The city of Guanajuato, capital of the state of Mexico of the same name, offers tourists architectural beauty, peaceful streets, interesting museums and different festivals and popular festivals that animate the town throughout the year. These are the 12 best things to see and do in Guanajuato.
1. Historic city
Guanajuato was one of the most important cities of the viceroyalty of New Spain for the Spanish empire. Much of the gold and silver came out of its mines to finance the empire's frequent wars between the 16th and 19th centuries. Contrary to what happened in other mining settlements, Guanajuato developed harmoniously as a small and beautiful colonial city, which today is a delight for lovers of these romantic spaces that recall times gone by. Walking its streets without haste and appreciating its most emblematic buildings is the first thing you should do in this exquisite World Heritage Site.
2. Collegiate Basilica of Our Lady of Guanajuato
This late 17th century temple is located in the center of the city, in the Plaza de la Paz. In the basilica, Our Lady of Guanajuato is worshiped, invocation of Mary whose image carved in cedar wood was the first of the Virgin to arrive in the New World. Tradition says that it was an image that the Catholics of Granada, Spain, hid from the Muslims for 7 centuries, until it was shipped to America. The architectural style of the basilica is Baroque, with neoclassical towers. Inside there are images of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the Sacred Heart of Jesus and a 1,098 pipe organ.
3. Juárez Theater
It was built at the end of the 19th century and lived its most splendorous time during the 10 years prior to the start of the Mexican Revolution. Before the theater, the first convent of the Discalced Franciscans in Guanajuato was on the site. At the top of the building's facade are the sculptures of the muses of arts and sciences. The inaugural gala held on October 27, 1903 was attended by President Porfirio Díaz and the work performed by an Italian company was the opera Aida, by Giuseppe Verdi. The theater is currently one of the venues of the International Cervantino Festival.
4. Cervantes Theater
It is a multifaceted space in the colonial city, located in Plaza Allende and inaugurated in 1979. All the performing arts (theater, mime, dance, opera, puppets) are presented in this venue that can accommodate 430 people. To give it more atmosphere around the figure of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, in front of the theater there are sculptures of Don Quixote and his faithful squire Sancho Panza. It is the main venue for the International Cervantino Festival.
5. Museum of the Mummies
This museum exhibits a sample of more than 100 bodies that have been mummified in a natural way, discovered after exhumations carried out in the Guanajuato cemetery. Mummification occurs due to the special composition of the local soil, rich in nitrates and alum. The shocking museum, which nevertheless fascinates visitors, displays the bodies of men, women and children.
If you want to read the complete guide to the Mummies museum click here.
6. Diego Rivera House Museum
The man from Cueva with the greatest universal representation is the painter Diego Rivera and in his birthplace there is a museum with his name. The gallery exhibits sketches and paintings by the famous muralist who was married to Frida Kahlo. A good part of the works belonged to the private collection of the engineer, politician and promoter of the arts, Marte Gómez. They range from the artist's early works, even from his childhood, to other of the later ones, completed a year before he died, such as Madam libet Y La Paloma del a Paz.
7. International Cervantino Festival
Because it is a small city, in order to keep its hotel and service capacity constantly occupied, Guanajuato hosts a wide variety of short-term events throughout the year. One of these is the International Cervantes Festival, which began modestly in the mid-20th century, representing Cervantes' hors d'oeuvres, and which has grown to become one of the most important festivals of its kind in the world. It takes place in the month of October.
8. International Organ Festival
The ancient organs of churches and cathedrals, apart from magnificent samples of the technology of the past for musical performance, produce notes that can take you to ecstasy and transport you to the past. Bearing this in mind, every May the Guanajuato city council organizes the “Guillermo Pinto Reyes” International Ancient Organ Festival and the Sacred Musical Art Clinic. Organists from all over Mexico and other countries play the organs of the main temples of the city, events that also help to preserve these monumental pieces of cultural heritage.
9. The Illuminations
Every year, between the months of November and December, the Virgin of Guanajuato, patron saint of the city, makes a tour of the neighborhoods and colonies, a religious and popular festival called Las Iluminaciones. Each neighborhood strives to receive the image with the greatest joy, amid the ringing of bells, the sound of fireworks and music. People struggle to be close to the image, to ask for the cure of diseases and other favors.
10. Flower Day
The last Friday of Christian Lent is celebrated in Guanajuato this long-awaited holiday for its beauty and color. It commemorates the "Friday of Sorrows" of the Virgin Mary. The Union Garden in the city center is covered in hundreds of thousands of flowers of all types and colors. In the past, it was a time to show interest in a girl. Men and women walked in reverse through the Garden and the interested young man offered a flower to the girl of his dreams. Some young traditionalists from Guanajuato try to preserve the tradition. The previous Thursday is party night in clubs, bars and houses.
11.
For three days, between the end of March and the beginning of April, this curious festival of jousting and medieval shows takes place in Guanajuato, with people, horses and other participants, suitably dressed for the occasion. You can enjoy sword fighting, spear competitions, archery tournaments, horse jousting, juggling, acrobatics shows and other parodies of the events that medieval people organized for fun. The exhibitions are traditionally held in the Plaza de La Paz, the Plaza de San Roque and the esplanade of the Alhóndiga de Granaditas. There is also a handicraft market alluding to medieval times.
12. Cave Day
It is celebrated every July 31, the day of San Ignacio de Loyola. Encouraged by the rockets and singing Las Mañanitas, residents and visitors go up to the caves for the mass of San Ignacio. Currently the service is celebrated in the Cueva Nueva; It used to take place in the Enchanted Cave and in Los Picachos. It is a tradition in which pagan and Christian beliefs are mixed. People ask all the gods for rain and with surprising frequency, the rain begins to fall in the afternoon. According to legend, people who go into the Enchanted Cave for a long time feel that they have been alone for a while, although in truth several years have passed. These are some of the beautiful myths that you can know in Guanajuato.
Our walk through beautiful Guanajuato is coming to an end. See you soon for another lovely sightseeing tour.
