Xochitepec is all but a southern suburb of Cuernavaca. Don't be misled, though. It's a deeply historical community that weathered all of the great storms of greater Mexico and came out with the scent of the Eternal Spring of Morelos well intact. The town is often visited before or after a trip to the striking ruins at Xochicalco.

The name can be translated from the Nahuatl to means simply Hill of the Flowers. The outstanding climate has meant year-round flowers since at least the ancient period. It likely began as a town servicing the ancient trading post to the west. But the town we see today emerged in the colonial period as a famous sugar plantation dedicated to San Antonio. But the Franciscans had already begun their church, dedicated to San Juan Evangelista, in the 16th century. The area is replete with important historical structures that lend a sense of gravity to the landscape dominated by the Cerro del Jumil and the Colotepec River.

Xochitepec is a great food town, and the celebrations culminate each year with a fair dedicated just to the best Mole and Pozole.

As a weekend getaway from Mexico City, Xochitepec holds its own with a great selection of hotels and home stays. It's also easy to get to. Pullman de Morelos runs regular buses from a bit further north. (The Cuernavaca Casino station is a usual starting point.) But people come from all over.