3 Best Sights in Cuernavaca, Side Trips from Mexico City

On the southeast side of Plaza de Armas, you'll find this fascinating museum that reopened following a massive renovation that was needed after the building was badly damaged in the major earthquake that struck the region in 2017. Prior to that, the building was named Museo Regional Cuauhnáhuac, but it's also known as the Palacio de Cortés. The fortresslike building was constructed as a stronghold for Hernán Cortés in 1522, as the region had not been completely conquered at that time. His palace sits atop the ruins of Aztec buildings, some of which have been partially excavated. There are plenty of stone carvings from the area on display among the 19 exhibit galleries, with a highlight being the murals Diego Rivera painted between 1927 and 1930 on the second floor, depicting the history of Morelos.

This remarkable museum on a quiet street south of the Plaza de Armas showcases the collection of the decidedly eccentric artist, antiquarian, and decorator from Fort Dodge, Iowa, who traveled the world amassing an incredible array of works before settling in Cuernavaca in 1962. Ceramics, antique furniture, sculptures, paintings, and tapestries fill the restored 16th-century monastery, which is directly behind the Catedral de Cuernavaca. A number of Brady's works depict his illustrious friends, who included Josephine Baker, Peggy Guggenheim, and actor Geoffrey Holder. They're all magnificently arranged in rooms decorated with brightly painted tiles. Upon his death in 1986, Brady left the house and collection to the city government to be turned into a museum.

A trip to these ruins, which are a roughly 45-minute drive southwest of Cuernavaca, is one of the best reasons to visit the state of Morelos. Built by the Olmeca-Xicalanca people, the mighty hilltop city reached its peak between AD 700 and 900. It was abandoned a century later after being destroyed, perhaps by its own inhabitants. With its several layers of fortifications, the city appears unassailable. The most eye-catching edifice is the Pyrámide de Quetzalcóatl (Temple of the Plumed Serpent). Carvings of vicious-looking snakes—all in the style typical of the Maya to the south—wrap around the lower level, while figures in elaborate headdresses sit above. Be sure to seek out the Observatorio in a man-made cave reached through a tunnel on the northern side of the city. Through a narrow shaft in the ceiling, the Xochicalco astronomers could observe the heavens. Twice a year—May 14 and 15 and July 28 and 29—the sun passes directly over the opening, filling the room with light. From the ruins, you're also treated to an impressive view of the surrounding mountains.

Be sure to set aside at least a half-hour to explore the excellent solar-powered museum, where a wonderfully mounted exhibit of a wide variety of artifacts from Xochicalco are on display, including gorgeous sculptures of Xochicalco deities found nearby. There are dozens of other structures here, including three impressive ball courts.