Mexico with Heart - Living, Traveling, and Retiring in Mexico » Cuernavaca

Traveling to Cuernavaca

Rosana — Thu, 14 May 2009 23:19:14 +0000

Getting to Cuernavaca is quite simple, as it is located only about an hour’s drive from Mexico City on a fast toll road. So you can fly to Mexico City and then rent a car or catch a first class Pullman Line bus which goes between the Mexico City International Airport and central Cuernavaca. It takes under two hours and costs somewhere under $10 U.S.

Within Cuernavaca itself, you can walk to many of the sights. There are plenty of taxis, and there are also tours to spots of interest in the surrounding area.

This is the shortest travel page I’ve written on this site. It’s all quite simple!

Traveling to Cuernavaca is a post from: Mexico with Heart - Living, Traveling, and Retiring in Mexico

About Cuernavaca

Rosana — Tue, 12 May 2009 20:20:56 +0000

Cuernavaca is one of the most beautiful and cosmopolitan cities in Mexico, and it has a mild climate all year as well. Sounds nice, doesn’t it? Located only an hour’s drive from Mexico City but some 2500 feet lower in elevation, it’s a world apart… except maybe on weekends when thousands of people escape the capital for a getaway in Cuernavaca.

The rich and famous have been coming to Cuernavaca for centuries. It’s long been a popular home for foreigners, and there is an active foreign colony with many events you can take part in. Even if you aren’t rich or famous! Many people come to Cuernavaca for its Spanish-language schools, and while studying you can board with a Mexican family if you wish, for a more total immersion.

The foreign population isn’t as overwhelmingly visible as it is in some popular expat spots, though. With a population of over 300,000 in the city itself, and at least that many again in the surrounding areas, Cuernavaca can absorb a lot of visitors and still maintain its ambiance.

The city of full of gorgeous homes, and sometimes there are home tours you can take. Because it gets a good amount of rainfall, Cuernavaca is famous for its gardens. It also has a number of historic buildings that you can visit. Its central plaza is full of activity, including free band concerts. There are spas, hot springs, and several golf courses in the area.

Cuernavaca Courtyard
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Some things to see in Cuernavaca:

The cathedral is one of the oldest in Mexico.
The Borda Gardens date from the 1700s, when a Frenchman, Jose de la Borda, made a fortune in mining. They still give you a sense of the grandeur of their heyday.
Museums include Museo Casa de la Torre, the collection of American artist Robert Brady, and others.
There are Aztec ruins right in the city and more in the vicinity.
The shopping is superb.

Travel to Cuernavaca is easy, and the topnotch hotels of Cuernavaca are outstanding.(All price ranges do exist.)

When I was nine, my family flew to the capital and then drove to the coast. I remember lunch in a beautiful hotel in Cuernavaca…. I have no idea what we ate, but I clearly remember the lush gardens that our table overlooked. That image has remained in my mind ever since. It’s fun to realize that a child’s memory captured the essence of Cuernavaca!

About Cuernavaca is a post from: Mexico with Heart - Living, Traveling, and Retiring in Mexico

Hotels in Cuernavaca

Rosana — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:52:04 +0000

Because Cuernavaca has been an upscale city since long before the word “upscale” existed, you’d expect to have a good choice of fine places to stay. That is indeed the case. Many of the hotels have extensive gardens, one-of-a-kind rooms furnished with antiques, and many more amenities.

Some of the best hotels include: Camino Real Sumiya (formerly the home of the heiress Barbara Hutton), Casa Tamayo, Las Mañanitas (with one of Mexico’s most famous restaurants), and Misión del Sol (an upscale health retreat with solar power).

Other very attractive hotels in Cuernavaca include: Casa Colonial (in a converted 18th-century building), Cuernavaca Racquet Club, El Nido, Hacienda Cocoyoc, Hacienda de Cortés ( a restored 16th-century hacienda actually built for Hernán Cortés), Hacienda Vista Hermosa (a 17th century hacienda), Hostería Las Quintas Resort & Spa, Jacarandas Las Villas de Bellavista, María Cristina, Maximiliano y Carlota, Rancho Cuernavaca (with an eight-acre estate and its own waterfall), Villa Bejar, Villa Bejar Beach Club & Spa, and Villa del Conquistador (with a panoramic view of the city).

Cuernavaca might be a good place to splurge and stay in a nice place. Budget hotels exist as well, though this city isn’t a bargain-hound’s paradise.

As well as the usual seasonal popularity of hotels in Mexico, since people leave Mexico City for a nice break, the weekends tend to be quite busy for Cuernavaca hotels.

Hotels in Cuernavaca is a post from: Mexico with Heart - Living, Traveling, and Retiring in Mexico