Taxco

Introducing Taxco

The first sight of Taxco (tahss-ko) across the steep valley as you approach it on the curvy road from Mexico City is enough to take your breath away. Scattered down a precipitous hillside surrounded by dramatic mountains and cliffs, its perfectly preserved colonial architecture and the twin belfries of its baroque masterpiece, Parroquia Santa Prisca, make for one of the most beguiling views anywhere in the central highlands.

Taxco, 160km southwest of Mexico City, has ridden waves of boom and bust associated with the fantastically wealthy silver deposits discovered here in the 16th century and then repeatedly until the early 20th century. With its silver now almost all gone, the town has fallen back on tourism to sustain it. On the one hand Taxco is a rare example of development being carried out in close association with preservation. On the other, the town can sometimes feel like it’s given itself over to the tour groups a little bit too much. Any day of the week you’ll find visitors wandering the narrow cobblestone streets, peering into the endless rows of silver shops, while at the weekends Taxco is often flooded with weekenders from Mexico City. The sheer noise of the countless Beetle taxis that serve the entire population of this steepest of towns can also be a problem. You’ll need to chose your accommodation carefully if you want a quiet night.

Despite these reservations, Taxco is a fabulous destination and one of the best weekend trips you can do from Mexico City. Unlike many colonial-era towns, Taxco has not become engulfed by industrial suburbs, and its status as a national historical monument means that even new buildings must conform to the old in scale, style and materials.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009