A modern, opulent city steeped in rich history, Cuernavaca sits south of Mexico City in Mexico’s splendid highlands. For centuries, wealthy citizens of Mexico City have built comfortable second homes in this city of abundant flora. Here, luxurious homes surrounded by sparkling pools and extravagant gardens nestle behind tall walls. Red tile roofs cover yellow, blue and pink homes as far as you can see. Cuernavaca, known as the ‘City of Eternal Spring’ is a year-round vacation destination.
In 1530, Hernan Cortez chose to build his famed palace here. This vast structure, downtown on the larger of two lovely plazas, is now the Cuauhnahuac Museum. Exhibits of many pre-Columbian and conquest-era artifacts, appealing paintings and sculptures, as well as several of Diego Rivera’s famous murals give a sense of majesty and history.
U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, Dwight Morrow (1927-1930), commissioned the Rivera murals. Even though Ambassador Morrow accomplished a great deal to restore relations between the U.S. and Mexico after the Mexican Revolutionary War, it was his daughter who placed Cuernavaca on the map. Miss Morrow became Mrs. Charles Lindbergh.
Along cobblestone streets you’ll find distinctive shops and charming garden restaurants nestled among museums and wondrous archaeological sites. The Cathedral de la Asunción (1525) is downtown, and is one of the oldest cathedrals in Mexico. Across the street is Jardin Borda, a private park built by Joseph de la Borde, a Frenchman made rich by Mexico’s silver mines. Later, Archduke Maximilian and his wife Carlota built a summer residence here. According to royal household gossips, the imperial couple favored the lush garden with its numerous pools for romantic after-dark rendezvouses with their lovers.
Dining can be a treat in any number of semitropical-garden settings that dot the mountainside and valley. La India Bonita, Dwight Morrow #5, offers authentic Mexican fare served in a delightful colonial-style setting with garden seating. Try the pollo en mole negro (chicken in a rich chocolate sauce). Delicious! Reservations: 01-777-312-5021.
Posada Maria Cristina is one of many lovely exclusive hotels in this exquisite city. Built in the 16th century on the grounds of the Palace of Hernan Cortez, the manor imparts a magical ambiance that will carry you back in time. Framed by thick adobe and stone walls, surrounded by huge and beautifully landscaped gardens, you can ‘feel’ what life may have been like for the very wealthy four centuries ago. Reservations: 01-777-318-5767.
The Hotel Maximiliano & Carlota is located in one of Cuernavaca’s oldest, quietest and most charming neighborhoods. The hotel offers a terrace haute cuisine restaurant that overlooks lush gardens, an art gallery and a great multilingual staff. Res: 01-777-318-2004.
A tour to Tepoztlan Pyramids and the Xochicalco Ruins, remnants of the great Aztec empire, can be booked through your hotel. Just 25 minutes from Cuernavaca, the village of Tepoztlan sits beneath a towering vertical granite wall. The Tepoztlan Pyramid is dedicated to the god of pulque, a fermented drink still popular today. Perching atop a majestic mountain, the site roosts 1,200 feet above the valley. After a semi-difficult climb, the view below is fantastic.
Dedicated to Quetzalcoatl, the Plumed Serpent, the Xochicalco Ruins is an impressive, mountainside archaeological site with very interesting implications regarding commerce between many regions of ancient Mexico.
Visit Cuernavaca. Hear the tales of conquest of a great empire. See artifacts from a distant past. Sleep beside splendid tropical gardens where deception and conspiracies ran rampant through cascading orange blossoms. There is no other city like it…in Mexico or in the world.
