Cuernavaca, Mexico: Vacations and travel info

Description

Cuernavaca is the capital city of the state of Morelos and is known as the "city of the eternal spring", mainly because of the agreeable weather lasting all year round. Due to its proximity to Mexico City, Cuernavaca is considered an excellent place for a weekend getaway, by the people of the nations' capital. Apparently, this "weekend exodus" is not new at all, since there was a strong tradition of this, from the time when the ancient Aztecs ruled the center of Mexico. The Aztec Emperors were carried on their thrones from the center of Mexico City (or "Tenochtitlan" as it was known during those days) to the area we now know as Cuernavaca.

The land on which the city stands is truly beautiful, a hilly region with picturesque cobbled streets and surrounded by many lakes and forests. The city is well located and provides easy access with Mexico City, Acapulco, Taxco and Toluca. For this reason, it is not difficult to comprehend why Cuernavaca has become an important area, attracting tourists for eco-tourism, as well as the more mainstream tourist activities. All forms of tourism are, however, important factors in helping drive the economy of the region.

Since pre-Hispanic times, there has been a long list of famous personalities who have chosen Cuernavaca as the ideal place to establish their second homes. The list includes ancient Aztec Emperors, the Spanish conqueror Hernan Cortez, Maximiliano de Hasburgo (former Mexican Emperor), Plutarco Elias Calles (former Mexican President) and more recently, personalities like the great psychologist and writer Erich Fromm and the famous Mexican painter David Alfaro Siquieros.

The city is established on what has been considered excellent agricultural land from the beginning. Since pre-Hispanic times the production of cotton and sugar have been two of the most important sources of income. More than fifty percent of the population residing in Morelos is in their 20s, thus, the city is currently one of the main engines driving the growth of the country, especially in the industrial sectors. The state of Morelos has proven to be an excellent place where both national and international companies can invest safely. Thanks to this, the city benefits enormously from all the national and international tourist and business travelers arriving on a daily basis.

History

Cuernavaca, inhabited since 1200 B.C., is one of the oldest cities in the country. The city was founded by the Tlahuicas, one of the seven Nahuatlacas tribes and it is also possible to find the remains of the Olmec and Toltec civilizations throughout the state. When the fifth Nahuatlaca tribe arrived in the Valley of Mexico and failed to find a place to settle, they had to move again across the mountains. After descending from the mountain range, they found a beautiful valley which they decided to name "Cuauhnahuac", from the Nahuatl language meaning "place of the big trees or next to the trees". The name was chosen due to the beautiful and fertile land found at the bottom of the hill and it was here they finally decided to build their new home.

After the Spaniards arrived in Mexico, the names of many Aztec and indigenous locations in Mexico were corrupted, replacing the correct word with equivalent sounds of the Spanish language to ease their pronunciation. Cuauhnahuac sounded similar to "cuerna-vaca," two words meaning "cow's-horn"; thus Cuernavaca became the name we would hear and use until the present day.

There are many more stories to be told about Cuernavaca. Cortez retired here and built a castle, where he lived until his return to Spain in 1540; famous Independence hero "father Jose Maria Morelos y Pavon" was entrenched in Cuautla de Amilpas for several weeks during the Resistance of the Mexican Independence; and during the war of Reforma, Cuernavaca even became the capital of the country for several days.

Cuautla

In spite of being one of the very few towns in Morelos without significant activity during pre-Hispanic times, the subsequent participation of this town was crucial to the history of the region and even the country. Cuautla (which means "Eagles' Nest"), is the second most important agro-industrial city in Morelos after Cuernavaca. Many of the most distinctive factors that helped Cuautla to grow are still standing. A great many Hacienda's still remain strong and in excellent condition. These are the same haciendas that produced and amazing amount of sugar cane during the days of former president Porfirio Diaz.

On the buildings and in the streets of Cuautlas port are plaques with engravings that mention the facts and names about all the insurgent heroes who gave their lives defending main squares and Mexican freedom. Among the stories told about this place, the one about Narciso Mendoza stands out the most. Narciso was a gunner boy that stopped the "ejercito realista" (realistic army) from taking the city of Cuautla. A monument in one of the plazas commemorates this heroic event and since then, Cuautla has also been known as "Heroic Cuautla of Amilpas". Another interesting fact is that the thumb of a famous hero and Mexican Revolution leader, Emiliano Zapata, is kept here in one of the museums.