Guanajuato

You can easily stop to see Guanajuato en route from San Miguel de Allende to Guadalajara, however since this quaint, picturesque town deserves more time that a quick visit, we suggest including it as a day’s outing from San Miguel de Allende. Because parking is a nightmare here (the streets are in a maze of tunnels beneath the town which is predominantly pedestrian only), we suggest you take a bus from San Miguel de Allende to Guanajuato. In 1559, silver was discovered in the surrounding mountains and Guanajuato became one of the richest cities in Mexico, mining an astonishing one third of all the silver produced in the world. You mustn’t miss this perfectly preserved city, which has been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Guanajuato is a photographers’ delight, with narrow cobblestone streets, inviting shaded plazas, ornate 18th-century mansions, spectacular churches, and pretty fountains. You can walk everywhere. The town’s main plaza, which is in the heart of town, is quite unusual. Instead of being designed as a square, it is a wedge-shaped plaza called Jardín Union, affectionately nicknamed Pedazo de Queso (Slice of Cheese). This tiny square is delightfully alluring, featuring an old-fashioned bandstand and pretty tiled walkways shaded by centuries-old trees that form an overhead canopy. In the evening strolling musicians add to the festivity of the scene. Located nearby is my favorite building in town, the Teatro Juárez, an ornate theater dating back to 1873 which is fronted by Greek columns adorned by statues of eight muses. Overlooking the plaza is the 17thcentury Church of San Diego, a splendid church with an ornate doorway. Originally part of a Jesuit seminary, the Templo de La Compañia de Jesus is quite impressive, with a dramatic dome that looks like that of St. Peter’s in Rome. Guanajuato was the birthplace of Diego Rivera, whose home is open as a museum displaying typical furnishings of the period including the brass bed in which he was born in 1886. Within the house is a collection of his paintings and preliminary sketches for his murals. Also visit the 17thcentury Basilica of Our Lady of Guanajuato, located on the Plaza de La Paz. Here you find a wooden statue of the Virgin Mary, covered with jewels, that supposedly dates back to 714. King Philip II of Spain sent it to the church as a gift in 1557. About ten minutes north of Guanajuato in the village of Valenciana, you can get a glimpse into how vast the mining industry was. Here you find the Hacienda de San Gabriel de La Barrera, the home of a wealthy mine baron, which has been restored and furnished with antiques and is now open as a museum. On the property are an outdoor restaurant and gift shop. You can also visit the Valenciana Silver Mine, dating back to 1558, which is still operational and open to the public. The enormously wealthy Count of Valenciana, owner of the mine that bears his name, spared no expense when he built the dazzling Church of San Cayetano, lavishly embellished with gold. Also in Valenciana is one of Guanajuato’s most popular restaurants, the Casa del Conde de La Valenciana, which also houses an arts and crafts gallery. Note: Guanajuato makes a good choice as a place to stay as an alternate choice to San Miguel de Allende.