Cuernavaca, Mexico 🇲🇽 Gringo's Guide
Known as "The City Of Eternal Spring” by those in the know...
Mexico’s “The City Of Eternal Spring” — a hidden gem in many ways…
If you’re looking to find somewhere new to explore in Mexico, this post is for you.
I’m about to reveal an underrated and overlooked city by many young travelers, myself included, until an opportunity presented itself to me and now this has been my home for several months.
Firstly, this city doesn't have any hostels — so you know you're going to be one of the few tourists around. I’ve yet to meet an American or European.
And as you already know: No gringos = hidden gem potential.
Let’s dig deeper…
Guest post by ser: Ryan Dean
Cuernavaca, Mexico 🇲🇽
Population:
Roughly 370K people.
Weather:
The perfect temperature all year round, it’s always warm!
It doesn’t matter whether you arrive in the winter or the summer, you’re going to experience sunshine and blue sky.
The weather here triumphs the likes of Mexico City — and the air is much cleaner too.
This is why many chilangos escape the big capital and come here for a vacation or retire. It’s a warm and stable climate with abundant vegetation.
Even from December to February (winter months) during the daytime you’re looking at a minimum of 79°F and a maximum of 83°F.
On a winter night, the lowest it’ll drop is 52°F and 61°F in the summer.
It’s consistently great as you can see below:
There is some rain during the summer months, but the majority of the days are still filled with sunshine and ideal weather.
This isn’t torrential downpour type of rains, like in Costa Rica.
Why Visit Cuernavaca, Mexico?
The city is host to several annual events and festivals each year, and there is often something happening at one of the downtown plazas on most weekends.
Here’s a photo of a festival I found myself in a few weekends ago:
I think half of Mexico was inside the main square. You couldn’t move!
Cuernavaca is renowned for its many fine restaurants offering Mexican and international cuisine.
Some of these restaurants are housed inside old colonial residences and haciendas, offering good food surrounded by attractive gardens and a colonial atmosphere.
Street food is becoming more expensive in other cities, as tourism seems to be increasing in Mexico, but that’s not the case here.
You can easily find taco stands and purchase a fantastic tasting taco al pastor for $10MXN.
And the state of Morelos itself has a lot to offer — more details on that later — so this is a perfect city to use as a hub and explore the magnificent state.
Within a five-mile drive of Cuernavaca’s city limits, you can enjoy hiking trails, horseback riding, crystal-clear springs, lagoons for swimming, boating + freshwater fishing, and camping.
The locals have always been friendly here, even with my limited Spanish. They welcome a young foreigner, as they don’t come across them as much compared to other cities like Cancun or Mexico City.
So yes, no gringos here is certainly a plus.
And did I mention the amazing weather?!
How to Get to Cuernavaca 🇲🇽
Basically…
You’re going to get to Mexico City on way or another. Then once in CDMX…
It’s very easy to get to Cuernavaca from Mexico City.
Go to Central Del Sur Taxquena bus station, buy a ticket to Cuernavaca, jump on the Pullman de Morelos bus and you’re away. It’ll take around 90 minutes and that’s it…
You’re in central Cuernavaca.
While there is technically is an airport in Cuernavaca, it is only being used for charter flights currently. No domestic airlines in Mexico currently fly here.
Where to Stay in Cuernavaca, Mexico
Unfortunately, it’s a bit of a scattered city and it can take a while to get around — as there’s no metro, which I’d say is the only issue with this place.
However, knowing where to stay and using Uber fixes that problem.
You will want to stay somewhere between “Cuernavaca Centro” and “Plaza Cuernavaca”
The plaza is an open-air mall that fits perfectly well with the great weather, and the architecture inside is sublime.
A great spot for a date or just some casual shopping…
Inside this map, you’ll find the best bars, restaurants, and places to hang out. It’s exactly where you want to stay.
Airbnb or Hotel?
Regardless of whether you’re booking a hotel or apartment, you essentially want to stay around the centro area or a bit northeast towards “Plaza Cuernavaca” while in the city.
This really the only area to stay.
It must be noted that apartment options here are not fancy. The buildings are older, “colonial” style homes and the options are limited.
Hence, the prices aren’t as cheap for similar quality lodgings — when compared to other smaller cities in Latin America — like Armenia or Ibague, Colombia.
Here’s a few Airbnb options:
Now, if you’re used to modern high-rise apartments while traveling, those may not be your jam. But they get the job done while in Cuernavaca.
Hotels also offer numerous options here.
One of my favorites is:
Suites Las Plazas
You couldn’t get more central if you tried and it's inside a small mall. You’ll have a sweet balcony that looks over the main square too.
Nothing fancy about it but location-wise, you’re winning.
It’s around $40 USD a night — but you have 2 double beds, a city view, and a good size room. Safe area too.
Cost of Living in Cuernavaca, Mexico 🇲🇽
While you can live here very, very cheaply, most foreign travelers will spend a bit more on accommodation here — due to the lack of inventory.
Here’s an idea of budget…
Airbnb in the center: $800-1300 USD a month
Hotel in the center: $1000-2300 USD a month
Groceries: $200-300 USD
Eating out: $200-500 USD
Gym: $15-25USD
BJJ/MMA: $25-35USD
Partying/dating/social: $200-300 USD a month and you’d be set every weekend
Cell data: $10 USD monthly
It all depends on how your finances are.
You could rent a dodgy flat for $300 USD, eat $10 pesos tacos, ride around on $10 pesos buses, and get obliterated on a $250 pesos bottle of tequila from an OXXO before heading out.
Living a decent life for dirt cheap.
Or…
You can live like a king for under $3,000 USD a month.
Just depends on what you want to do. Overall, the only thing that might be expensive here is finding a modern apartment or hotel — everything is cheap as hell.
Safety
I’ve had zero issues. But of course, during nighttime have your wits about you.
The other day a taxi driver told me my neighborhood is very dangerous:
“Don’t have your phone in hand, don’t walk the streets at night, etc.”
It’s sound advice, but I’m sure the locals like to tell you how peligroso their city is. It’s just what Latinos do.
And it makes sense when you think about it…
They’ve lived in their city for decades and heard hundreds of tales of crime, petty theft, and even murder. They’re just trying to make sure a lowly gringo stays safe.
If you’ve been around Latin America, you’ve probably heard it all before.
Of course, if you look for trouble, you’ll find it, no problem.
But, I’ve had more scares with street dogs than I have with people here.
Although early one morning, I was walking to the gym and a very odd-looking guy came up to me with a fairly impressive American accent and uttered:
“I was with my dog and I was talking to this worm and I told it to take a shit.”
I have no idea what he means and I still don’t. I just nodded, kept on walking and the drug addict carried on with whatever he was doing.
Just don’t get too complacent with your belongings if you’re traveling or walking around at night.
Statistics show the crime rate is moderate in Mexico terms, but in the areas I’ve suggested, I’ve always felt safe. Though I still wouldn’t carry my MacBook everywhere I go.
Ok, so here’s what most of you degenerates have probably been waiting for the most…
Dating in Cuernavaca, Mexico 🇲🇽
Glad you asked…
Plentiful.
That’s how I would describe the dating options for red-blooded foreign males willing to spend a month or two here.
The local banda, slang for people, don’t get much of an opportunity to meet foreign blood like in other touristic places.
My first date with a local Latina finished in the middle of a city center doorway — but that’s a story for another time, my friend, but now I know why Hernán Cortés called this place home.
And you can just about get away with not speaking Spanish when dating here, but you’ll reduce your chances with many, so don’t be lazy.
Just use the advice found in this guide and come prepared with some suave Spanish.
The attractions of Cuernavaca have made this place a dream for dating, which I’ll go into a bit later!
But overall…
Since there’s very few other gringos around, you should be popular on dating apps or in bars when you go out to party here.
Just be wise…
Cuernavaca is a small-ish city, so trying to “hit quota” here may cause some problems.
Nightlife in Cuernavaca, Mexico
You’ll find decent bars playing a range of reggaeton, electronic, and pop music.
As I mentioned earlier, the city is quite spread out so your best option is to walk around and “barhop” in one area and that is definitely in “centro” as mentioned above.
Here’s where to start your night:
This bar is a big social environment that’s like a courtyard-style area with different bars located around the seating area.
Great food/drinks and the prices are affordable. You can choose between different bars and restaurants — all with their own specialty so you can mix things up throughout the night.
They play a wide variety of music that isn’t deafening so it’s a great place to talk to friendly locals or friends before the night gets too messy.
I recommend the mojito, sers.
Few more bars I suggest:
And a new bar that’s just opened playing 70s and 80s retro music - Jackson Bar Cuerna
You’re going to be paying around 2-3 USD for a beer and slightly more for spirits in most places.
While Cuernavaca isn’t a world-class city for nightlife, you can certainly get in a little rumba on here and have some fun.
Martial Arts
The only place I can recommend for BJJ or Muay Thai is:
It’ll cost you just over 25 USD a month and it’s basically the only option in town.
However, from the “Cuernavaca Centro” area, it’ll take around 15 minutes in an Uber.
Gyms
Limited options again, but a gym is a gym…
Costs $15 USD a month and is a 10-minute walk from the main square.
Things to Do in Cuernavaca, Mexico
For such a small spot, there’s a few cool things to do here, especially once we get outside the city.
Let’s dig in…
Malls
Several modern-looking malls to choose from. You’ll find activities such as bowling, cinemas, casinos, and great-tasting food.
Here are the top three I recommend:
Museums
Being a state capital, Cuerna (as Mexicans call it) has numerous museums.
Many of these are located inside the map I showed earlier:
Robert Brady Museum - Private collection of Art with a nice garden to relax in.
Museo Regional Cuauhnáhuac (Palacio de Cortés) - Unfortunately this place is still undergoing maintenance after being damaged by the 2017 earthquake. Still, it’s a nice area to walk around and see Hernan Cortés’ home. Plus it’s right next to the Suites Las Plazas hotel.
Cathedral de Cuernavaca - One of the oldest churches in Mexico.
Ethnobotanical Garden and Museum of Traditional Medicine - A great place to walk around and enjoy the lush greenery and plants. Free entry too.
This museum brings me to my next point:
Gardens/parks
Another reason for the nickname “Eternal Spring” — and why dating is optimal here…
You’ll be able to find many parks and gardens to visit. Cuerna is very popular for hosting stunning outdoor weddings too.
Jardín Juarez - A nice greenery environment to walk around but be careful with the street vendors as they like to swarm you.
Borda Garden - This is one of the best places to relax and enjoy the vegetation Cuerna has to offer. You’ll find small lakes and fountains inside.
And I’ve saved the best till last…
Chapultepec Park - Urban State Park Chapultepec Ravine - Not as big as the one in CDMX but it has more of a tropical feel to it. The place is surrounded by waterfalls, butterflies, crocodiles, peacocks, and much more wildlife. You’re walking around a zoo but in nature. It’s right in the middle of the city, a 15-minute Uber ride from Centro.
BONUS:
Inner Evolution Retreats in the south of Cuerna. You’ll experience a breathtaking panoramic view of the city from the heights of the hills. The perfect setting to go deep into yourself through ancestral medicines, psychotherapy, and meditation at:
What to Do in Morelos?
Visiting Tepozltán is a must.
It’s a small but quirky town with an archaeological pyramid, the Tepozteco, to hike up from the main street in town. I was there for three months and it became a personal favorite of mine. I’ve also yet to meet a Mexican who doesn’t like to go there.
Not many taco stands, but the restaurants are incredible. I highly recommend “Los Colorines” for authentic Mexican food and trying Pulque from “Pulques Tepoztlán” bar.
Pulque is a traditional alcoholic beverage in central Mexico. It’s made from the fermented sap of the maguey plant.
Lake Tequesquitengo — “The Sea of Morelos”
A great spot for boats, restaurants, and skydives. The lake sits on an underwater village, and divers have been able to see the church's dome. This is a great option for weekend getaways and it's only 40 min. south of Cuernavaca.
Archaeological Site of Xochicalco
The architecture and views in this place are stunning. Another reason to visit is that it doesn’t attract that many other tourists which make this site even more spectacular. Takes just under an hour from Cuernavaca but it’s well worth the travel.
Jardines De México
This is an impressive park where you’ll find a wide range of gardens with different themes, a maze, and shrub sculptures of animals. They also have a great food selection in the restaurant. This place is next door to Lake Tequesquitengo.
How’s Your Spanish?
If I’m going to be honest, it’s not necessary to be fluent in Spanish here but at least come prepared with the basics.
You’ll have a much greater experience and the locals will be more inclined to converse with you if you at least try and make an effort.
But most people I have encountered, whether friends or dating, speak English at a reasonable level.
Even though it’s been almost untouched by many young travelers, this city is still home to many retired North Americans and other Expats, so to keep up with the amount of tourism, English is being taught well in schools here.
How long should you stay?
If you’re only visiting the city I’d say 2-3 weeks would be sufficient.
But if you’d like to use it as a base for Morelos, you could easily stay here for up to 2-3 months.
Additional Notes…
If you’re still unsure of how to get here or around the city, I suggest you download the Rome2Rio app.
This app will guide you pretty much everywhere in the world including here. It’ll show you how much the travel will cost, and where each bus station/airport is located.
This city is a great place to keep improving your Spanish as Cuerna is considered to be one the best locations to learn, boasting over fifty Spanish language schools.
There are small towns located south of Cuerna that you can travel to via bus. All are slightly different and sometimes showcase small festivals on weekends inside the main squares.
Jiutepec
Emiliano Zapata
Temixco
Cuernavaca, Mexico 🇲🇽 Overall
In my honest opinion, the city of Eternal Spring is definitely worth the 90-minute ride down from Mexico City.
If it was good enough for Hernán Cortés, it’s good enough for us young degenerates.
A local put it in good words for me: “Life is so much more relaxed here compared to other big cities”
And I couldn’t agree more.
The city can’t get rid of me.
So I hope to see you around here soon.
