Is a town in the municipality of Yautepec, Morelos. Next to Oaxtepec lies a tourist corridor of resorts, lodging and restaurants offering different types of cuisine for travelers, and best known for its seafood and fine cuts of beef. Cocoyoc is home to the Hotel Cocoyoc, one of the largest and most luxurious in Morelos. The hotel features a 9-hole golf course, nightclub, chapel for social events, venues for events for up to 1200 people, etc. All of this is in a remodeled main house of what was once a sugar hacienda. An 18-hole golf course lies in the residential development known as Lomas de Cocoyoc, along with the resort area known as Balneario Ejidal El Bosque, which boasts a small archaeological site within the environs. Featured in said site is a sacrificial stone and a snake-motif monolith.
Along the highway between Cocyoc and Oaxtepec, you can take a piece of Morelos home with you by purchasing beautiful plants in one of the area´s greenhouses
Is one of the most traditional towns in Morelos. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it sets itself apart by the handicrafts you can find there, the famous four-eared clay pots and other kitchen utensils, along with beautiful figures ranging from angels and cherubs to suns, moons and animal figures.
To begin your tour of Tlyayacapan there is nothing better than a visit to the old Convent of San Juan Bautista, in the center of town. This group was built in the 16th Century and is part of the cultural heritage of the humanity according to UNESCO. In it you will find the onsite museum in what used to be the refectory, antechamber and the sacristy where mummies, discovered years ago during a floor renovation, are on display.
Open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm.
A splendid belfry crowns the church’s façade. The atrium is of enormous proportions, and in it you will find representative elements such as the cloister. At the north end of the church there are richly carved tracery vaults and the excellent mural painting of Renaissance inspiration, along with a two-story sacristy, which is very uncommon in this type of building.
Another place deserving of a visit is La Cerería, a building dating back to the 16th, 18th and 19th centuries. Today it houses the Cultural Center, and inside it we can appreciate three permanent exhibition halls, an impressive circular aljibe (a place where rainwater was collected) and an exhibition of the ovens used for the fabrication of candles. The building also has a beautiful access portico, and from there you can enter a small museum with a display of culture from Morelos like dance, music, cuisine, polychromed ceramic toys and the well-known scaled candles. There are also salons for various courses.
Open from Monday to Sunday from 9 am to 6 pm.
There are many dining options, above all those specializing in authentic regional cooking. We recommend the Los Duendes restaurant, but without a doubt the best way is to walk along the town’s streets, enjoying a delicious sorbet or fresh fruit drink, while bargaining for good prices for local handicrafts.
Refreshing yourself with a delicious dip in one of the many pools in Oaxtepec is a way to enjoy the sun and the lush vegetation of the surroundings. And how else could you not think of all these riches, as Oaxtepec has three of the largest water parks and resorts in the whole state of Morelos. Everything is only 75 kms from Mexico City.
We begin at the privately-run Parque Acuático Oaxtepec (Oaxtepec Water Park). This park offers huge water slides, a wave pool, a river with rapids, water games for the kids and extensive green areas for the whole family to enjoy as well as an artificial lake.
Next door to the Park is the Centro Vacacional IMSS Oaxtepec, which has 10 hectares of campgrounds that include green areas, a river, restrooms, changing areas, wash sinks, grills, huts, restaurants, a convenience store and camping equipment rental.
The soccer stadium in its facilities was home to the first division Oaxtepec professional team, a franchise which was later sold to Puebla (Angeles) and is now the Santos de Torreón soccer team.
The park offers cabins and family hotel services, featuring service for conventioneers who rate it as one of the best group and convention destinations in the state. It also has a clubhouse with gymnasium facilities, steam rooms, coffee bar, game room and digital Internet services for guests.
As if this wasn’t enough, the Centro Vacacional has what it calls a Teleferico, a beautiful dome housing a greenhouse with a water source and tens of pools.
The Balneario del Bosque is a resort found a bit to the north, right at the entrance to the Lomas de Cocoyoc development. Here history is lived one step at a time, as within its environs you will find the vacation home of the Aztec emperors. There is a sacrificial stone, a small pyramid and several archaeological pieces along with resort facilities like pools with water slides, changing rooms, restaurant, etc.
To visit this place is to make a journey through history. This is a city which was the scene of the Siege of Cuautla during the war of independence. The names of the streets of the center of town make reference to the historical moments lived during the siege.
To begin the tour of this city, we recommend tthe old train station, located in what was once the orchard of the Ex-Convent of San Diego dating back to the 17th century. It houses the only slim line steam engine still functioning in the whole country today. It is the setting for many television programs and motion pictures such as “Zorro” with Antonio Banderas and “Zapata” from filmmaker Alfonso Arau. Here we can visit the cloister of the ex-convent which has been converted into the Jose Maria Morelos Museum, a library and the municipal tourism board.
To the south we will find the center of town, flanked by the ex-convent of Santo Domingo de Guzmán from the 16th century, which is notoriously severed, and the Municipal Palace, whose gates displayed the body of General Emiliano Zapata on the dates of the 11th and 12th of April, 1919, following his assassination.
Two blocks south of the Zocalo (city square) and in front of the Señor del Pueblo Church is the Plazuela de la Revolucion del Sur, with an enormous statue in tribute to Emiliano Zapata. The remains of this Mexican hero are found in an urn at the foot of this statue. Zapata gave his life in defense of his ideals of “truth, justice and law.”
And if it’s fun you’re after, Cuatla, better known as the city of resorts, is the site of Agua Hedionda, considered number one in the world for its medicinal waters, offering different pools with water slides and diving boards, green areas and private pools. You can also cool off at the Los Limones, El Almeal and Agua Linda resorts.
The varied cuisine of the region can be enjoyed in restaurants offering their services throughout the city. We recommend Las Golondrinas, located in the garden of an historic home in the center of town with an excellent ambiance and pleasant décor, along with La Flor de Morelos on the exit to Mexico City.
Cuautla is also one of the most important producers of ornamental plants and trees in our country, and it is required visiting to go see some of them and acquire the beautiful flowers adorning the homes of its inhabitants.
The town of Tepoztlan has been catalogued as one of the most magical towns by the Federal Tourism Ministry, as it offers multiple ways to enjoy your day.
You can begin your tour of the area with an hour-long hike to climb the hill known as El Tepozteco, where you will find a pyramid of the same name. This prehispanic settlement was built by the Tepoztecs (of Xochmilcan affiliation) between 1150 and 1350 AD on a small plateau. The temple was erected in honor of Ometochtli Tepoztecatl, the god of the fermented drink pulque, related to fertility and good crops. This is why the site became a popular sanctuary where pilgrims from as far away as Central America arrived.
Open from Monday to Sunday from 9:30 am to 6 pm. Admission is free on Sundays.
After descending from El Tepozteco, the best thing is to treat yourself to a great lunch in the street food market in the center of town or in one of the many authentic food restaurants along the neighboring streets.
Another of those can’t-miss places during your visit to this mystical town is the Ex-Convent of the Nativity, built by the Dominicans in the 16th century, and it is one of the 11 convents of the state of Morelos included on the list of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO in 1994. In it you will find a library, a museum, and a lookout point facing the majestic Tepoztecan ridge, along with an important mural painting dating back to the 16th century.
In the atrium you can admire a large atrial cross, fortified battlements, the ruins of the well chapels and open chapel, as well as several tombs, as the area was used as a cemetery.On the church’s façade (done in the Spanish Plateresco Renaissance style) you can appreciate theimage of the Virgin Mary accompanied by saints, angels and cherubs, and the heraldic emblems of the Dominican Order and Santa Catalina de Siena and Santo Domingo de Guzmán, founder of the Order.
Open from Monday to Sunday from 9 am to 6 pm. Admission is free.
There are other attractions in Tepoztlan, such as the Carlos Pellicer Museum, the La Canasta hamlet, the mythical town of Amatlan, birthplace of Ce Acatl Topiltzin Quetzalcoatl, and the Cross of Axitla, the place where the Tepoztecan king was baptized and converted to Christianity by Fray Domingo de la Anunciación.
We amply recommend the hiring of the Tlayecanqueh Ecoguias guides, who are originally from the town of Tepoztlan.
Yecapixtla is a name which in the local native language means "they of the beaked or sharp noses" and which etymologically means "the place where the fine wind blows", is a town located in the north of Morelos. It was founded by the Xochimilcas in 1325, and was conquered by the Tlahuicas in 1332 until the arrival of the Spaniards, led by Santiago de Sandoval in 1521, when they conquered the area in the name of Hernan Cortes. During the weekends here, the place fills with the sounds of the visitors who arrive to enjoy the representative dish of the region, which has achieved international acclaim, the spiced meats of Yecapixtla. A little cream, cheese, sauce and avocado accompany, and delicious tortillas would be the only things you need to delight in this traditional dish of the state of Morelos. You can also enjoy it in some of the restaurants of the area, and we recommend El Gran Taco in the detour of the highway at the entrance of Yecapixtla and El Tianguis, right next to the Convent.
The principal festivities here include the Cecina and Grand Tiaguis Fair, a festival that happens during the last two weeks of October, Holy Week, and the festival of the Patron Saint San Juan June 24. The animal street market is held every Monday, where farm animals and related products are sold and exhibited. Yecapixtla also offers us the majestic ex convent of San Juan, of Augustine origin, founded in 1535 and considered a World Heritage Site. Don’t miss it during your visit to Yecapixtla.
General Emiliano Zapata Salazar, the chief of the Southern Liberation Army, had his base of operations in the entire state of Morelos. Four places distinguished themselves as integral parts of the Zapata Route. To begin the journey, it is best to begin on the way out of Cuautla, where you can visit the old train station, a place that was very important during the Mexican Revolution, as it the point of entrance to the city. On its platforms, in August of 1911, Zapata met President Francisco I. Madero, and from there they went to the Hotel Mora, where Madero sought the disarming of Zapata’s troops without being successful. There we can admire the slim line steam engine Number 279, put into service in 1904, and currently still used only on special occasions. A foundations has been set up to start tours of the engine soon.
At City Hall we can find a plaque where the mortal remains of General Zapata were exhibited on April 11th and 12th, 1919 which reads: “the chief of the Southern Revolution was assassinated April 10th, 1919. His body was brought to Cuautla and displayed at this site on the 11th and 12th of April and his remains rest at the foot of the statue located in the Southern Revolution Plaza.”
This plaza is two blocks south of City Hall. Zapata’s remains were moved to the municipal cemetery in 1932 and deposited at the foot of the statue commemorating the hero. Every April 10th, hundreds of townspeople and local celebrities get together to commemorate the date of his assassination and render tribute to the General. All of these sites are open to the public at no cost. 15 minutes south of Cuautla, by the highway taking you to Ayala City, you will find the town of Anenecuilco, where on August 8th, 1879, Zapata was born to Gabriel Zapata and Cleofas Salazar. It is also home to the Zapata Museum, where the walls of the General’s home are on display, as well as some of the photographs and objects from the period. You will also see the mural from Master Roberto Rodriguez, describing the struggle of Zapata’s followers. We recommend you ask for Lucino Luna, who will, during on of his engaging talks, show you a totally new and unknown side of Zapata: Zapata as an inhabitant of the town and human being. The museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 7 pm and admission is free on Sundays. The town of Tlaltizapán was the center of military operations for Zapata, and there you will find what served as barracks and where today you will find personal objects belonging to the General, the room he shared with his wife Josefina Espejo, as well as the clothes he wore when he was killed. You can also see documents and objects from the Mexican Revolution there. Open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10 am to 6 pm, where admission is free on Sundays. In the atrium of the ex-convent of St Michael the Archangel in the same town, you will find the mausoleum Zapata had built to house his and his principal general’s remains. Today we can see the names of some of those who fought with Zapata on the tombstones there. The ex hacienda of Chinameca is the final point on the Zapata Route. Here, under the arch of the entrance is where Zapata fell, and where you will find a magnificent effigy of the Chief of the South built by sculptor Xerxes Diaz. There is also a small on-site museum with documents and photographs from the Revolutionary Period. You can also visit the main house of the hacienda there. While you cannot enter the house itself as it is in disrepair, there are spots areas in what were once the gardens of the hacienda. To the rear you can appreciate the chacuaco (chimney) with the inscription “Land and Freedom” written on it.
Comprised of Dominican, Augustine and Franciscan convents from the 16th century, this route permits us to admire the excellent architecture of the buildings located at the base of the Popocateptl volcano. 11 of these convents from the state of Morelos have been declared World Heritage sites ,and include the convents at Atlatlauhcan, Cuernavaca, Hueyapan, Oaxtepec, Ocuituco, Tepoztlan, Tetela del Volcan, Totolapan, Tlayacapan, Yecapixtla and Zaucalpan de Amilpas, although many more exist in other areas of Morelos. The friars designed the convents based on European monasteries, adapting them to different circumstances. They placed the cloister, generally two stories tall, next to the church, whose façade was oriented to the west in all cases, placing an orchard behind them and in front a grand atrium. The conversion of a great number of natives who were not accustomed to celebrations in enclosed areas forced them to design open chapels, which opened directly to large patio access areas next to the buildings. On the four corners of the atrium complementary chapels were designed to serve as a way to house holy relics, and were connected by processional paths along the walls of the atrium, which on occasion were fortified or decorated with inverted arches and a great cross in the center at the entrances to the complex. The cloister, generally located to the south of the church, had a portal called the “gate of pilgrims” on the ground floor, as lodging for visitors was provided there, along with a great hall and dining hall known as the refectory, the kitchen, the sacristy, the sala profundis (oftentimes the main salon), the grand staircase, and a fountain at the center of the garden.
On the top floor, you can find the cells of the friars, the library, the cell for visitors and the prioral cell. These last two were the only ones that had a view of the atrium as all the others had views of the orchard to foster meditation. The church was generally of a single nave, with thick walls and buttresses, with its choir and choir loft, a polygonal or semicircular apse, an elaborate pulpit and confessionals built into the walls. In the façade you will find a belfry to house the church bells, as bell towers were added later on. Decorative and religious elements such as altars and religious paintings complement the setting. In this tour you can enjoy the exquisite spiced meats known as cecina from Yecapixtla, famous all over Mexico, and also the elaborate handicrafts of the region. You will also enjoy magnificent views of the Popocatepetl Volcano.
An important part of the heritage of Morelos, what are the farms, factories since the colonial era were used to produce sugar and related products, mainly.
These productive organizations also had vast tracts of land for growing sugar cane, building their own spin, as the mill, boilers, etc.. also included the main house with rooms for the landowner, a chapel, and various workshops for carpentry, blacksmithing, etc., company store, jail, large courtyards, bridges, roads, water works such as aqueducts, stables and in some cases bullring . All of them near a source of water supply essential for both motive power and for irrigation of crops.
Multiple examples of these factories are within the current state of Morelos, some have been refurbished as tourist sites, among which we listed: Cocoyoc, San Gabriel Las Palmas, San Gaspar, Atlacomulco (also known as Hacienda de Cortes), El Puente, Ixtoluca, Temixco, San Jose Vista Hermosa and Chiconcuac, among others.
There are also some that have been renovated for private use by their owners as St. Charles Borromeo or Miacatlán Finance.
Others are completely neglected or invaded, among the most interesting, highlighting the Cuahuixtla ranch, south of Cuautla, which can be visited prior authorization of the municipality of Ciudad Ayala and that was the scene of the shooting of the film "Zapata" with Alejandro Fernandez.
However, there are many other buildings that we admire along the routes of Morelos, mainly distinguished the aqueducts cross the street sometimes, as in the case of San Carlos in Yautepec, the Arches in the town of Cuernavaca Amatitlan etc.. the decaying hulls or in the case of Chinameca, Emiliano Zapata and Zacatepec, to name a few.
The tour these traces of history will undoubtedly represent an unforgettable experience.
38 south of Cuernavaca, and built high up on a hill like a fortress, is the Archeological Zone of Xochicalco. The site was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site on December 1, 1999. Xochicaco, which means “place or home of the flowers”, is the largest archaeological site in Morelos and one of the most important in the country. It has an excellent on-site museum and an underground Prehispanic observatory. It was the setting for the meeting of priests of all of the Mesoamerican cultures to make an adjustment to the calendar. These people were immortalized on the pyramid of Quetzalcoatl, the principal monument at the area.
Several ancient ball courts have been found, as well as a beautiful sculpture of a stylized macaw, similar to some found in Copan, Honduras.
It is a good idea to visit the on-site museum before visiting the archaeological site, featuring the sculpture of the Red Lord. You will also find the scale model of the archeological zone, which allows us to see the organization of the complex.
Parking services, restrooms, store, guided tours and workshops are available. Currently there is a light show weekends from October to May in the dry season.
This site was discovered during a skirmish, when the area of Cuernavaca was being developed by the followers of Zapata, after a cannon brought to the area left part of the pyramid exposed.
This archaeological site is one of the most important of the region. You can see 14 monuments, that together with the Pyramid of the Twin Temples (the largest in the area and which were devoted to the gods Tlaloc and Huitzilopochtli), form a spectacular Prehispanic architectural complex. It is from the same period of the Main Temple of Mexico-Tenochtitlan in Mexico City, and it was built (although in smaller scale) almost identical to this temple. The circular structure, apparently dedicated to the Wind God Ehecatl, draws particular attention.
Located on the heights of the hill known as El Tepozteco. To arrive to the pyramid, you must hike approximately an hour to make it to the summit, where you will find a pyramid of the same name there. This Prehispanic settlement was built by the Tepoztecs (who were affiliated with the Xochimilca) between 1150 and 1350 AD on a small plateau.
The temple was erected in tribute to the god Ometochtli Tepoztecatl, god of pulque (a fermented alcoholic drink) and related to fertility and favorable harvests. For these reasons it became a very visited sanctuary, visited even by pilgrims from Central America. From on high you can observe an incredible view and if only for this reason, it is worth the climb.
