Cuernavaca

The perfect mix of culture and outdoor adventure awaits travellers in Cuernavaca, Mexico. Just 86 km from Mexico City, this paradise of rest located in the State of Morelos offers a wide range of cultural and historical resources, and is more tranquil than the great metropolis of the north. What's more, guests at the hotels in Cuernavaca have the opportunity to explore the region's wealth of nature attractions, including parks, canyons, rivers and forests.

Hernán Cortés remains so widely known that most visitors to Cuernavaca join a tour of the city's old town, which is the location of the former palace of the Spanish explorer who conquered the land now known as Mexico. Cortés built his palace in 1526. After starting in 1541, the imposing stone building became a prison. Later, he went to host the government offices and currently can be visited as a museum. The ground floor is used to exhibit a collection of pre-Hispanic artefacts, whilst on the first floor they exhibit a display of Mexican history from the Spanish conquest to independence in 1810. The Diego Rivera mural on the balcony is a masterpiece that visitors cannot miss. Like many other colonial buildings, the palace and the city's cathedral were built on the ruins of native temples. An open-air chapel at the Catedral de la Ascensión is thought to be an ancient sacrificial site. The cathedral complex includes a series of cloisters and chapels, including the Tercera Orden Chapel from the Baroque period. Its facade features a bold pink colour which contrasts with the rest of the cathedral, which was built in the early 16th century as part of a monastery and has simpler adornment. Also notable is the Robert Brady Museum. Brady was an ex-patriot who packed his house with art from around the world. Today, all these landmark sites are open to the public.

You don't have to travel far from the hotels at Cuernavaca to enjoy the impressive natural beauty of the region. Right next to the historic city centre is Chapultepec Park, which lies along a winding river with waterfalls, arched stone bridges and even crocodiles. Visitors here can enjoy a boating lake, an aviary, a serpentarium and a main square of food outlets.

All this makes this a perfect place for families to enjoy with the little ones. Turkeys and ducks roam free along the river bank, which seems to have been woven from the roots of the majestic trees. Visitors looking for other outdoor activities can book an adventure tour including return travel from their hotel in Cuernavaca. All this means the hardest part of the trip is just deciding which excursion to make. The variety of options includes abseiling, kayaking, rafting, caving and hiking.

Some of the most popular destinations in Cuernavaca include the mountains of the Camino de la Luz and Mil Cascadas and the underground streams of Tepozteco mountain. Basically, countless opportunities to take snapshots and guarantee that visitors leave with cherished mementos of their holiday in Cuernavaca. You don't have to travel far from the hotels at Cuernavaca to enjoy the impressive natural beauty of the region. Right next to the historic city centre is Chapultepec Park, which lies along a winding river with waterfalls, arched stone bridges and even crocodiles. Visitors here can enjoy a boating lake, an aviary, a serpentarium and a main square of food outlets.