In the Magical Towns of Sinaloa you will be able to appreciate how much "The land of the eleven rivers" has to provide tourists with an unforgettable stay.
- 25 Things To Do And See In Mazatlán, Sinaloa
1. Cosalá
Cosalá lived a golden age with mining, which left as its main legacy a beautiful architectural heritage that today constitutes its main tourist hook, to which it adds the beauty of its places for rest and outdoor sports.
Visitors to Cosalá have several spaces for relaxation and entertainment, such as the Mineral de Nuestra Señora Ecological Reserve, the José López Portillo dam and the Vado Hondo spa.
The ecological reserve has the second longest zip line in the country, with 4 shots, the shortest 45 meters and the longest, 750 meters, passing through chasms of about 400 meters. The reserve is also frequented for camping, hiking and observing biodiversity.
The López Portillo dam is located 20 km from Cosalá and is the place where fishing enthusiasts go in search of bass, tilapia and other species.
Vado Hondo is a spa that is located 15 km from the Magic Town and apart from its water entertainment, it has a zip line and facilities for horseback riding.
In Cosalá there are more than 250 historical buildings inventoried and among those that must be visited are the Plaza de Armas, the temple of Santa Úrsula, the chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Municipal Presidency, the Quinta Minera, the Casa Iriarte, the Casa del Cuartel Quemado and the convent of the Jesuits.
The history of Cosalá is linked to a character from the second half of the 19th century, the legendary gunman Heraclio Bernal.
Bernal was jailed, wrongly accused of stealing from the company when he was an employee of the mine in the nearby community of Guadalupe de los Reyes.
Heraclio Bernal would be released from prison to begin his legendary career as a gunman who robbed the rich to give to the poor, which inspired Pancho Villa to join the revolutionary movement.
Another celebrity linked to the Pueblo Mágico is the 20th century actor, singer and boxer, Luis Pérez Meza.
The so-called “Troubadour of the Field” has been one of the most famous interpreters of the Sinaloan band and is honored in his hometown with a street that bears his name, while in the Museum of Mining and History of Cosalá there is a sample of his records, photographs, trophies and documents.
Cosalá is a very sweet town for the cultivation of sugar cane, so you can make an inventory of milk candies and other snacks to give to friends, at very convenient prices.
- Cosalá, Sinaloa - Magic Town: Definitive Guide
2. The Rosary
A seventeenth-century cowboy from Sinaloa, named Bonifacio Rojas, was looking for a stray beef and had to spend the night in the open, lighting a bonfire.
The next day, the cowboy observed that a white material had adhered to some stones hit by the fire and marked the place with a rosary. Thus was born the opulence of El Rosario in the mining of precious metals.
During the mining splendor, the viceregal buildings that today constitute some of its main tourist attractions were erected in El Rosario.
The wealth of the gold veins was so great that for each ton of ore, up to 400 grams of gold were extracted, something unusual in mining.
This enormous wealth would also be the cause of the loss of a few buildings, since the multitude of tunnels and galleries opened below the town to extract gold and silver, weakened the land, causing the collapse of a few stately homes.
In any case, a remarkable heritage managed to survive and today they are great attractions for tourists who love architecture, the most important being the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary and its magnificent altarpiece.
The temple of the Virgen del Rosario has another of those unprecedented Mexican stories, since it was erected and then dismantled stone by stone to prevent it from collapsing as a result of the movements of the ground.
The altarpiece of the Virgin, predominantly baroque stipe and gold-plated, is one of the most extraordinary works of Mexican religious art.
The Virgin appears surrounded by stewed images of San José, San Pedro, San Pablo, San Joaquín, Santo Domingo, Santa Ana, San Miguel Arcángel, Christ Crucified and the Eternal Father, in which Greco-Roman, classical baroque and Churrigueresque artistic details are mixed with the main baroque stipe.
The most famous from Rosario has been Lola Beltrán and her remains are buried in the Church of Nuestra Señora del Rosario. In front of the temple there is a monument to "Lola la Grande" and in a town house there is a museum with various objects related to her life, such as dresses, records and accessories.
Another place of tourist interest near El Rosario is El Caimanero, a coastal lagoon located about 30 km from the town. It is a shrimp center and visitors go fishing, swimming, and practicing other aquatic entertainment.
- El Rosario, Sinaloa - Magic Town: Definitive Guide
3. The Strong
This town in the north of Sinaloa obtained its designation as a Magic Town thanks to its historical and natural heritage and the indigenous traditions of the May people.
It owes its name to a fort, now defunct, that the colonizers built at the beginning of the 17th century to defend themselves from the attacks of the Tehueco Indians. El Fuerte was the first capital of the old Western State, with territories of present-day Sonora and Sinaloa.
El Fuerte is a place with a variable climate, so you must choose the time to travel depending on your climate preferences. In the winter months they average 18 ° C, which rises above 30 ° C in the hot summer.
The architectural heritage of El Fuerte is headed by the Plaza de Armas, the parish church, the Municipal Palace, the House of Culture and the Mirador del Fuerte Museum.
The square is dotted with slender palm trees and features stone fountains and a pretty wrought-iron kiosk. Around the Plaza de Armas are the most emblematic buildings.
The parish temple was consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the mid-18th century, although it was completed in the mid-19th century, distinguished by its spire tower.
The town hall building is neoclassical in style and was built during the Porfiriato. It is imposing in appearance, especially due to the numerous arcades located in front of the inner courtyard.
The headquarters of the House of Culture of El Fuerte is a family house from the 19th century that at the beginning of the 20th became the prison and in 1980 it passed to its current use. It is the scene of exhibitions, concerts and other cultural events, and houses the town's historical archive.
Another fortified building was built on the site where the fort that gave the town its name was located, which houses the Mirador del Fuerte Museum. The museum walks through the indigenous and mestizo history of El Fuerte and one of its pieces is a hearse in which a ghost goes, according to a local legend.
The Mayan Indians who live in the El Fuerte area have managed to preserve their most representative traditions, including their ceremonial centers, their ancestral government structures, their folkloric prints and their typical cuisine.
In the El Fuerte area there are 7 ceremonial centers where you can appreciate the customs of the Mayans and their links with miscegenation and Christian traditions, as well as their dances, masks, clothing, music and other cultural manifestations.
- El Fuerte, Sinaloa - Magic Town: Definitive Guide
4. Mocorito
In the so-called “Atenas de Sinaloa” even the cemetery is a place of tourist interest, such is the architectural beauty of its mausoleums.
Mocorito is a Magical Town from Sinaloa in the north-central sector of the state, located about 120 km from Culiacán and Los Mochis.
The first Spanish settlement was founded in 1531 by Nuño de Guzmán and in the 1590s the Jesuit evangelizers erected the Mission of Mocorito. Over the years, buildings of great beauty and historical interest were built, which today are tourist attractions.
The main square of the town is Plazuela Miguel Hidalgo, surrounded by cobbled streets with colonial houses. In the central square, palm trees grow gracefully and the landscaped spaces that surround the beautiful kiosk, provide a relaxing atmosphere of greenery.
If you are in Mocorito on a Friday, you should be on the lookout for “Plaza Friday” when musical groups and vendors of typical dishes and handicrafts gather in the square.
In front of the square is the temple of the Immaculate Conception, a sober building in a military monastic style that was built for worship and as a defensive fortress. Inside there are 14 altarpieces with scenes of the Way of the Cross.
The Municipal Palace is a construction from the early twentieth century that was the first family home and stands out for the balcony and balustrade of the upper level and for the historical mural painted inside by Ernesto Ríos.
Other buildings and monuments in Mocorito with artistic or historical interest are the Plaza Cívica Los Tres Grandes in Mocorito, the Casa de las Diligencias, the Benito Juárez School and the Cultural Center.
To spend some time relaxing outdoors and having a picnic, in Mocorito you have the Alameda Park, a place where there are children's zip lines and other diversions for the little ones, paths for walking, gardens, sculptures and a court for children. ulama game, which is the Sinaloan ball game.
The typical music of the town is that of the Sinaloan band and the culinary symbol is the chilorio, a delicious dish prepared based on shredded pork and ancho chili, which was declared a Municipal Heritage of Mocorito.
- Mocorito, Sinaloa - Magic Town: Definitive Guide
We hope you enjoy the Magic Towns of Sinaloa and we can only ask you to share your impressions with us. We meet again in the next opportunity to enjoy another charming virtual tour.
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