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    Alpuyeca 0248, Morelos

    Photo by Phyrexian, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Alpuyeca

    Village Xochitepec, Morelos Municipality of Xochitepec Southern Morelos

    Xochitepec village at 1,042 m where the Autopista del Sol meets the road to Jojutla; the white Purísima church is visible from the highway.

    From Cuernavaca: 25 min by car (24 km by road) How to get there ↓

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    Plan your visit to Alpuyeca

    Where to stay near Alpuyeca

    Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Alpuyeca.

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    Tours to Alpuyeca

    Day trips and guided outings from Xochitepec often include Alpuyeca; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

    Tours from Cuernavaca 3hr Cooking Class in Cuernavaca 8 Recipes and Bottomless Drinks From US$59
    Find tours on Viator GetYourGuide

    How to get to Alpuyeca

    • From Cuernavaca: about 25 min by road (~24 km)
    • Nearest airport: Toluca (TLC), 1 h 59 min by car to Xochitepec
    Rent a car at TLC Flights to TLC

    Route, map and directions ↓

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    Tours from Cuernavaca, near Alpuyeca

    3hr Cooking Class in Cuernavaca 8 Recipes and Bottomless Drinks 4 h From US$59
    Xochicalco Archaeological Guided Tour 5 h From US$84
    3h Cuernavaca Food Tasting with 32 Authentic Mexican Flavors 3 h From US$69

    Tours, prices and ratings from Viator, checked weekly. We may earn a commission if you book.

    About Alpuyeca

    Drivers between Cuernavaca and Acapulco know Alpuyeca for its interchange, but the village is more than a junction. Its Nahuatl name is explained as "place of salty water" (atl, puyec, ca), tied to the brackish Apatlaco River that runs through its land. Wikipedia (whose article asks for better references) repeats a local account that Nahua families from Xochicalco founded it around 1600. Better documented is that a church went up here in the 16th century, and that the Purísima Concepción chapel was founded by Franciscan friars after the conquest.

    Today Alpuyeca has about 8,100 residents (2020 census) and sits at roughly 1,042 m, with low deciduous forest around it: cazahuate, huizache, amate and ceiba trees. The Purísima church, with its bell tower, is the most recognisable building; its feast day is 8 December, and the municipality also marks 15 August and 12 December for the Virgin. Celebrations bring dawn mañanitas, a fireworks castle, chinelos and tecuanes dancers, and homes serve mole de pipián, red mole or pollo en adobo. A newer tradition is the feria de la nieve, a fair of handmade fruit ice cream.

    Nearby in the municipality is the Palo Bolero spa, with springs, sulphur-rich water and a grotto.

    How to get to Alpuyeca

    Drive from Cuernavaca: 25 min, 24 km

    Alpuyeca sits at the junction of the Autopista del Sol (Mexico 95D, Cuernavaca–Acapulco) and the free road to Jojutla (Alpuyeca–Jojutla). From Cuernavaca it is about 20 km south, roughly 25 minutes by car. From Mexico City, take the 95D toward Cuernavaca and Acapulco and exit at Alpuyeca. By public transport, Lonely Planet reports frequent colectivos between Alpuyeca and Cuernavaca. Pullman de Morelos buses run from its downtown Cuernavaca terminal to Alpuyeca, but that source says only on Saturdays and Sundays, so confirm before you go. From Mexico City, take a bus to Cuernavaca from Terminal Sur (Taxqueña) and change there. Xochitepec, the municipal seat, is about 8 km away, roughly 10 minutes by road.

    Directions to Alpuyeca on Google Maps

    Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.

    Where to stay Hotels in Alpuyeca Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Alpuyeca. See prices →

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    From the nearest cities to Alpuyeca

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Before you go to Alpuyeca: hours, prices and tips

    Best season
    Patron festival of the Purísima Concepción on 8 December, with mañanitas at dawn, fireworks and chinelos and tecuanes dances; other Marian feasts on 15 August and 12 December. Wikipedia (es), Alpuyeca · checked Oct 2026

    Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.

    Visiting Alpuyeca: what to see and do

    Step inside the Purísima Concepción church with its bell tower, founded by Franciscans.
    Walk the village and look at the brackish Apatlaco River.
    Come on 8 December for mañanitas, fireworks and chinelos.
    Try mole de pipián or pollo en adobo at the fiestas.
    Visit Palo Bolero, the spa with sulphur water and a grotto.
    Taste handmade ice cream at the feria de la nieve.

    Plan your trip

    Places to stay in Alpuyeca

    Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Alpuyeca.

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    Tours & activities

    Day trips and guided outings from Xochitepec often include Alpuyeca; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

    Viator GetYourGuide

    Rental cars

    Pick up a car at TLC (Toluca): about 1 h 59 min by road to Xochitepec, then 8 km more to Alpuyeca, on your own schedule.

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    Flights

    The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Toluca (TLC), about 1 h 59 min by road from Xochitepec, the base for Alpuyeca.

    Kiwi.com

    Travel insurance

    Medical and trip cover for Mexico, by the week or month.

    SafetyWing

    Mobile data

    Signal can drop away from Xochitepec: download a map of the way to Alpuyeca before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.

    Airalo

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    When to go to Alpuyeca warm

    Alpuyeca shares the climate of Xochitepec, 8 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, November, and December.

    See the month-by-month climate of Xochitepec

    The closest Pueblo Mágico: Xochitepec

    Red dome of the San Juan Evangelista parish among trees and green hills, Xochitepec, Morelos warm
    Morelos Xochitepec

    Xochitepec is the Pueblo Mágico closest to Alpuyeca, with places to stay, food, and more to see.

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    Closest to Alpuyeca

    Near Alpuyeca

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.