Cuautla and Agua Hedionda Thermal Springs

Cuautla is Morelos's second-largest city, about 40 km east of Cuernavaca, reached in about an hour by car along the Cuernavaca-Cuautla corridor or by a Pullman de Morelos or Volcanes bus from Cuernavaca's Central de Autobuses; a direct Estrella Roja bus also connects from Mexico City's Terminal Sur, bypassing Cuernavaca entirely. The city played a significant role in both the Mexican War of Independence and the Revolution, and its historic center holds monuments tied to Emiliano Zapata, who is buried here, alongside the Agua Hedionda thermal-spring pools on the city's edge.

A day trip typically opens with a morning walk through Cuautla's historic center, taking in the main plaza, the Zapata monuments, and the former convent of San Diego, before a short taxi ride of about ten minutes out to Agua Hedionda for an afternoon at the mineral-spring pools. The sulfurous spring water is channeled into a large public swimming area that stays warm year-round, making it a comfortable stop regardless of season, though weekday visits are noticeably quieter than weekends.

Food options are concentrated around Cuautla's main plaza, where market stalls and comedores serve regional Morelos dishes, making it easy to have lunch in the historic center before heading to the pools. Since the mineral water at Agua Hedionda has a distinct sulfur smell, some visitors prefer to visit it in the afternoon after the historical walk rather than starting the day there. The city's revolutionary history sites also pair naturally with a stop at the nearby Chinameca hacienda, where Zapata was assassinated, for travelers wanting a fuller day centered on Morelos's revolutionary history.