Cuernavaca

Cuernavaca is the capital and largest city of the state of Morelos in Mexico.

It sits on the southern slope of the Sierra de Chichinautzin mountains. The city is located south of Mexico City. A drive along Federal Highway 95D can get you there in 90 minutes.

The name Cuernavaca is a euphonism from a Nahuatl toponym. It means being surrounded by or close to trees. This name is reflected in the city's coat-of-arms. The emblem shows a tree trunk with three branches and four red roots. A speech scroll emerges from a mouth-shaped cut in the trunk. This likely represents the Nahuatl language and the locative suffix for "near."

The city is famous for a very stable and pleasant climate. In the 19th century, Alexander von Humboldt called it the "City of Eternal Spring."

This nickname comes from the city's tropical but constant temperature. The average temperature stays around 24°C. The local weather is shaped by the nearby mountains. In the morning, warm air flows up the mountains from the valley. In the late afternoon, cooler air flows down from higher elevations. This cycle helps maintain the abundant vegetation and many flowers. One very common plant you will see is the bougainvillea.

Cuernavaca has deep roots in Mesoamerican civilization. Archeological sites like Gualupita III have revealed Olmec works of art.

Burials dating to approximately 1000 BCE were also found in Gualupita. The Tlahuica people were the first major culture to inhabit the area. They are a Nahuatl-speaking people who settled there by the 12th century. Later, the Aztec Empire expanded into the region. The Aztecs valued the area for its resources. They grew cotton in a region then called Tlalnahuatl. They also collected amate paper and flowers for ceremonies here.

Spanish forces arrived in the city in 1521.

They were led by Gonzalo de Sandoval and Hernán Cortés. The Spanish destroyed the city's bridges to stop them, but troops crossed using a fallen tree. After the conquest, the Spanish changed the Nahuatl name to Cuernavaca. Cortés returned in 1523 and established the first sugar plantation in Tlaltenango. He also built a favorite residence here. His wife, Juana de Zúñiga, lived in a palace built in 1526. The Franciscans arrived in 1529 to establish religious sites. They eventually built the Cuernavaca Cathedral.

Because of its beauty, many famous people have lived in Cuernavaca. Aztec emperors used the city for their summer residences. During the colonial and later eras, European nobles were also attracted to its springs and waterfalls. Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico established a country residence here. The Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, lived in the city in exile. Even Bauhaus designers fled to the city during World War II. They established a colony there while escaping the Nazi regime in Germany.

The city has seen significant population growth in recent decades. The metropolitan area was officially recognized in the 1960s. Between 1960 and 1980, the population rose from 85,620 to 368,166. Today, the metropolitan area includes municipalities like Emiliano Zapata and Jiutepec. As of 2015, the metropolitan population reached 912,024. The municipality itself has 366,321 inhabitants. Much of this growth is driven by people moving from Mexico City. They often move to avoid pollution or because of the 1985 earthquake.

Modern Cuernavaca is highly integrated with the Mexico City economy. Many residents maintain second homes there for weekend retreats. This influx has created new housing developments on the outskirts. About 85% of the city is now dedicated to housing. Middle-class areas like Rancho Cortés are located on the outskirts. In contrast, lower-income housing is mostly in the city proper. While this growth helps the economy, it also puts pressure on local infrastructure.