional bread, beer, dance the Chinelo Dance, there is music, fire works and food like esquites and tamales.

You can dial 078 from any phone, where you can find free information about tourist attractions, airports, travel agencies, car rental companies, embassies and consulates, fairs and exhibitions, hotels, hospitals, financial services, migratory and other issues.

Or dial the toll-free (in Mexico) number 01-800-006-8839.

You can also request information to the email correspondencia@sectur.gob.mx

MORE EMERGENCY NUMBERS:

General Information: 040 (not free)

National Emergency Service: 911

Radio Patrols: 066
Police (Emergency): 060
Civil Protection: +52(55)5683-2222
Anonymous Complaint: 089

Setravi (Transport Mobility): +52(55)5209-9913
Road Emergency: 074

Cruz Roja: 065 o +52(55)5557-5757
Firefighters: 068 o +52(55)5768-3700

Popocatépetl comes from the Nahuatl words popōca “it smokes” and tepētl “mountain”, meaning “smoking mountain”.

The volcano is also referred to by Mexicans as El Popo. The alternate nickname Don Goyo comes from the mountain’s association in the lore of the region with San Gregorio. Goyo is the short form of Gregorio.

The crater’s walls vary from 600 to 840 m in height.

The generally symmetrical volcano is modified by the sharp-peaked remnant of an earlier volcano.

At least 3 previous major cones were destroyed by gravitational failure during the Pleistocene, producing massive debris-avalanche deposits covering broad areas south of the volcano.

The modern volcano was constructed to the south of the late Pleistocene to Holocene El Fraile cone.

Three major Plinian eruptions (the last occurring around 800 AD) have occurred at Popocatépetl since the mid-Holocene, accompanied by pyroclastic flows and volumetric lahars that engulfed the basins beneath the volcano.

The volcano is about 730,000 years old. The elevation at the peak is 5,450 m. The volcano is cone-shaped with a diameter of 25 km at its base. The crater is elliptical with an orientation northeast-southwest.

Popocatépetl is currently an active volcano after being dormant for about half of the last century. In 1991 the volcano’s activity increased and since 1993 smoke can be seen constantly emanating from the crater.

Popocatépetl has been one of the most active volcanoes in Mexico. Since 1354, 18 eruptions have been recorded. In 1927 a major eruption occurred, thus beginning a period of rest.

Then, on December 21, 1994, after several years of inactivity, the volcano registered an explosion that produced gas and ash that were transported by the prevailing winds more than 25 km away.

Currently, its activity is moderate, but constant, with the emission of fumaroles, composed of gases and water vapor, and sudden and unexpected minor expulsions of ash and volcanic material.

The last violent eruption of the volcano was recorded in December 2000, which, following the predictions of scientists, led to the evacuation of thousands of people in the areas near the volcano.

On December 25, 2005, a new explosion occurred in the volcano’s crater, causing a column of smoke and ash three kilometers high and the expulsion of lava.

On June 3, 2011, Popocatépetl once again emitted large fumaroles without causing damage. On November 20, 2011, a large explosion took place that shook the earth and was heard in the towns near the slopes, but without major alteration.

The volcano registered a fumarole of water vapor and ash on the morning of January 16, 2012, without this representing risks to the population surrounding the colossus.

On April 16, 2012, was raised the volcanic alert traffic light from yellow phase 2 to yellow phase 3 due to the great activity that has been occurring, without it thus far representing a serious danger to society.

At 3:23 on April 30, 2013, the Popocatépetl volcano threw incandescent fragments 800 meters from the crater on the northeast slope, reported the National Center for Disaster Prevention (CENAPRED).

On May 12, 2013, after the strong roar that was felt in the town of Atlixco, the volcanic alert light was changed from yellow phase 2 to phase 3. On June 2, 2013, CENAPRED returned the alert level to yellow phase 2.

On June 17 and 18, the volcano recorded several larger explosive events, recording fumaroles that reached 4 km above the level of the crater and expulsions of incandescent rock that reached the slopes on the South-West side of the colossus.

The alert remained yellow in phase 2.

The volcano became active on July 7, 2013, releasing ash clearly visible in nearby towns. The ash also reached Mexico City, expelling pyroclastic flows and incandescence. The volcanic traffic light turned yellow in phase 3.

The volcano registered an explosion on January 22, 2019, releasing incandescent material and ash. This explosion could be felt in areas surrounding the volcano (areas of the state of Puebla and the State of Mexico).

Once upon a time, in pre-Hispanis times, there were two young people named Itzaccíhuatl and Popocatépetl. Itzaccíhuatl was a beautiful princess from the Tlaxcala, and Popocatépetl was a brave Aztec warrior.

Both lived at a time when Tlaxcala was at war with its cruel enemies, the Aztecs.

Popocatépetl deeply loved Itzaccíhuatl and wanted to marry her. Popocatépetl asked to marry Itzaccíhuatl. The leader agreed but had one condition: Popocatépetl had to return safely from the war to marry her.

So, Popocatépetl went off to battle, leaving Itzaccíhuatl behind, eagerly awaiting his return. However, a jealous rival of Popocatépetl spread false rumors and told Itzaccíhuatl that her beloved had died in the fight.

Heartbroken and deceived, Itzaccíhuatl couldn’t bear the sorrow and passed away.

Soon, Popocatépetl returned from the battle. But upon his arrival, he received the devastating news of the death of his beloved. Overcome with grief, he wandered for days and nights, searching for a way to honor their love.

He decided to build a great tomb beneath the sun, piling up ten hills to create a massive mountain. After completing this monumental task, he took the lifeless body of his princess and placed her on the mountaintop.

He kissed her for the last time and, holding a smoky torch, knelt by her side to watch over her forever.

Since then, they have remained together, facing each other. As time passed, snow covered their bodies, turning them into two enormous volcanoes that stood unchanged until the end of time.

***

There’s another legend connected to this volcano, and it’s about a friendly nickname given to the mountain by the people living nearby. They call this volcano “Don Goyo,” which is short for Gregorio.

It’s said that from time to time, an elderly man appears in various villages in the area and introduces himself as Don Gregorio or Gregorio Chino. The locals believe that this old man is the embodiment of the volcano.

Locals believe that Don Goyo, the old man, comes to make sure that the people living in the area act with honesty and show respect to the volcano. They believe that if they do so, good luck will come their way.

Tepoztlán is derived from Nahuatl and means “place of abundant copper” or “place of the broken rocks.”
This is derived from the words tepoz-tli (copper) and tlan (“place of/place of abundance”).

The climate around the Tepoztlán Sierra (where el Tepozteco is located) shows temperate as well as some subtropical variations. The rainy season starts during the summer and ends at the beginning of autumn.

Precipitation reaches 1000 mm/yr in the Tepoztlán Valley and up to 1200 mm/yr in the mountains.

According to myth, Tepoztlan is the birthplace of Quetzalcoatl over 1200 years ago, the feathered serpent god widely worshipped in ancient Mexico. It has not yet been possible to determine who first inhabited the area. The earliest findings of pottery and other ceramic utensils date back to approximately 1500 BCE.

By the 10th century CE the Toltec culture was predominant in the area. Tepoztlán is said to have been the birthplace of Ce Acatl, a very important Toltec leader, later known as Topiltzin Ce Acatl Quetzalcoatl, and who may be the possible historical basis of the Mesoamerican god Quetzalcoatl.

During the Spanish Conquest Hernán Cortés is said to have ordered the town razed after the refusal of the town leaders to meet him. This event was chronicled by Bernal Díaz del Castillo in The Conquest of New Spain.

Meztitla Scout Camp School

Owned by the Asociación de Scouts de México, A.C., located near Tepozteco mountain, Meztitla is the National Scout Camp School. Although Meztitla is frequented by Scouts of Mexico and from around the world, it is also open to the general public.

Buses from Mexico City $5-$24 (1:05 hours) run each 5 min.

The municipality consists of the main town of Tlayacapan and 31 populated communities, which cover an area of 71.52 km2.

The municipality is a valley surrounded by a chain of low mountains, most of which belong to the Sierra de Tepozteco. Which have capricious forms. To the south are peaks known as Ventanilla and Sombrerito. To the west are Huixtlazink, Tlatoani and Ziualopapalozink, which is the highest. On the northwest side are Tezontlala, Cuitlazimpa and Tepozoco, and on the north side is Amixtepec. Most of these peaks are rounded, which give the area its Nahautl name. One of the figures said to appear on one of the mountains is that of the mother goddess Tonantzin. Forty two other god images are said to appear in the mountain range. One legend states that the faces of these gods were sculpted by human hands when the king Quetzalcoatl came to this area and pronounced it sacred. The profile of Tonantzin has been identified with the Virgin of Guadalupe because it appears most readily in the morning of 12 December, this virgin’s feast day.

There are no permanent rivers but there are seasonal ravines that crisscross the valley floor. The largest of these include Tepanate, Chicotla, Huiconchi and Santiago. The climate is temperate and semi humid. Most rain falls during the rainy season in summer and early fall. Average temperature is 16C. Prevailing winds run south to north. There are mostly small mammals with some deer and the occasional puma. There are a number of bird species such as storks and owls and a number of reptiles and amphibians. There are also many varieties of spiders. There is a nature preserve called Chichinautzin which was established in 1988.

The origin of the name is from Nahuatl and means “over the point or nose of the earth” but it can also be translated at “the limits of the earth.”

The first culture in the area was the Olmec, who are known only by archeological remains. Some of the archeological work done here was by Francisco Plancarte y Navarete, who was also the second bishop of Cuernavaca in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He found a large number of Olmec clay figures here and other areas nearby.

Later in the pre-Hispanic period, the area became dominated by the Xochimilcas, who remained dominant until the arrival of the Spanish. The town of Tlayacapan dates back at least to 1400 C.E. when chronicles describe it as an important commercial center. The area was an important trade route between Tenochtitlan and points south. It has an important ceremonial center with altars dedicated to Tonantzin and other deities. This center was in the center of the town, where the monastery is now. The tecpan, or governor’s palace was located where the municipal palace is now. The old market area retains its original function to this day. The pre-Hispanic town was ordered into four neighborhood aligned with the cardinal directions, called calpullis. These are marked by the four largest chapels in the town.

In 1520, while Hernán Cortés was still trying to conquer Tenochtitlan, the Spanish sent an expedition south of the valley into this area. In 1521, the Spanish fought the natives of Tlayacapan on the hill called Ziualopapalozink. The Spanish left the area and headed for Oaxtepec, Yautepec and then to Cuernavaca and back to the Valley of Mexico. The lords of Tlayacapan sent many warriors to Tenochtitlan to help defend the Aztec Empire. Tlayacapan was not completely subdued by Cortés militarily until 1539. The “spiritual conquest” began with the building of the San Juan Bautista monastery and its associated chapels in the 1530s by the Augustinians. A total of 26 chapels would be built through the town over older significant pre-Hispanic sites. However, in the early colonial period, the indigenous would hide native deities such as Yacatecutli, the god of commerce, inside hollow figures of saints and march with them in procession.

The indigenous lost most of their property rights and most of the land became haciendas, such as the Hacienda of San Carlos Borromeo and the Hacienda of San Nicolás. Most would not have property rights again until 1874. However, during the rule of Porfirio Díaz in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many indigenous claims would be thwarted in favor of the haciendas. Total restoration of rights came with the end of the Mexican Revolution.

During the Mexican Revolution, the Liberation Army of the South was based here for a time. Emiliano Zapata left from here to Chinameca, where he was assassinated.

From the colonial period to recent times, the area has been relatively isolated, keeping many of its old traditions, including economy intact. The highway connecting Mexico City to Cuautla was built through here in the latter 20th century, bringing traffic and some tourism. In 1994, the San Juan Bautista monastery was named as part of a World Heritage site officially named “Earliest 16th century monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl”.

A severe thunderstorm in August 2010, part of a system that brought widespread flooding to several states, overflowed ravines. These floods dumped debris and mud over most of the town’s streets and flooded the atrium and interior of the Capilla del Señor de Exhaltación, one of the town’s most important. Volunteers have since worked to clean and restore the building.

The monastery

Towering over everything else in the town, is the former monastery of San Juan Baustista (John the Baptist). This monastery is part of the series of monasteries near the Popocatepetl volcano which was declared a World Heritage Site in 1994. Today only the church portion retains its original function and serves as the parish church for the municipality. The patron saint of the town is John the Baptist, whose feast day is celebrated on 24 June.

The monastery complex was constructed by the Augustinians between 1534 and 1574, along with a number of chapels scattered throughout the town. It is fronted by an atrium which is larger than in any other monastery complex in the state. The facade of the church has small images of suns and moons. Its complex is a mixture of a number of architectural styles including Roman, Medieval, Plateresque, Gothic and Moorish. The church is one of the largest in Morelos. Despite its importance, the building lacks altarpieces and decorative elements in its architecture. The number 12 is found in all of its corners, 12 foundations, 12 doors, 12 main rooms and others. The total comes to 144, the number of walls of the “perfect city” described in the Apocalypse. The main nave of the church measures 14 meters wide, 28 meters tall and 56 meters long, and match those of the Santi Quattro Coronati basilica in Rome. One of the main attractions of the monastery museum are the frescos in the entrance hall and meditation hall. The paintings in the entrance hall were done for evangelization purposes. The monastery’s church remains with its original function. The rest, such as courtyards, cloister, chapels, dining hall, prayer rooms, kitchen, gardens and monks’ cells have disappeared or have been converted to other uses.

The cloister area and part of the open chapel have been converted into a site museum. This museum contains pre-Hispanic artifacts, Catholic religious objects, religious paintings from the 17th century and more. One item which stands out is a painting of “Nuestra Señora de la Luz” an oil work of the Virgin Mary pregnant. It is claimed that from whatever angle the work is viewed, the Virgin appears to be looking directly at the onlooker. Two other important pieces are an anonymous paints from the 16th century with Flemish influence presenting Saint Augustine and pictorial fragments from an altarpiece from 1737. The museum also contains a number of mummified remains on display. These were found under the floor of the main nave of the monastery church in 1982, when restoration work was being performed. These remains are of several children and one adolescent, each found in its own wooden coffin and in good condition. They were identified as upper-class Spanish due to their dress. The belief at that time was to be buried in the church as close to the altar as possible in order to reach heaven sooner. Today they can be viewed in the museum in the room which used to be the dispensary. For this reason and others, photos inside the museum area are strictly prohibited.

The museum area underwent more restoration work in 1997 which was funded by the INAH, the Instituto de Cultura de Morelos and the American Express Foundation. Much of this work involved the cleaning and restoration of the murals in the cloister area. Some of the best preserved works are in the Sala Profundis or meditation room where there are depictions of the Four Evangelists, Saints Peter and Paul, the Virgin Mary and the Crucifixion.

The chapels

Associated with the monastery is a series of 26 chapels, which were located in places were pre-Hispanic rituals had been performed as part of the “spiritual conquest” of the area.

Some of these chapels have been abandoned and are in ruins. Eighteen remain in use and are being gradually restored. These chapels are divided into three groups, capillas de cabecera, capillas de calpulli and capillas de relación.

While some are simple, even humble structures, several of the chapels are surprisingly elaborated with decorative facades, towers, espadañas and decorative gateways, some dating from colonial times. Each of the chapels has its own feast day and each neighborhood has its own chapel.

It has 21 chapels associated with it, classified into three groups: capillas de cabecera capillas de calpulli and capillas de relacíon.

The most important of these are the capillas de cabecera or roughly “head chapels” which include El Rosario, Santa Ana, Señor de la Exaltación and Señor Santiago. These four chapels mark the four pre-Hispanic neighborhood temples or teocallis in each of the cardinal directions, in the same relative location vis-à-vis the main teocalli, where the monastery is now. Santa Ana is found in the north, La Exaltación in the south, Santiago in the east and El Rosario in the west.

The chapel of the Señora del Rosario is one that marks the town’s traditional western boundary and lends its name to the surrounding neighborhood. It has an east-west orientation and is paired with the chapel of Santiago on the east side of town. It is adorned with stucco filigree, with seven niches in the body and three in the bell areas. It used to be said that when the bells of this chapel sounded, hunger would go away. Festival of the Señora del Rosaio is 7 October, with toritos de luces (small bull shaped frames with fireworks), festival and wind bands.

The chapel of Santa Ana is located in the north of the town. Its facade is very sober and contains a medallion of the saint, which was placed there in 1973. Inside, the saint is represented along the Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus. This is the only chapel which does not have a canon vault but rather a gothic style one. Each year, pilgrims to Chalma leave from and return to this chapel. The neighborhood around it, called Barrio Norte or Barrio Santa Ana was the traditional exit to Mexico City. The chapel of Santa Ana is the scene of the commemoration of the Virgen de los Dolores (Virgin of the Sorrows) on the sixth Friday of Lent and the Procession of the Holy Burial (Santo Entierro) during Holy Week.

The Santiago Chapel is found in the Santiago neighborhood, which used to be called Texcalpa, or the “witch” (male) neighborhood. Here are found many of the town’s potters making everyday items such as pots for mole. The interior of this chapel is more decorated than most others with multicolored winged angels and saints. There is a three-gate opening into the atrium. The original atrium cross was decorated with flowers but this was stolen some time ago, as well as a number of other objects from the chapel property. The original doors remain, decorated with a mixture of symbols representing stars, suns and people. The squares with depictions of the sun and moon are considered to be particularly important. Each bell tower is decorated with Talavera tiles as well as stone spheres, which contain certification as to their perfection. Feast day is 25 July and celebrated with pre-Hispanic dance.

The Capilla de la Exaltación, also called Capillas de La Cruz, is located in the south. It contains an image of a Black Christ said to work miracles and is the object of local pilgrimage. The day of the Señor de la Exaltación is the first Friday of Lent, with events from Thursday evening to the following Sunday, such as pre-Hispanic dances and fireworks.

The capillas de relación, or chapels related to a specific ancient deity converted into a saint, consist of Nuestra Señora del Tránsito, San Lucas, San Pedro and San Jerónimo. The day of Nuestra Señora del Trànsito is the fourth Friday of Lent, with activities beginning on Wednesday and extending to Sunday. This consists of dances called jaripeos, fireworks and processions as the Virgin makes her way to Tepoztlán. One of town’s many legends involves the Virgen del Transito figure of the Virgin Mary, which was originally from Tepoztlan. This figure was burned and one was sought who could repair it in Tlayacapan. It is said that this figure “fell in love” with the figure of Saint Martin and wished to stay, so it became too heavy to lift. Today, the image has its own chapel in the far southwest of the community, but the figure itself remains in the chapel of San Martin.

The capillas de calpulli cover other types of sites in the four pre-Hispanic neighborhoods. They include San Jerónimo, Santa Marta, Santa Cruz de Altica, San Diego, La Magdalena, San Lorenzo, La Tlazcalchica, San Nicolás, La Concepcón, San Miguel, La Asunción, San Martín, La Natividad and Los Reyes. Those chapels on the outskirts, such as San Nicolás, San Pedro, San Lucas, Las Animas and El Transito, mark traditional exits from the pre-Hispanic village. The smallest chapels, also called “ermitas” mark topographic sites or other devotional areas. The festival of the Chapel of Santa Cruz of Altica is on 3 May, as well as the chapel of Tlazcalchica. The Capilla de la Natividad contains the Museo del Alfarero or Potters’ Museum.

La Cerería

The La Cerería Museum and Cultural center is housed in a building which covers an entire city block and dates back to the 16th century. Its original function was the Encomendero Español or the headquarters for the local encomendero system. In the 17th century, it became one of the first waxworks in the Americas. This waxworks was noted in the region for making beautiful candles, and became a place to stock up on these for those traveling to and from Mexico City. The building was enlarged over time showing a number of different architectural styles. It contains a large alijbe or water storage tank in the main courtyard. There are also gargoyles. During the Mexican Revolution, the building served as a barracks for Emiliano Zapata’s troops.

The building was repaired and converted into its present function in the late 20th century. The restoration of the La Cerería was a common cause for the community, who were aided by researchers, scholars and other volunteers from outside. The rooms have been conditioned to display aspects of the municipality’s history and traditions, such as its pre-Hispanic past, its musicians, its pottery tradition, its numerous 16th century chapels and the Chinelos. There are also two rooms dedicated to temporary exhibits. Workshops offered vary from crafts to personal development to languages such as English and Nahuatl to painting to chess as well as local traditions. The building has been used to film a number of movies because of its architecture.

Former Hacienda of San Nicolás

The former Hacienda of San Nicolás is located in the Pantitlán neighborhood, but it is in ruins. It is said that it originally belonged to Hernán Cortés who bequeathed it to a grandson named Pedro in the 16th century. The original owners supported the work of the local Augustinians and when then property first became abandoned, these brothers took it over. In 1809, the government confiscated it and it has remained government property since.

Carnival and the Chinelos

Carnival and the dance of the Chinelos are intertwined in the municipality. Each year since the colonial period, Tlayacapan has had a Carnival just before Lent. The dance originated here as part of Carnival. The name Chinelo comes from the Nahuatl word zineloquie, which means “disguised”. During colonial times Spanish overlords were often crule and oppressive to the mestizo and indigenous populations. During Carnival, masks were permitted and the dancers gradually took on an appearance designed to make fun of the Spanish. The gown mimics the nightgowns of Spanish colonial women, with white cotton gloves also serving to imitate these women. The ornate hat encrusted with fake jewels and large feathers mimics those worn by both sexes. The mask not only served to hide identity, but also they are made with wire mesh, painted pink, with heavy eyebrows and long pointed beards to mimic the abundant facial hair of Europeans. According to tradition, the hat was created by someone named Candido rojas, the wire mesh masks by someone with the last name of Tlacomulco and the gown decorated with stripes and colored yoke by someone only known as “Barrabas”. The dancers march through the streets, striking poses and making jumping movements, often inviting onlookers to join in. They are accompanied by local bands, playing traditional music and even sons and other musical compositions created just for them. This Chinelo tradition was copied and modified by many other towns in Morelos, starting with Tepoztlán, which has its own colors and style of hat. There are also Chinelo dancers in the southern boroughs of Milpa Alta and Xochimilco in nearby Mexico City. However, the dance is now a symbol of the state of Morelos.

Featuring the Chinelos dancing and marching through the streets, the Carnival tradition here is centuries old and held the days just before Ash Wednesday. By the time of the Mexican Revolution, the tradition had waned but it has made a comeback since the 1920s. Like with other versions of Carnival, the event is held for several days before Ash Wednesday but reaches its peak the night before on Tuesday. The annual celebration took root here during the colonial period in the mestizo and indigenous neighborhoods of the town, especially those who maintained strong indigenous traditions. One of these was the “nemontemi” or the five days at the end of the Aztec calendar, which occurred in early February, around the same time as the beginning of Lent. This event also marks the beginning of the dry season, when there is no agricultural work. Work moves to the management of stored grain and crafts.

On the day before Ash Wednesday, festivities begin at 10 in the morning with music and dance as well as fireworks. These wind through the streets on their way to the main square. The party continues in the square with music and food and rides and other attractions. However, the real festivities begin at sundown and continue until the stroke of midnight of Wednesday. Throughout the day and night, Chinelos can be seen dancing through the crowds. At its height, there are about 15,000 people crowded into the town center.

Banda Tlayacapan

A number of bands featuring wind instruments play during Carnival and other festivals, but the oldest and best known of Tlayacapan’s wind ensembles is the Banda Tlayacapan. This organization was begun in 1870 by Vidal Santamaría, with only a chirimia (a traditional wind instrument) and some drums. It was originally called “Los Alarcones.” Soon after, other instruments such as tubas and saxophones were added. The band survived a number of historic events, such as the Mexican Revolution, as well as more mundane problems such as monetary disputes. Direction of the band has stayed with the Santamaría family, with Brigido Santamaria, who headed it for much of the 20th century, writing music for the band, such as “Danza de los Chinelos” and sons and preserving older traditional pieces that might have otherwise been lost. When he died in 1975, the band came under the direction of Carlos Santamaría who heads it today. The band received the 1998 Premio Nacional de Ciencias y Artes from President Ernesto Zedillo. 2010 marks the band’s 140th anniversary. Many of the modern band’s members represent generations of participation and the band is split into several sections for playing at different kinds of events such as traditional dances, civic events, and funerals. This band is culturally the most important in the state, and has travelled all over Mexico and the world.

Pottery and juego de aire

Pottery has been made in the town since far back into pre-Hispanic times. Some of the oldest pottery found here is associated with the Olmec culture. One distinctive technique to the areas pottery is using cattail fluff as temper, mixing it into the clay. Pottery items include flowerpots, storage jars, figures, cooking pots, comals, jars, dishes and more. Many are glazed in various colors. To honor the tradition there is a Museo del Alfarero or Potters’ Museum in the Capilla de la Natividad and a festival dedicated to the craft. The Feria del Barro, also known as the Festival Cultural de Tlayacapan was initiated by Cornelio Santamaría and is held each November. The 2009 Feria de Barro featured singer Susana Harp and groups such as Leones de la Sierra as well as the native Banda de Tlayacapan. The festival not only showcases the area’s pottery but also has expositions of photography, other crafts and children’s events.

One pottery tradition unique to the community is a set of figurines called a “juego de aire” (literally “air set”). This is a set of clay figures, which are used in ritual healing, especially of diseases associated with “bad air.” The last craftsperson to preserve the art of making these is Felipa Hernandez Barragan. The set demonstrates a ritual healing scene with one figure, representing the sick person, and another representing the “curandero” or shaman-healer with a bird in his hand at the center. Around them are various animals: a lizard, a millipede, a snake, a bull, a donkey, a spider, a scorpion and a frog, each of which has a cigarette tied to its back. These animals represent the various aspects of nature. Tradition states that certain illnesses are due to “bad air” or to supernatural forces that become offended if certain courtesies are not observed. One of these courtesies is to greet and/or offer food to an ant hill when walking by. Another is to make offering in ravines and other places where water flows. Most of these beliefs have pre-Hispanic roots.

Traditional dishes include pipian (both red and green), tamales, various types of beans and tlacoyos. One local bean is called “ayocote” which is large and dark red. Avocado leaves are used to flavor food and dishes often feature tomatoes, tomatillos, nopals and a plant called huanzontle. Cecina from the nearby town of Yecapixtla is popular as well.

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The region’s challenging farming conditions suggest that the site was strategically chosen for its defensive advantages and its position along major Mesoamerican trade routes. The region is characterized by semi-arid conditions.

The Best Time to Visit

The ideal time to visit Xochicalco is during the dry season, from November to April. During these months, the weather is generally pleasant, making it easier to explore the ruins without the discomfort of rain or extreme heat.

The name Xochicalco comes from the Nahuatl language and means “in the house of Flowers.” This name likely reflects the site’s cultural and religious significance, possibly associated with floral symbolism in local rituals and mythology.

History Facts and Chronology

Xochicalco’s history likely begins around 200 BCE with the initial occupation of the site.

It wasn’t until 650 CE that Xochicalco was founded by the Olmeca-Xicallanca, a group of Mayan traders from Campeche, establishing it as a significant center along Mesoamerican trade routes.

During the next few centuries, Xochicalco developed into a significant urban center.

During this time, most of the monumental architecture visible today was built. Xochicalco’s architecture and iconography show influences from Teotihuacan, the Maya area, and the Matlatzinca culture of the Toluca Valley.

Xochicalco thrived in the transitional period between Teotihuacán’s decline and the rise of Tula. Xochicalco rose to prominence following the decline of Teotihuacán, stepping into the economic and political void left in its wake.

Xochicalco may have played a part in the fall of the Teotihuacan empire.

Xochicalco was home to between 10,000 and 15,000 people, many of whom were engaged in craft production and long-distance trade. Xochicalco was an important fortress, trade, and religious center.

The poor farming conditions in the area indicate that it was probably built for defense and trade purposes.

Xochicalco’s ascendancy owed much to its strategic positioning, facilitating robust trade networks with regions spanning Michoacán, Guerrero, Oaxaca, the Maya territories, and the coastal realms along the Mexican Gulf and Pacific.

Perched atop several hills, meticulously crafted through the art of terracing and fortified with ditches.

Xochicalco boasted a rugged yet strategic landscape. Watchtowers stood sentinel while the imposing Citadel, adorned with pyramidal structures, palatial edifices, and ceremonial ball courts, commanded attention.

Its architectural narrative, rich with motifs of warfare, celestial observation, and intricate cosmogonic symbolism, elevated Xochicalco to a pinnacle of Mesoamerican cultural convergence and the genesis of militaristic city-states.

Around 900 CE the city was burned and destroyed.

The evidence of this violent end is found in the layers of burning and destruction that cover the deposits from the city’s main occupation period. Evidence of burning and rapid abandonment is found in many of the excavated structures.

Despite the destruction, a small population continued to live on the lower slopes of the hill. The site was later recolonized around 1200 by the Tlahuica peoples, ancestors of the modern Nahuatl-speaking populations in Morelos.

Modern History (Rediscovery)

• 1777: The ruins of Xochicalco were first described.
• 1810: Alexander von Humboldt illustrated and described the site.
• 1910: Leopoldo Batres restored the Temple of the Feathered Serpent.
• 1940s-1960s: Major excavations and restorations.

In 1976, a project began to map the site and excavate various structures. In 1988, the INAH initiated excavations of monumental architecture, resulting in the construction of a new museum to display the findings.

Today, Xochicalco stands as a testament to the complex history of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, offering visitors a unique glimpse into the past through its well-preserved ruins and artifacts.

Situated atop three hills, the site’s layout was carefully orchestrated, with terraces, causeways, and stairways. The ditches and imposing walls, underscored its fortified character, rendering it impervious to intrusion.

At the summit, religious and administrative structures interlinked, with the Acropolis serving as the ruler’s abode. The Ceremonial Plaza housed the iconic Pyramid of the Feathered Serpent, a hub for religious ceremonies.

Residential complexes, from noble “palaces” to humbler abodes, dotted the landscape, while ballgame courts and an observatory added layers of functionality.

Artistic prowess shone through intricately carved reliefs, echoing Teotihuacan and Maya influences. The Pyramid of the Feathered Serpent stood as a beacon of architectural splendor, while an observatory within a cave showcased celestial mastery.

Xochicalco boasted a vibrant civic-religious hub at the Central Plaza, while La Malinche featured the South Ballgame Court and a grouping of round altars. The Main Plaza, with its political significance and monumental structures like the Pyramid of the Feathered Serpent, commanded reverence.

In the East Complex, the East Ballgame Court and the Ramp of the Animals offered further insights into the site’s cultural depth. Meanwhile, the West Complex, positioned above the Observatory cave, housed structures dedicated to astronomical exploration, encapsulating Xochicalco’s multifaceted legacy.

Observatory Cave

Xochicalco’s many caves, excavated by its inhabitants, served multiple purposes beyond providing construction materials. Among these is the remarkable Observatory cave, where the sun’s movements were meticulously tracked.

This cave features a corridor leading to a spacious chamber with an 8.7-meter chimney, hexagonally shaped and slightly inclined to allow sunlight to project a hexagonal image onto the cave floor. The interior was adorned with painted stucco.

From April 30th to August 15th, the sun aligns with the chimney.

On May 14/15 and July 28/29, when the sun reaches its zenith at noon, it casts a direct beam of light into the cave. This celestial event likely had religious significance, and the cave was used for related ceremonies.

The site was also used for religious ceremonies.

Drainage

Xochicalco’s sophisticated drainage system highlights the ingenuity of its people. Designed to collect and store rainwater in cisterns, these systems were essential during the dry months, which span roughly seven months each year.

Pre-constructed pipes, resembling modern designs, were used to channel water. This advanced system not only addressed practical needs but might also have played a role in religious practices dedicated to the rain deity.

Temple of the Feathered Serpent

In 1909-1910, archaeologist Leopoldo Batres restored the Temple of the Feathered Serpent at Xochicalco, reconstructing it despite the loss of many original stones used by landowners for their haciendas and sugar mills.

Initially, the structure featured a porticoed room of 10 by 11 meters. It was later expanded and covered to create the pyramid, becoming Xochicalco’s central axis.

The base of the pyramid has sloping walls topped by a parapet, and above it was the temple, now only marked by a single row of stones. The basalt and andesite carvings were intricately fitted without mortar.

The pyramid’s slopes are adorned with carvings of feathered serpents. On the east, south, and north sides, six serpents are depicted with feathered crowns and undulating bodies decorated with snails, culminating in tails resembling rattlesnakes.

Smaller serpents are found on the west side. These carvings feature seated figures with Maya-influenced headgear, loincloths, bead necklaces, and elaborate headdresses, indicating the importance of precious discourse.

Key glyphs and dates, such as “9 Eye of Reptile,” surrounded by smoke volutes, signify the 52-year cycle known as the new fire.

The front carvings include significant calendar adjustments and portray figures like “2 Movement,” a priestly figure associated with the universe and the ballgame, reflecting both historical events and celestial observations.

The parapet on the east side features eight rectangles, each with a seated priest holding a censer and a day sign, indicating their origins. These represent a council of 28 representatives from different towns.

The carvings include various day signs and toponyms, showing a blend of unique glyphs and place names.

The north side parapet features rectangles with seated figures, each associated with a toponym and the symbol of an eclipse observed on May 1, 664 CE. These toponyms include depictions of everyday and mythological elements like a coyote with a feather or a person crossing a river in sandals.

Overall, the intricate carvings and glyphs on the Temple of the Feathered Serpent provide a rich narrative of Xochicalco’s historical, religious, and astronomical significance, illustrating the city’s cultural and political importance during its peak.

The Steles of Xochicalco

These steles feature intricate carvings that represent gods, cosmological symbols, and important cultural narratives, Xochicalco’s rich religious and mythological traditions.

The presence of calendrical glyphs suggests the importance of time and ritual in Xochicalco society. These artifacts underscore the city’s significance as a center of cultural and spiritual life, as well as its connections to other regions through trade and shared religious practices.

Museum

The Xochicalco Site Museum is the world’s first ecological museum. The museum’s construction and research into the indigenous city were part of a government program to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Columbus’s voyage.

The museum was inaugurated on April 10, 1996.

The museum occupies an area of 12,676 square meters, lacking urban services such as potable water, drainage, and electricity. Therefore, it had to be designed as a self-sufficient building in terms of services and climate control.

The museum is composed of three zones:

• Access, parking, and exterior gardens.
• The entrance courtyard and three interior gardens.
• The introduction lobby, exhibition halls, administrative area, and restaurant.

The museum can accommodate around 600 people, 70 cars, and 14 buses simultaneously.

The museum’s ecological features include rainwater collection from the roofs, natural lighting through skylights with mirror ducts, and controlled interior temperature through double walls and ceiling vents.

The museum’s architecture blends with the surrounding landscape, minimizing its visual impact and allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the archaeological site.

Inside, the triangular-shaped halls and perpendicular lighting system guide visitors through the history of the ceremonial center, utilizing natural light to reduce the need for artificial illumination.

From Mexico City:

• Travel by car will take 2 hours, depending on traffic.
• By bus to Cuernavaca and the to the ruin’s area.

From Cuernavaca:

• Travel by car will take 40 minutes.
• By bus or colectivo (shared taxi) towards Alpuyeca or Miacatlán.
• Request a stop at Xochicalco or take a taxi from Alpuyeca or Miacatlán.

• The site and the museum typically open from 09:00 to 17:00.
• Access to the observatory is only allowed after noon.

The terrain can be uneven, so comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
Bring water, stay hydrated, and protect yourself from the sun.