Guanajuato — Destination Guide: Overview

Rich, silver-mining Guanajuato is set in the rocky, windblown, geographical center of Mexico. The town occupies the sides of a deep ravine and its winding thoroughfares mysteriously disappear into tunnels. Guanajuato is a vibrant student town: its university excels in engineering (mining), law, the performing arts, music, theater and Spanish for foreigners. One of the great pleasures of a visit is to wander the cobblestoned streets and alleys, stopping off at the many plazas to admire their handsome colonial architecture and to enjoy the excellent, increasingly international cafes and restaurants. Guanajuato was seized by revolutionaries ...

Rich, silver-mining Guanajuato is set in the rocky, windblown, geographical center of Mexico. The town occupies the sides of a deep ravine and its winding thoroughfares mysteriously disappear into tunnels. Guanajuato is a vibrant student town: its university excels in engineering (mining), law, the performing arts, music, theater and Spanish for foreigners. One of the great pleasures of a visit is to wander the cobblestoned streets and alleys, stopping off at the many plazas to admire their handsome colonial architecture and to enjoy the excellent, increasingly international cafes and restaurants. Guanajuato was seized by revolutionaries after Miguel Hidalgo's cry for independence in 1810 but the Spanish retook it. The Alhóndiga de Granaditas saw the action and it now houses a museum and art gallery. Diego Rivera was born in Guanajuato and his family home is open to visitors. Guanajuato's quirkiest sight is its popular Museo de las Momias with mummified corpses exhumed from the local cemetery. In October the city hosts the Festival Internacional Cervantino, a music, dance and theater fest held in its elegant theaters.

About the Expert

John Noble and Susan Forsyth are coauthors of Lonely Planet's Spain, Andalucia, and Mexico as well as many other LP titles from Indonesia to Belize to Brazil.