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    Zocalo de Jiutepec - 2009, Morelos

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

    Jiutepec

    City Jiutepec, Morelos Municipality of Jiutepec Northern Morelos

    Cuernavaca's eastern neighbour: a 16th-century Franciscan convent, the CIVAC industrial park and one of the first carnivals of the Morelos year.

    From Cuernavaca: 10 min by car (9 km by road) How to get there ↓

    Near here

    Plan your visit to Jiutepec

    Where to stay near Jiutepec

    Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Jiutepec.

    Hotels in Jiutepec Houses on Vrbo

    Tours to Jiutepec

    Day trips and guided outings from Tepoztlán often include Jiutepec; 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 Jiutepec

    • From Cuernavaca: about 10 min by road (~9 km)
    • Nearest airport: Mexico City (MEX), 1 h 25 min by car to Tepoztlán
    Rent a car at MEX Flights to MEX

    Route, map and directions ↓

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    Tours from Cuernavaca, near Jiutepec

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

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

    About Jiutepec

    The name is a Spanish rendering of the Nahuatl Xiuhtepetl, which the town chronicler reads as "on the hill of precious stones". Jiutepec is the seat of its municipality and part of the Cuernavaca metro area, about 8 km southeast of the state capital, at roughly 1,350 m. The 2020 census counted 174,629 people in the city, up from 4,768 in 1980. Most of that growth followed CIVAC, the Ciudad Industrial del Valle de Cuernavaca, set up in 1966 on communal land taken from Tejalpa and now the largest industrial park in Morelos.

    The town is far older than its factories. Around 1389 the lordship of Xiutépetl went to war with Cuauhnáhuac, and in 1425 the Mexica ruler Itzcóatl conquered it. In April 1521 its warriors lost a battle to Hernán Cortés a few days before he took Cuernavaca, and on 8 May 1916, during the Revolution, federal troops burned the town in reprisal.

    The centre is built around the former Franciscan convent of Santiago Apóstol, begun between 1525 and 1529. Inside are an 18th-century Baroque altarpiece restored in 1998, five Neoclassical ones, traces of fresco in the cloister and a black Christ, the Señor de la Columna, the goal of a pilgrimage on the first Friday of Lent. The remodelled zócalo sits in front.

    Festivals fill the year. Jiutepec's carnival, with chinelo dancers and brass bands, opens the Morelos carnival season in late January (22 to 26 January in 2026). The feast of Santiago on 24 and 25 July brings a horseback parade and a procession, and Tejalpa honours San Lucas on 18 October with its toritos. The municipality is also Mexico's biggest grower of poinsettias.

    How to get to Jiutepec

    Drive from Cuernavaca: 10 min, 9 km

    From Mexico City take the Mexico-Cuernavaca toll road (95D) out of Tlalpan, with toll booths at Tlalpan and Tres Marías: about 70 km and roughly an hour and a half in light traffic, with the Jiutepec exit signed before central Cuernavaca. From downtown Cuernavaca to Jiutepec's zócalo is about 10 km, around 20 minutes by car depending on traffic. By bus, Pullman de Morelos, OCC and Estrella de Oro run frequent services from the Terminal del Sur (Taxqueña) to Cuernavaca, about 1 h 40 min; from there take a local route bus, a taxi or a ride-hail car, 15 to 25 minutes. Tepoztlán, the nearest Pueblo Mágico, is about 14 km away in a straight line.

    Directions to Jiutepec on Google Maps

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

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

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    From the nearest cities to Jiutepec

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

    What to see in Jiutepec 7

    Sights with their own page, closest to the centre first.

    Hot springs

    Landmarks and museums

    Lagoons

    Archaeological sites

    Waterfalls

    Map of Jiutepec

    Neighbourhoods and villages of Jiutepec

    Part of Jiutepec or just outside it, closest first.

    Day trips and tours from Jiutepec

    The closest Pueblos Mágicos and places to visit, with the drive from Jiutepec and tours that leave from it.

    Emiliano Zapata Town · near Morelos 5 min · 6 km Tours on Viator GetYourGuide
    Catedral de Cuernavaca Landmark · near Morelos 10 min · 10 km Tours on Viator GetYourGuide
    Cuernavaca City · near Morelos 15 min · 10 km Tours on Viator GetYourGuide
    Parque Acuático Ojo de Agua Hot springs · near Morelos 15 min · 12 km Tours on Viator GetYourGuide
    Tepoztlán Pueblo Mágico · Morelos 35 min · 27 km Tours on Viator GetYourGuide
    Tlaltizapán Pueblo Mágico · Morelos 35 min · 29 km Tours on Viator GetYourGuide
    Xochitepec Pueblo Mágico · Morelos 45 min · 35 km Tours on Viator GetYourGuide
    Tlayacapan Pueblo Mágico · Morelos 50 min · 39 km Tours on Viator GetYourGuide

    Times marked ~ are estimated from the distance. Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    Before you go: getting to and around Jiutepec

    • The nearest airport is Mexico City (MEX).
    • The best months to go are January, February, March, and December.
    • 7 of the places on this page are more than 3 km from the centre: take a taxi, a ride-hailing app or a local bus.
    • For day trips a rental car gives the most freedom; the tours above leave from Jiutepec.

    Before you go to Jiutepec: hours, prices and tips

    Best season
    Jiutepec's carnival opens the Morelos carnival season in late January; in 2026 it ran from 22 to 26 January, with chinelos, brass bands and a food fair. Escapada H (El Heraldo de México) · checked Oct 2026

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

    Visiting Jiutepec: what to see and do

    Step into the former convent of Santiago Apóstol and find its 18th-century Baroque altarpiece.
    Look into the cloister for the remains of its frescoes.
    Visit the Señor de la Columna, the church's black Christ.
    Walk the remodelled zócalo in front of the church.
    Come for the late-January carnival to see the chinelos dance.
    Eat or stay at the Ex Hacienda de Cortés in Atlacomulco, a 16th-century sugar estate turned hotel.

    Plan your trip

    Places to stay in Jiutepec

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

    See them all on Expedia Booking.com
    Vacation rentals on Vrbo Airbnb

    Tours & activities

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

    Viator GetYourGuide

    Rental cars

    Pick up a car at MEX (Mexico City): about 1 h 25 min by road to Tepoztlán, then 14 km more to Jiutepec, on your own schedule.

    EconomyBookings Discover Cars

    Flights

    The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Mexico City (MEX), about 1 h 25 min by road from Tepoztlán, the base for Jiutepec.

    Kiwi.com

    Travel insurance

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

    SafetyWing

    Mobile data

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

    Airalo

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    When to go to Jiutepec mild

    Jiutepec shares the climate of Tepoztlán, 14 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, March, and December.

    See the month-by-month climate of Tepoztlán

    The closest Pueblo Mágico: Tepoztlán

    Tepoztlán's cliffs rising behind a white colonial church, Morelos mild
    Morelos Tepoztlán

    Tepoztlán is the Pueblo Mágico closest to Jiutepec, with places to stay, food, and more to see.

    Also close to

    Near Jiutepec

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

    Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.