Landmark 14 km west of Tlaltizapán
A colonial sugar hacienda near Tequesquitengo, with thick stone walls and an old aqueduct, now a hotel and restaurant.
San José Vista Hermosa is one of the oldest sugar haciendas in Morelos, a few minutes from Lake Tequesquitengo. Tradition traces it to the lands granted to Hernán Cortés in 1529, when the crown made him Marqués del Valle de Oaxaca, and it began as a trapiche, a small sugar mill, before growing into one of the major sugar estates of New Spain.
The buildings show that long history. Stone walls up to two meters thick, wide arches, huge vaulted rooms, a chapel, old warehouses and an aqueduct that still stands give a good idea of how much labor and water went into making sugar here. During the Revolution the hacienda was looted and left in ruins, like many in Morelos. It was rescued and restored in the 1940s and reopened as a hotel in 1947, keeping its colonial structure and adding gardens and pools.
Today it still works as a hotel and restaurant, and it's a popular setting for weddings. Even if you don't stay, a meal there lets you walk the courtyards, see the aqueduct and get a feel for the scale of the old sugar economy, which is also what the Zapatistas were fighting against.
What to see and do
Walk the courtyards, arcades and vaulted halls of the old hacienda.
See the stone aqueduct that once carried water to the mill.
Have lunch in the restaurant or stay a night.
Combine it with an afternoon at Lake Tequesquitengo.
Getting there
The hacienda is in San José Vista Hermosa, near the north end of Lake Tequesquitengo, about 25 km southwest of Tlaltizapán; allow about 30–35 minutes by car via Jojutla. From the Mexico–Acapulco highway, take the Tequesquitengo exit. It's a private hotel, so call ahead or book a meal if you want to look around.
14 km west of Tlaltizapán
Directions from Tlaltizapán on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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Weather warm
Hacienda San José Vista Hermosa shares the climate of Tlaltizapán, 14 km away. The best months to visit are Jan, Oct, Nov, Dec.
Make Tlaltizapán your base
Hacienda San José Vista Hermosa is an easy trip from Tlaltizapán, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
Also close to
- Xochitepec · 16 km away
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Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.