Finally getting to Guanajuato
More to see in Guanajuato than can be photographed.
I’ve been to Mexico on 5 different trips in the last 3 years. And this is the 1st time I’ve made it to Guanajuato.
A UNESCO world heritage site and the Land of the Frogs – everyone I know was incredulous that I had never quite made it to this beautiful city.
However, let me tell you, getting there from Cuernavaca was not quite as easy as it should have been.
World Famous for a New World Spin on Old World Charm, Guanajuato is a true treasure in the Mexico Mountains
Sometimes it’s hard to make travel plans – and coordinate schedules. After walking back and forth between bus stations in Cuernavaca, wavering between various destinations over at a taco stand on Morelos Ave., I finally decided to go to León – at 10:30 at night.
By chance, I was on the same bus as a friend, who was traveling first to León and then to Guanajuato. For some reason, as I get older (my whole 22 years), each time I travel is a bit more uncomfortable. Even though we took the luxury bus, TuriStar (a 500 peso ticket), the crappy ham & cheese sandwich and lukewarm Boing did not ease the motion sickness that overtook me somewhere around 1 am. We arrived in León at about 5:30 in the morning – thank god – and knowing that my friends in León would be asleep, I decided to chance the bus to Guanajuato with my friend (a 40 peso ticket). And now I know that going to Guanajuato sí, vale la pena.
Every time I go through a tunnel, I think I’m going to end up in a new place – a different land. It’s like the tunnel – any tunnel – is my secret transport to another world, new scenery. That being said, on the bus ride to Guanajuato I found myself almost disappointed many a time, because the city is full of tunnels.
Getting lost in Guanajuato may be the whole point of being there.
Guanajuato’s infrastructure is the very essence of Disney World’s Thunder Mountain Railroad And Mineshaft – twisting and turning a rocky 5 stories below the rest of the world, but with a view of the sky! We arrived at 7 a.m. to a fairly placid town – still sleeping and were able to take a peaceful tour of almost the entire city before most people were even out of bed. But you can and should explore this town on foot. Enjoy getting just slightly lost among the colorful, Baroque-style buildings and the old-world air and charm for which the town is world famous.
Here are a few highlights of the things you should see:
The Mummy Museum is Guanajuato is one of the city's creepiest destinations.
#1: The mummies
(50 pesos, or 35 pesos with student ID). You thought you knew what a mummy was – but until you’ve seen the mummies in Guanajuato, you haven’t really seen death. This collection of over 100 mummies – men, women, children and babies – will thrill and horrify you. Not only do most mummies still have clothing, but some still sport facial hair, braids and some scary looking pubes. This collection also has the world’s best preserved mummy – there is not a single hole in his paper-thin skin. Props to you, mummy friend.
#2: The cemetery.
Guanajuato's Cemetary is a frequently overlooked and totally tranquil place to stop after the Museum.
This is a highly overlooked spot in Guanajuato, right next to the mummy museum. If you get the chance, go in the early morning so you have a chance to appreciate the sunlight streaming through the tall trees and over the foreboding graves that are stacked as high walls. This cemetery has multiple gardens, and just when you think it ends, you find more steps leading down, down to more graves. Following in the tradition of Katy and Gerardo who gave me this travel tip, I always try to make a point of going to any city’s cemetery – as you readers probably have learned by now, death plays such an important role in Mexican culture.
#3: Restaurant Truco 7, cafés and pizzería at Plaza San Francisco and Bar La Diabla.
Each is a separate destination. These would be my frequent haunts if I lived in Guanajuato. Truco 7 is popular with foreigners and locals alike, offering cheap but delicious meals: typical Mexican foods and simple favorites. The cafés at Plaza San Francisco all offer economical breakfasts – fruit and juice or coffee included, as well as a pleasant outdoor setting to people watch or to enjoy the perfect climate. The pizzería around the corner sells delicious slices at 12 pesos a pop, soda included. Bar La Diabla is, like most bars, a shady looking place down some stairs that we would have missed except for the fact that my hungry stomach was on the lookout for food. Their chelas are accompanied by all of the snacks you could want – chicharrones and taquitos are just some of the free antojitos used to spice up your taste buds.
#4: Other places not to miss:
The Diego Rivera homestead, a show at Juarez Theatre, a walk through the main plaza, a cable-car ride up to the statue Pípila and the Callejón del Beso (Mexico’s Romeo and Juliet story).
Obviously there’s much more to see in this city, and if you like to take things slow it’s worth going for a few days so you can ramble along the cobblestones. Combine it with a trip to León or Aguascalientes and you’re all set for another great Mexican vacation!
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