Village Yautepec, Morelos Municipality of Yautepec Monasteries on the slopes of Popocatépetl Northern Morelos
Yautepec locality founded in 1978, now one of the municipality's largest: 14,126 people in 2020, between Cuernavaca and Yautepec.
From Cuernavaca: 20 min by car (15 km by road) How to get there ↓
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Where to stay near La Joya
Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in La Joya.
Tours to La Joya
Day trips and guided outings from Tepoztlán often include La Joya; with a local guide you can get there without a car.
Santa Maria la Rivera floating bookstore, murals and pulque
★ 5.0 (1) · From US$33
How to get to La Joya
- From Cuernavaca: about 20 min by road (~15 km)
- Nearest airport: Mexico City (MEX), 1 h 25 min by car to Tepoztlán
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Popular tours to La Joya
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About La Joya
La Joya is one of the newest and largest localities in the municipality of Yautepec de Zaragoza. According to its Wikipedia entry it was founded on 18 January 1978, and the 2020 census counted 14,126 people, among the biggest in the municipality alongside Cocoyoc and Oaxtepec. Residents are called joyenses, and the same source puts it at about 1,500 m above sea level.
Unlike the area's old towns, it has no colonial centre or historic church: it is mostly a residential colonia that has spread up the hillsides, with steep streets, and trade is mostly small shops: a MarketData México profile counts 67 businesses. A TV Azteca Morelos report from September 2026 says residents are still asking for drainage, cleaning and paving on streets such as Bugambilia. The 2010 census figures quoted on Wikipedia also record about 161 people living in households where an indigenous language is spoken.
It is not a place for monuments, but for seeing how the area between Cuernavaca, Tepoztlán and Yautepec has grown over recent decades. Visitors passing through will find far more to see in Tepoztlán, about 11 km away in a straight line, and in central Yautepec.
How to get to La Joya
Drive from Cuernavaca: 20 min, 15 km
La Joya is on the Cuernavaca side of Yautepec, about 12 km in a straight line from Cuernavaca and 11 km from Tepoztlán (roughly 20 to 30 minutes by car from either). From Cuernavaca the practical way is the La Pera-Cuautla toll road (160D) or the free road toward Yautepec, then ask for the La Joya turnoff; We could not confirm the exact exit or highway number, so use an online map. A TV Azteca Morelos report mentions the "bajada de La Joya" on the Cuautla-Cuernavaca highway, which suggests it is a signed exit on that road.
From Mexico City, take the Mexico-Cuernavaca highway to La Pera, then the La Pera-Cuautla toll road (34 km, with exits at Oacalco and Oaxtepec). By public transport, buses from the Terminal Sur (Taxqueña) go to Cuernavaca; from there combis and buses run to Yautepec, where you can change to a local route to La Joya. Ask for times at the stop, as We could not confirm them. From Cuautla it is roughly 25 to 30 minutes by car (about 20 km in a straight line).
Directions to La Joya on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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From the nearest cities to La Joya
- Cuernavaca · 15 km by road, 20 min
- Cuautla · 35 km by road, 35 min
- Taxco · 92 km by road, 1 h 30 min
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Visiting La Joya: what to see and do
Walk the colonia's streets to see how a locality founded in 1978 has grown.
Look out from its upper streets: the area sits at about 1,500 m.
Continue to Yautepec for its centre and Dominican convent.
Go up to Tepoztlán, about 11 km away in a straight line, for its pyramid and market.
Drop down to Cuernavaca, about 12 km in a straight line, for museums and gardens.
Plan your trip
Places to stay in La Joya
Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around La Joya.
Tours & activities
Day trips and guided outings from Tepoztlán often include La Joya; with a local guide you can get there without a car.
Rental cars
Pick up a car at MEX (Mexico City): about 1 h 25 min by road to Tepoztlán, then 11 km more to La Joya, on your own schedule.
Flights
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Mexico City (MEX), about 1 h 25 min by road from Tepoztlán, the base for La Joya.
Mobile data
Signal can drop away from Tepoztlán: download a map of the way to La Joya before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.
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When to go to La Joya mild
La Joya shares the climate of Tepoztlán, 11 km away. The best months to visit are January, February, March, and December.
See the month-by-month climate of Tepoztlán
Weather in La Joya now and the next 7 days
Live forecast from Open-Meteo. Chance of rain is the day's highest.
The closest Pueblo Mágico: Tepoztlán
Tepoztlán is the Pueblo Mágico closest to La Joya, with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Also close to
- Tlayacapan · Morelos · 17 km away
- Xochitepec · Morelos · 22 km away
- Tlaltizapán · Morelos · 23 km away
- Malinalco · Estado de México · 40 km away
- Ixtapan de la Sal · Estado de México · 58 km away
Closest to La Joya
-
Amador Salazar · Town · 1 km away
-
Independencia · Village · 1 km away
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Rinconada Acolapa · Village · 1 km away
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Progreso · Village · 2 km away
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Balneario El Texcal · Hot springs · 3 km away
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Laguna de Hueyapan · Lagoon · 3 km away
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Balneario Las Fuentes · Hot springs · 4 km away
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Cañón de Lobos · Nature reserve · 4 km away
Near La Joya
Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.