Guanajuato

Guanajuato is the centuries-old capital of a vast gold mining region in Central Mexico. In fact, the first vein of gold discovered here continued to produce gold all the way until 1928. This city came to lend its name to the entire state and this causes some confusion. Perhaps not as much as the old name, Ciudad de Santa Fe y Real de Minas de Guanajuato, Very Noble and Loyal City of Holy Faith and Royal Mines of Guanajuato, which was likely too much even for the colonial peoples. The city is still the capital of the state of Guanajuato, though it is nowhere near its largest city. That honor goes to León, a manufacturing hub some 90 minutes to the west. Some eight other Guanajuato cities are bigger than this tiny, rugged, and many-faceted little nugget of a capital.  

Guanajuato is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with its gold mines. When you visit you'll see some of those mines, the tunnels of which are still used as city streets. And those are the big and easily passed city streets. Many others are but narrow alleys, crooked staircases, and hopeless dead ends. Getting a little lost is one of the pleasures of every visit. The city can feel like it was built on some four or five different levels, and exploring it is part of the joy of any visit. Of course, there are some 31 museums, a funicular incline that will drag you up to the best lookout point in town, and dozens of other attractions: mummies, the childhood home of Diego Rivera, and color and stone, and statues. 

The city might be the most impossible to photograph of any city in Mexico. Lots of people will keep trying. Guanajuato is nothing short of spectacular. The Mercado Hidalgo, giant as it is, may be the best place to eat, but visitors will not be able to try everything. And so, with a deep breath, the capital of Guanajuato will remain one of the best places to visit for the sheer improbability of its being a place. It is a city and a theater festival, (the most important in Mexico), but it is likely fair to say too, that it is also a historical expression. Just try to find the boring and non-photogenic parts. 

The capital of Guanajuato, Guanajuato, will be an hour north of the important Irapuato stop on the Guadalajara-Mexico City train. The train is set to start operations in a few years. Until then, most visitors will still likely arrive via Irapuato. Flights into the León airport are also somewhat frequent. The airport serves the capital as well as León as it stands only about 40 minutes away, between the two cities. There are also direct buses from the Autobuses del Norte station in Mexico City. Try ETN, Primera Plus, or Wayak. The journey takes just a little more or less than five hours.