Celaya

Celaya is one of the most visited little cities in the state of Guanajuato. It remains, though, one of the least understood. To the minds of many, historic as it is, the city remains but a traffic interchange. In fact, stopping to visit reveals that it offers a serious culture of arts and some 400,000 permanent residents. The city was historically Otomi, an ethnic group who still exert an influence on the vibe and personality. This is probably nowhere more evident than in the giant and central Mercado Morelos. 

The city is referred to as the Capital of Cajeta for the particularly Mexican variety of caramel that is spread onto all manner of deserts and pastries. And this is evident everywhere in and around the market. The Morelos Market butts up against the Hidalgo Market and the two constitute the commercial center of the city. Not far from the main town church, the Sagrado Corazón Cathedral sets a tone for these otherwise very busy city center streets. 

Even bigger the San Francisco church and former monastery from the 17th century start to give an idea of the great history and age of the city. There is an Augustinian Cloister, too. But avid viewers will want to inspect the collections of the dozen or so museums in the city center. The Celaya Historia Regionalis just one of the best known, after the famous Mummy Museum.

The Bola de Agua de Celaya maybe the most visible thing in the city center, but one of the reasons that Celaya always stands out is that, as a major highway interchange, the town is also very easy to get to. At least five major bus lines run regular buses from the Mexico City Autobuses del Norte station. The trip takes just three and a half hours. 

Many bus lines also connect here, for trips to Querétaro, Irapuato, and Guanajuato.  But the big news is really that passenger service will return to Celaya on the Mexico City - Guadalajara train line, currently slated to open in the late 2020s. This will be a big boon for the people of Celaya, and for those hoping to visit!