Things to do in Northern Central Highlands
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Ex-Hacienda San Gabriel de Barrera
To escape Guanajuato's bustling streets, head 2.5km west to this magnificent colonial home which is now a museum, Ex-Hacienda San Gabriel de Barrera, with stunning gardens. This tranquil retreat is well worth a couple of hours.
Built at the end of the 17th century, this was the grand hacienda of Captain Gabriel de Barrera, whose family was descended from the first Conde de Rul of the famous La Valenciana mine. Opened as a museum in 1979, the hacienda, with its opulent period European furnishings, provides an insight into the lives of the wealthy of the time.
The large, shady grounds, originally devoted to processing ore from La Valenciana, were converted in 1945 to a serie…
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Museo Casa Allende
Near the Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel is the house where Ignacio Allende was born, now the Museo Casa Allende. Recently remodelled, the museum relates the interesting history of the San Miguel area. The 2nd floor is a reproduction of Allende’s home. A Latin inscription on the facade reads Hic natus ubique notus, which means ‘Here born, everywhere known.’
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Eucalipto
Named after the droopy looking eucalyptus gum tree in the courtyard, this pleasant place conjures up a perkier range of pastas and an array of meat dishes (thankfully, not koala) - from rib eye to T-bone - and a selection of wines, from Chile to France. It's one of the priciest in town, but it's excellent quality cuisine.
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Templo de Santa Rosa de Viterbos
The 18th-century Templo de Santa Rosa de Viterbos is Querétaro's most splendid baroque church, with its pagoda-like bell tower, unusual exterior paintwork, curling buttresses and lavishly gilded and marbled interior. The church also boasts what some say is the earliest four-sided clock in the New World.
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El Midi
This French-run café-restaurant is hard to go past for its fresh delights. Tartes, salads and a huge array of daily offerings can be enjoyed on the perfectly pretty plaza under brollies. Morning croissants available; the salad bar starts at 12.30pm and á la carte meals are served in the evenings.
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Fábrica La Aurora
The largest concentration of contemporary art galleries and design studios (mainly expatriates’ work) is housed in the trendy Fábrica La Aurora, a remodeled raw-cotton factory on the north end of town. Many galleries are promoted in local papers, but otherwise, be guided by your whim.
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Santo Café
Stop by this cozy, slightly funky spot on the quaint Venetian-style bridge and check the latest university vibe. It serves excellent salads and snacks, plus heftier dishes and drinks. Some tables overlook the alley below, and there is music of all styles.
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Rincón Artesanal
Owned and run by a friendly mother and daughter, this shop is packed to the rafters with objects made from carved wood, pewter, wax, ceramics and papier-mâché - all made in different workshops throughout Guanajuato state.
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Acrópolis Café
This Greek-owned café with slightly overinflated prices is popular with locals and visitors, more for its location than its meals – light snacks and coffees.
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El Paraíso
This smart bar in the southwest corner of the Mercado González Ortega attracts a friendly, varied, mostly 30s clientele; it’s busiest on Friday and Saturday.
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El Grito
An oversized face above the doorway of this upscale disco shouts out ‘high prices’ to the young and fashionable Mexican crowd queuing outside.
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San Patrizio Caffé
Probably does the best – if priciest – cappuccinos in town and has a relaxing courtyard seating, light snacks, and an array of Italian sodas.
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Trattoria Il Goloso
Trade the tacos for Italian pasta and other mains – in this cozy (if slightly pricey) Sicilian-themed place, behind San Patrizio Caffé.
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Yamuna
A great range of quality veg food, most - such as the generous comida corrida - with a very Indian Hindu influence and flavor.
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Café Azul
Open all day, this Swiss-run scene is perfect for breakfasts, snacks and light meals including excellent sweet and savory crepes.
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Statue of Hidalgo
The balding head of the visionary priest Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla is familiar to anyone who's ogled Mexican statues or murals. A genuine rebel idealist, Hidalgo sacrificed his career and risked his life on September 16, 1810 when he launched the independence movement.
Born on May 8, 1753, son of a criollo hacienda manager in Guanajuato, he earned a bachelor's degree and, in 1778, was ordained a priest. He returned to teach at his alma mater in Morelia and eventually became rector. But he was no orthodox cleric: Hidalgo questioned many Catholic traditions, read banned books, gambled, danced and had a mistress.
In 1800 he was brought before the Inquisition. Nothing w…
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Alhóndiga de Granaditas
The site of the first major rebel victory in Mexico's War of Independence, Alhóndiga de Granaditas is now a history and art museum. Originally a massive grain-and-seed storehouse built between 1798 and 1808, the Alhóndiga became a fortress for Spanish troops and loyalist leaders in 1810. They barricaded themselves inside when 20,000 rebels led by Miguel Hidalgo attempted to take Guanajuato.
Just when it looked as though the outnumbered Spaniards would hold out, a young miner named Juan José de los Reyes Martínez (aka El Pípila), under orders from Hidalgo, tied a stone slab to his back and, protected from Spanish bullets, set the gates ablaze. The Spaniards choked on sm…
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Museo de las Momias
The famous Museum of the Mummies at the panteón (cemetery) is a quintessential example of Mexico's obsession with death. Visitors from all over come to see scores of corpses disinterred from the public cemetery. The first remains were dug up in 1865, when it was necessary to remove some bodies from the cemetery to make room for more. What the authorities uncovered were not skeletons but flesh mummified with grotesque forms and facial expressions.
The mineral content of the soil and extremely dry atmosphere had combined to preserve the bodies in this unique way.
Today, more than 100 mummies are on display in the museum, including the first mummy to be discovered, the 'sma…
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Museo Regional
The Museo Regional is beside the Templo de San Francisco. The ground floor holds interesting exhibits on pre-Hispanic Mexico, archaeological sites, Spanish occupation and the state's various indigenous groups.
Upstairs exhibits reveal Querétaro's role in the independence movement and post-independence history (plus religious paintings). The table at which the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed in 1848, ending the Mexican-American War, is on display, as is the desk of the tribunal that sentenced Emperor Maximilian to death.
The museum is housed in part of what was once a huge monastery and seminary. Begun in 1540, the seminary became the seat of the Franciscan province…
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Horseback Rides to El Quemado
Ride 'em cowboy! Numerous trails lead out into the dry, stark and fascinating desertscapes - hilly and flat - around Real. The most popular guided trail ride is the three-hour trip to El Quemado, the sacred mountain of the Huichol. Here you'll find expansive views of the high-desert plateau and a small shrine to the sun god.
Horse guides now belong to a union, approved by the municipality; if unsure, ask for a guide's credentials. The aim of the union is to standardize prices and safety. Note that no protective hats are provided; you clomp off at your own risk.
The horses and guides congregate every morning around Plaza Hidalgo. Willys jeep trips can also be arranged to ma…
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Sierra de Órganos
High on the western edge of Zacatecas state and declared a national park in 2000, the isolated Sierra de Órganos makes for a fun visit. The region is named for its distinctive rock formations, some of which resemble organ pipes; others are named for their similarity to the likes of ET, Christ and Los Frailes. Keen campers or hikers may enjoy staying in one of several campsites, or you can contact the municipal tourist office in Sombrerete to rent a cabaña. There are also several picnic areas but no other facilities and no year-round water source. The park is relatively small (11 sq km) and makes a fascinating visit for a couple of days, but beware: there are no maps ava…
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Museo y Casa de Diego Rivera
Diego Rivera's birthplace is now a museum, devoted to the painter and his work. Rivera and his twin brother were born in the house in 1886 (the twin died at the age of two). He lived here until the family moved to Mexico City six years later. In conservative Guanajuato, where Catholic influence prevails, the Marxist Rivera was persona non grata for years. The city now honors its once blacklisted son with a small collection of his work.
The first floor contains the Rivera family's 19th-century antiques and fine furniture. On the 2nd and 3rd floors are portraits of peasants and indigenous people, a nude of Frida Kahlo and sketches for some of Rivera's memorable murals. Ther…
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Socavón de Purísima
If you prefer to do your own hikes, you can head out from Real in almost any direction. A short hike goes to Socavón de Purísima, a large chimney of a former mine. Head down Allende and veer right at its end. You are on the road to Estación de Catorce. Follow this road until you reach the chimney (about 45 minutes one way). The road passes through a cut or split rock, the Cerro Trocado. To enter the mine, speak to the caretaker family (a tip is gratefully received).
To return, it's a longer and harder slog back up the hill (one hour one way; on weekends you might be able to grab a lift in a Willys Jeep). Caution: be prepared - tell others where you're headed, take wate…
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Monumento a El Pípila
The monument to El Pípila honors the hero who torched the Alhóndiga gates on September 28, 1810, enabling Hidalgo's forces to win the first victory of the independence movement. The statue shows El Pípila holding his torch high over the city. On the base is the inscription Aún hay otras Alhóndigas por incendiar (There are still other Alhóndigas to burn).
It's worth going up to the statue for the magnificent view over the city. Two routes from the center of town take you there via steep, picturesque lanes. One goes east on Sopeña from Jardín de la Unión, then turns right on Callejón del Calvario (you'll see the sign). Another ascent, unmarked, goes uphill from the sm…
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