Cuautla, Mexico

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luxuriant vegetation. Located at the intersection of several cross-country routes, the town makes a good base for excursions to places of interest in the surrounding area, the main attraction being the many convents within reach.

History Cuautla (Náhuatl: "Cuauhtlán" = "place of the eagle") was already well known for its healing waters in pre-Columbian times, and in the early 17th c. became a fashionable spa for prosperous Spaniards.

In 1812, during the Mexican War of Independence, a battle was fought here between rebel forces led by José María Morelos and troops of the Spanish Crown. Emiliano Zapata, leader of the indomitable peasants' revolt during the Mexican Revolution (1910-20), came from Anenecuilco, 6km/4mi to the south.

Little from the colonial period survives in the town, though the two best-known churches, San Díego and Santíago, both date from the 17th c. Memorabilia from the time of the War of Independence are displayed in the Casa de Morelos.

Agua Hedionda (Spanish: "stinking water", on the east side of the town), Agua Linda, Casasano and El Almeal are the principal therapeutic baths in and around Cuautla, most being hot sulphur springs.