Guanajuato, Guanajuato, is my favorite city in Mexico! Even though it is far from the beach and doesn't have many natural wonders, the city center is the most charming, colorful, walkable, and affordable you can find in Mexico. If you are coming to Mexico in the near future, this place must be on your list!
NOTE: Guanajuato (as a state) has seen a high influx of violence since 2020. This is concentrated in the less touristic cities of Celaya and Irapuato, but there have also been incidents in the outskirts of Guanajuato. At the same time, this city center is one of the most touristic and safe places I've ever been in Mexico, so if you heed caution and just stay to where there are people, you should be fine. Always do your research, ask fellow travelers and locals alike if you are nervous.
WHY GUANAJUATO?
The first picture on this post kind of captures it all, but Guanajuato is set in a valley that just makes for the most picturesque backdrop. Inside the valley, it is a relatively car-free colonial zone, giving you the feeling of being in a European town. From endless cafes, to colorful alleyways, delicious regional foods, and street musicians on every corner, Guanajuato is so very romantic yet also family-friendly -- it just captivates you!
Not to mention, the costs of Guanajuato are still very affordable compared to other Mexican cities, so your dollar (or peso?) goes much farther here. And sorry to be a bit hypocritical as a gringo myself, but I like that Guanajuato attracts just as many Mexican tourists as it does foreigners, which keeps it feeling authentic.
GETTING THERE
Located just an hour from the larger, less touristic city of León, and conveniently about equidistant from Mexico City and Guadalajara, Guanajuato fits perfectly in most travel agendas. If you want to take your time in this region of Mexico, it is easily combined with visits to San Miguel de Allende or Queretaro :)
I recommend taking the bus to Guanajuato. Book with Primera Plus or ETN which are more fancy and direct buses that do not make local stops. The bus station sits just outside the "valley" of the historic center, so once you arrive just walk right in front of the station and take the 11 peso bus that is always leaving to the centro. Alternatively, a taxi should be about 70-80 pesos.
PLANNING YOUR STAY
Google Maps helps you see the commercial zones so you have an idea. Guanajuato is very hilly and as I mentioned, has some more sketchy outskirts, so it is very worth it to stay centrally located.
I've been to Guanajuato thrice and I gotta say, Airbnb may just be your best bet. Because homes are small and historic, they really offer themselves to intimate, rustic Airbnb stays and the cost can be just as affordable as a hostel bed when split between a few people.
DON'T STAY at Casa Alebrije... We once booked a room here on Booking.com and it was dirty, sheets were unchanged, and the other guests and workers made us pretty uncomfortable.
As for the length of your stay, the historical center of Guanajuato is small but you should stay at least two nights so you can feel free to wander and check out all the culture and art there is to enjoy. Frankly, Guanajuato is an extremely livable and comfortable place so I'm sure you could stay here for weeks and weeks and be very content!
THINGS TO DO
Just get to walking the streets and hopefully you will find yourself at
Mercado Hidalgo: a place to buy artisanal goods at inexpensive prices or some of Guanajuato's famed sweets and candies
so many plazas... just beyond the market you can't miss the Jardín Reforma where there are always book vendors, and for some dope Instagrammable moments you will want to see the Plaza de San Roque. Jardín Embajadores and Jardin de la Unión too.
a few fun museums: Diego Rivera's childhood home, a Don Quijote museum, and the museum of mummies are some of the most popular. (I've decided to skip on the mummies so you gotta report back to me!)
Universidad de Guanajuato: you can't miss this stunning white building which is an iconic symbol of the city.
Teatro Juarez: a gorgeous building and gathering space for live musicians.
the Basilica: stop by this gorgeous bright yellow church in the early hours of the morning to get the spot all to yourself!
Callejón de Beso: with your romantic partner, you can lean off two balconies in a skinny alleyway and share a kiss across the alley! We didn't do this because of the long line and super touristy nature of it hehe
Unlike other places in Mexico, this small city is best at NIGHT! Because it is so pedestrian-friendly and there seems to be free entertainment wherever you go, you better pace yourself so that you can enjoy the beautiful evenings here.
Start with sunset at Monumento Al Pipila. There is a big statue and the view from above is mesmerizing. It's a fun workout to navigate the alleyways to the top of the hill, just use Google Maps and be cautious to not be in a dark alleyway by yourself at night.
EAT AND DRINK
You probably can't go wrong at most food and drink establishments but these are some of my faves....
the comida corrida: the food stands just outside the market are full of vendors yelling try to get your attention, offering huge plates for cheap. my mom said she ate her all-time tastiest carnitas here!
Eat sweets on the streets: I love sweet tamales and love all trying the flavors.
Breakfast with a view: we had a super affordable breakfast at the colorful La Patrona, one of the only places we found open in the early morning.
Cerveceria Chapultepec: not the best ambiance but typically the cheapest place for beers, margaritas, mojitos, you name it!
good cafes: pretty much wherever you look you'll find an artsy cafe! I can recommend La Escarola which has a beautiful garden and live music atmosphere. And Cafe Conquistador for the tiniest and hippest coffee spot you've ever seen
FUN EVENTS
A local baseball game: If you wanna get a taste of Guanajuato beyond the tourism, this is it! The entry to a game will just set you back a few dozen pesos and then you get to watch baseball with the striking view of the valley's colorful homes beyond you. You can't go wrong with a baseball game, and you can support the local food vendors for some classic national beers and salsa-covered snacks. We couldn't find an accurate schedule online so you'll just have to swing by one afternoon to see!
Callejoneadas: If you stroll through the center on any given day, local university students dressed in medieval costume are likely to woo you into a very affordable 1-2 hour night tour through the streets of Guanajuato. Filled with music, legends, jokes, and fun historical information, this is a classic Guanajuato activity that I still have yet to do! They typically recruit big groups to go together so don't expect the most personalized experience.
Festival Cervantino: As Latin America's biggest performing arts festival of the year, Guanajuato really fills up for a period of time every October. This festival has its origins in the mid 20th century when Miguel de Cervantes hosted live entertainment and plays in Guanajuato's plazas, and now it's a massive, weeks long event. My last visit was during the Festival Cervantino which was great because we saw a bunch of cool exhibitions and music, but not so great because it was super duper crowded. (I learned in hindsight, a big picture of me working for my organization was actually mounted somewhere as part of the exhibition on America! So I guess I was part of the festival too LOL!)
DAYTRIPS
León: From Guanajuato, you are just an hour bus ride away from the shoes and leather capital of Mexico, the city of León. A lot of people say this city is a little underwhelming (it's fairly suburban and tame), but the historical centro, gorgeous Templo Expiatorio, and the leather markets are a perfect daytrip. If you go on a Sunday like we did, the streets are closed down for bikes and pedestrians which makes it all the more lovely!
San Miguel de Allende: As Guanajuato's fancier and more Americanized cousin, San Miguel is another beautiful colonial stop just 1.5 hours away. If I were deciding between San Miguel or Guanajuato, Guanajuato is definitely my personal favorite, but the both have a lot of similar vibes. Check out my blog post to read all about it.
Dolores Hidalgo: As the heart of Mexican independence, this pueblo magico is not far from Guanajuato and has much more of the charm of a traditional Mexican pueblo. If you go in September, you will be in the heart of the independence celebrations!
Closer to Guanajuato, you can also get in a fun hike to a natural area and big boulder, or book a daytrip with a local tourist agency to see a Christ-the-Reedemer-like statue.
All in all, Guanajuato is just fabulous and it totally has my heart. If I could compare it to one place, I honestly can say it reminds me of the ideal city center - like Main Street in Disneyland!- as everything is perfectly charming and in place, but it's real life! I can't wait to go back again and again and try new cafes, new places to stay, find new viewpoints and see more street musicians.
