Mineral de Pozos
The enigmatic light and elegance of the central desert, an old silver town, and the fields that seem to stretch into the distant past and a very promising future.
Mineral de Pozos is a high, clear, and enchanted town on the old silver road, high in the northeast of Guanajuato. Semi-arid, you might want to call it straight up desert. It will certainly feel that way. The place is enigmatic. It was built as a defensive fort on the route that precious metals would travel, southward from Zacatecas.
The Santa Brígida furnaces that still serves as a symbol for the town were already being built in the 1590s. Part of an old Jesuit-run hacienda, it was surrounded by others, the Santa Elena for one, and by the local Cinco Señores and El Triángulo mines. At the late 19th century, it was connected by the railroad, and much of modern life soon followed. The old Church of San Pedro Apóstol dates from the 17th century, and this, with the Plaza Zaragoza, and the old Escuela Modelo make up almost the entirety of the little town center.
People come today to walk the fields of lavender. Lavender recently grew to be one of the most important agricultural products in the area. And visitors take to horseback riding, hiking, and visits into the mines. There is a small history museum but most visitors will take it in stride. The town gets lots of visitors escaping the larger crowds in San Miguel de Allende. Here they find a similar landscape of mesquite trees and a somewhat posh boutique hotel industry. There are some affordable options too.
Lots of visitors will arrive from San Miguel where organized tour groups and vans leave regularly. The trip is just over an hour. Dolores Hidalgo is just about an hour to the west. But an ever growing number of visitors arrive from Querétaro, just under two hours directly south. That will likely remain the most direct route with the opening of the Guadalajara - Mexico City train in the coming years.
The airport outside of León is just about a 2.5 hour drive from Mineral de Pozos, passing the capital, Guanajuato, along the way. Both cities see frequent tour groups and organized trips. If you happen to find yourself in San Luis de la Paz, take heart. The slightly larger town is just 20 minutes north in a taxi, and served by regular combis and buses.
