One leg of our journey had us travelling in our rental car (lovingly referred to at the rollerskate - yes, a VW Pointer) from the bustling Guadalajara in Jalisco State to Guanajuato (gwah-nah-HWAH-toh), in the State of Guanajuato - about a four hour journey with stops on a well-planned toll highway. This jewel of a destination is located in the center of the country, and known as Bajio, the colonial heart of Mexico.
To give you some markers on it's location, this lovely city is under an hour from the new airport in Leon, about an hours drive from San Miguel de Allende or about three hours northwest of Mexico City. Guanajuato is a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and is one of a group of old silver mining cities, which includes Guanajuato and San Miguel, Zacatecas, Queretaro, San Luis Potosí and Alamos. Each has its own unique character, features and atmosphere but together they make fantastic travel experiences!
Hundreds of years old and thousands of feet above sea level - our tour guide told us at the highest point, Guanajuato reaches almost 7000 ft! The city dates back to 1552 and it's known tunnel system, which you have to see to believe, was built around the time of the silver boom. The city is now filled with a striking amount of one way streets, some above ground, and others below, in a complex cavernous underworld. But not only are these tunnels one way travel routes for cars, there are also subterranean routes for pedestrians, which makes travelling around the city very easy (if you are not directionally challenged!)
For drivers, kilometers of brick tunnels guide you around the city. Just make sure that wherever there is an opening with sunlight streaming down, there will be a street marker indicating what roads you are intersecting!
Guanajuato is a friendly and unspoiled place, not overwhelmed with tourists like the coastal areas of this beautiful country. And it is in the colonial cities that the real Mexico begins to emerge. You'll experience magnificent scenery, beautiful and unique hotels at reasonable prices as well as taste local foods and flavors as colorful and diverse as the cultures that created them.
I found a fantastic deal on http://www.luxurylink.com/ for three days in a suite, breakfast, dinner and a full day tour at the 19th century Hacienda now called Quinta Las Acacias (http://www.quintalasacacias.com/ ). A cross between a luxury small hotel and B&B with old Spaniard architecture and Mexican charm.
Our suite was in a secondary building further up the hill behind the main house, perched into the hillside overlooking the beauty of the city as well as one of the hotel's jacuzzi pools!
The great architecture of this gorgeous city was built with the enormous wealth generated from the silver mines that enjoyed their surge during the 17th and 18th centuries. At this time, Guanajuato was the source for one third of the world's silver supply! Today, you can see Guanajuato in its unspoiled, perfectly preserved splendor. It's like stepping back in time here; the city is incredibly picturesque - my camera barely had a break!
We were both amazed at how much this small city in the heart of Mexico could easily be mistaken for a village in Spain or even Italy! It has a genuine Spanish colonial look, style, feel and atmosphere. Cobbled streets, churches, asymmetrical and colourful buildings, an amazing vibe and fantastic history!
To be continued...
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