Cuernavaca, one of Mexico’s best-known colonial cities, has a history that dates back to at least 1200 AD, when the location was an important agricultural and artisan center. The city was conquered by the Aztecs around 1380 and, after the subsequent conquest by the Spanish, the city became a popular get-away location for the well-heeled Spaniards living in the capital.

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A principal attraction of this colonial city is its year-round temperate climate. Alexander von Humboldt, a 19th Century German naturalist, once described Cuernavaca as "The land of eternal spring," a nickname that seems to have stuck as it’s still used extensively today.

Besides the main colonial buildings and monuments in the Historic Center, much of Cuernavaca’s colonial-era elegance and charm is hidden away from view. Behind some of the tall walls are beautiful gardens and residences owned by wealthy local families and celebrities: houses and estates which host some marvelous scenes of colonial architecture and life.

Some of these colonial residences, dating back to the 16th century, have been converted into fine hotels, restaurants, spas and museums which give visitors an opportunity to get a glimpse into what lies beyond the protective stone walls; with scenes including cool green garden patios bursting with flora, stunningly preserved original colonial courtyards, elegant rooms and hallways with tall ceilings and original wood beams, and sub-tropical blossoms in quiet colonial gardens where birdsong echoes and water trickles down stone fountains.

We will visit the Borda Gardens and the Palace of Cortés in the center of town; As a reward for his endeavours, Hernán Cortés was given what the Spanish Crown then termed as the "Oaxaca Valley," an enormous expanse of land south of Mexico City encompassing some 22 cities, including Cuernavaca. Cortes retired here and you can visit his Palace, and if you stay for longer, his old estate.

Emperor Maximilian and Empress Charlotte had a weekend retreat in Cuernavaca, it too, is an important museum open to the public. One of Mexico’s oldest churches, built in 1592, can be seen here as it is now a World Heritage Site and we will visit what once were the Bishop's private quarters.

 Cuernavaca is well known as one of the country’s major Spanish language study centers, boasting over fifty Spanish language schools.