| Plaza de Armas & Jardin Juárez - The Plaza de Armas, Cuernavaca's zócalo, is flanked on the east by the Palacio de Cortés, on the west by the Palacio de Gobierno and on the northeast and south by a number of restaurants. Roving vendors sell balloons, ice cream and corn on the cob under the trees. |
| Palacio de Cortés - Cortés' imposing medieval-style fortress stands at the southeastern end of the Plaza de Armas. Construction of this two-story stone palace was accomplished between 1522 and 1532, and was done on the base of the pyramid that Cortés destroyed, still visible from various points on the ground floor. Today the palace houses the Museo de Cuauhnáhuac with two floors of exhibits highlighting the history and cultures of Mexico. |
| Jardín Borda - These gardens were built in 1783 for Manuel de la Borda, as an addition to the stately residence built by his father, José de la Borda, the Taxco silver magnate. From 1866, the house was the summer residence of Emperor Maximilian and Empress Carlota, who entertained their courtiers in the gardens. You can tour the house and the gardens to get an idea of how Mexico's aristocracy lived. |
| Recinto de la Catedral - Cuernavaca's cathedral stands in a large high-walled compound (recinto). Like the Palacio de Cortés, the cathedral was built on a grand scale and in a fortress-like style, as a defense against the natives and to impress and intimidate them. Franciscans started work under Cortés in 1526, using indigenous labor and stones from the rubble of Cuauhnáhuac; it was one of the earliest Christian missions in Mexico. |
| Museo Robert Brady - Robert Brady (1928-86), an American artist and collector, lived in Cuernavaca for 24 years. His home, the Casa de la Torre, was originally part of the monastery within the Recinto de la Cathedral. Brady had it extensively renovated and decorated with paintings, carvings, textiles, antiques and decorative and folk arts he'd acquired in his travels around the world. The main attraction is the sheer size and diversity of the collection, and the way it is arranged with delightful combinations and contrast of styles, periods and places. |
| Salto de San Antón - The salto is a 36m waterfall surrounded by lush vegetation. A walkway is built into the cliff face so you can go right behind the falls, where there are a few picnic tables. |
| Casa Maximiliano - In Cuernavaca's suburbs, this 1866 house was once the rural retreat for the Emperor Maximilian, where he would meet his indigenous lover. Now the house includes the Museo de Medicina Tradicional, a museum of traditional herbal medicine. Around the museum, the Járdin Etnobotánico has a collection of 455 herbs and medicinal plants from around the world. |
Pirámide de Teopanzolco - This small archaelogical site is on Río Balsas. There are actually two pyramids, one inside the other. You can climb upon the outer base and see the older pyramide within, with a double staircase leading up to the remains of a pair of temples. Several other smaller platform structures surround the double pyramid. |