Getting there & around

Getting to Xochicalco

The site sits on a ridge in western Morelos, roughly 40 km southwest of Cuernavaca and about 130 km from Mexico City. Nearest airport is Mexico City (MEX).

Driving is the easiest way. From Mexico City it is about two hours down the Cuernavaca autopista, then west toward Miacatlan on smaller roads; from Cuernavaca it is around 45 minutes. The final stretch is a rural two-lane road with a few potholes and topes (speed bumps), but nothing rough. There is parking at the entrance.

By bus and taxi: take a Pullman de Morelos or similar coach from Mexico City to Cuernavaca (roughly 1 to 1.5 hours). From Cuernavaca there are local buses toward Miacatlan or Alpuyeca that drop you near the turnoff, but they leave you a walk or short taxi from the actual gate. Honestly, from Cuernavaca a round-trip taxi or a booked tour saves a lot of hassle for a site this spread out.

Tours from Cuernavaca or Mexico City often bundle Xochicalco with the caves at Cacahuamilpa. That is a reasonable way to go if you do not want to drive.

Getting around the site

Once you arrive it is all on foot. From the museum and entrance you walk uphill through the plazas to the acropolis. It is a steady climb on stone paths and steps, exposed to full sun. A friend who lives here would tell you: fill your water bottle before you start up, because there is nothing to buy once you are past the entrance.