Susanne 5. Your family also operates a hotel in Cuernavaca. Please provide us with information about that.
The Hotel Royal is a small, economic and clean place where you can comfortably spend the night. Our rates are inexpensive, and we focus on offering you a comfortable place of rest after a day full of action outside. You can visit our web site to get more information: www.hoteles-royal.com
6. Please tell us about Hotel Villa Royal in Puente de Ixtla.
The Hotel Villa Royal is a place to rest, it is a very small hotel with only 7 rooms and a pool, located in the town of Puente de Ixtla. We provide personalized service and attention to your unique needs. More information is available on our web site as well.
Rappeling in Morelos
7. Please tell us about the tours you provide of archeological zones in and around Cuernavaca.
In Cuernavaca we offer a tour to the archeological zone of Teopanzolco. This zone is very important because the main temple is a scale copy of the great temple of Tenochtitlán (now in Mexico City), which was destroyed.
Other important places that combine adventure and archeology are:
– Xochicalco: A United Nationals World Heritage Site, not to be missed if you come to Morelos.
– Tepoztlán: Climb the mountain to reach the temple of Ometochtli (the pre-hispanic rabbit god of liquor) and then do some rock-climbing or use ropes to practice your descents.
– Chalcatzingo: Located among the higher mountains of Morelos, this is one of the one most ancient archeological zones of Mexico, dating to 1500 B.C. Here you can also rock-climb and rappel.
– Chimalacatlán: Here you can enter into the depths of a temperate rainforest, cross the entire state and admire one of the last natural frontiers of Morelos. You can go horse-back riding and reach an archeological zone located at the top of a mountain, also among the most ancient zones of Mexico.
Archeological zones in abundance
8. You also provide guided tours of the museums of Cuernavaca. Please elaborate.
There are a variety of different museums in Cuernavaca, we can offer you a variety of guided tours:
– The Cuahunauac Museum was the palace of Hernan Cortes, the conqueror of Mexico. It also used to be a jail and now you can find a great mural by Diego Rivera.
Museo Muros: this art museum has the greatest collection of contemporary Mexican art, with paintings by Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros, Rufino Tamayo, Frida Kahlo, and many more.
– The Borda Gardens: This property used to be the weekend house of the Emperor Maximilian of Habsburg during the French occupation of Mexico in the 19th century.
– The Robert Brady museum: An eclectic collection of art from all parts of the world, donated to the city by Mr. Brady, an American painter and millionaire who used to live in this house.
– Etnobotanic museum: Here you can discover over 5000 species of plants in Mexico and learn about the medicinal proprieties of these plants.
9. You also provide tours of “ex conventos”, former convents created by Spanish monks. Please give is an overview of their locations, their history and the tours that you provide.
These former convents were among the first in the Americas. They are very interesting because their locations are very close to the Popocatepetl volcano. These convents have beautiful wall paintings and they have also been declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
We provide 5 different tours, depending on the distance and the number of ex conventos you want to see. There are a total of 11 former convents and it is feasible to see them all in one day during a whirlwind tour where much of the time is spent in the car. We also offer less compressed tours where you see a smaller number of former convents and have more time to explore the main features of each one.
The former convent in Tepoztlan
10. Morelos Trails also offers a variety of Scuba courses and certifications. Please tell us about these opportunities.
The State of Morelos offers great opportunities to begin your diving experience at one of the crystal clear rivers. You have the option of becoming certified with the PADI credential if you complete a course. The final exams can be completed in Acapulco or in Veracruz, two places with great beaches and lots of fun.
11. What about alternative sports? What sports do you offer and in which locations are these sports activities available?
We offer the following alternative sports:
• Rafting at the Amacuzac river, the largest river in Morelos. A full-day tour is available only during rainy season.
• Flying an ultra-light plane: these small planes have no exterior walls, so you can feel the wind on your face and body during the entire time that it takes to fly above Tequesquitengo Lake, the largest lake of Morelos.
• A speleology walk underground for 3 or 5 hours, following a subterranean river that lets you discover complete darkness while learning more about geology.
• High mountain climbing at one of the 3 tallest volcanoes in Mexico – Iztaccihuatl, a 2-day tour in the company of a specialized guide.
12. You offer interesting local hiking excursions within the Cuernavaca city limits. Please tell us about those.
In Cuernavaca we have two different kinds of hiking excursions: the more basic one consists of a walk through the Santa Maria ravine, where you can follow a little stream and visit a trout farm. Here you can you also enjoy a nice meal in beautiful surroundings. There is enough time to visit the city on the same day.
The other excursion is a bit more physically demanding and requires you to be in better shape. The hike goes across the undeveloped ravines of west Cuernavaca. This is an all-day hike and finishes in the village of Cuentepec, a small town where the locals still speak the indigenous language of Nahuatl.
13. Where do your customers come from and what type of experience are they looking for?
Most of the customers for our tours come from the United States or from Europe, and they are looking for a combination of culture and nature experiences.
14. What is the demand for adventure sports and nature experiences in Mexico right now?
The demand for these experiences is high in the beach destinations such as Cancun, La Paz or Puerto Vallarta, but in central Mexico we are just starting to promote these opportunities to travellers and we are letting our future visitors know about the great possibilities offered in the State of Morelos.
Thank you, Rubén, for taking your time to tell us about the broad variety of cultural and adventure opportunities available in the Cuernavaca region. All the best to your young company!
