From National Geographic Traveler, March 2011
Guapo Guanajuato
This handsome town is a Mexican find. By Melinda Mahaffey
Despite Guanajuato's proximity to tourist magnet San Miguel de Allende, this former capital of Mexico (for one month in 1858) and UNESCO World Heritage site remains little known to travelers. Its appeal comes as no surprise to locals, who often refer to it as the nation's cultural capital, in large part due to October's International Cervantes Festival. Its outdoor cafes and sun-drenched plazas invite relaxation while its twisting alleyways lined with pastel-colored houses call for exploration.
Meet the Muralists: For a crash course in Guanajuato history, check out the two stairway murals by native son Jose Chavez Morado at the Alhondiga de Granaditas fortress, site of a major Mexican Independence battle in 1810. At the Museo Casa de Diego Rivera - the artist's birthplace in 1886 - head to the second floor to view Rivera's rarely seen early works, such as his experimentations with Impressionism and Cubism.
Go Alfresco: Sip a margarita at a patio table at Casa Valadez, at the southeast corner of the Jardin de la Union. Its prime location provides a front-row view of the mariachi bands, shoeshiners, carpet sellers, and buskers who populate the park. Across the street at the Templo San Diego, estudiantinas (strolling musicians in costumes) gather to take visitors on song-filled evening tours of the town's alleyways.
Shop for Artisan Goods: Start with the stalls at the Mercado Hidalgo, a truly local place whose merchants offer everything from inexpensive wood earrings to mummy-shaped sweets (a reference to the town's popular Mummy Museum). At the overflowing Casa de la Abuela on Calle del Truco, shop for Day of the Dead decorations, painted wood angels, and metalwork picture frames. But most important: If you see someplace that intrigues you, stop immediately - the odds are good that you'll never be able to find it again among Guanajuato's labyrinthine streets.
Walk a River: Unlike most Mexican cities, which radiate horizontally off a central plaza, Guanajuato extends up and out from the bottom of a ravine. Descend the stone stairways found throughout town to explore some of the nine miles of subterranean arched tunnels; in the open sections, cantilevered houses hang above the former riverbed.
