Founded in 1559 after the discovery of the region’s ample silver and gold deposits, the UNESCO World Heritage city of Guanajuato is located 380 kilometres (236 miles) northwest of Mexico City. Guanajuato is the capital of the “Free and Sovereign State of Guanajuato”.
The city’s opulent colonial buildings, quaint tree-filled plazas, and brilliantly coloured houses are crammed together on the steep slopes of a natural bowl surrounded by hills. A good start to appreciating this city is a funicular railway journey up the mountain to the statue of national hero El Pipila. From here the panoramic view over the city inside the valley is spine-tingling.
Down below, the colourful city’s cobblestone streets and alleys twist around the hillsides, and some streets plunge oddly into long dark subterranean tunnels below the city. This vast network of tunnels was originally dug to control flooding but since modern flood management was introduced, these underground drains were converted into subterranean streets and alleys—a welcome relief to the city’s traffic jams.
Guanajuato is well respected for its excellent museums, theatres, music, and universities. One of its most acclaimed annual events is the Festival Cervantino. This art and cultural festival, popularly known as El Cervantino, takes place each fall (late October to early November). It originated during the mid 20th century when short plays were performed in the city’s plazas.
Much of the youthful vibrancy and prolific cultural activities of the city can be attributed to the students of the large, and much respected, University of Guanajuato which is located in some impressive old buildings.
In addition to the music and dance festivals, the city is packed with attractions. In the heart of the old city is Jardin de la Union which serves as the city’s main square. Close to it is Kissing Lane (Callejón del Beso) and several architectural gems such as the old Baroque San Diego Church, the majestic Juárez Theatre, Mercado Hidalgo market hall, the Basilica, and lots more.
Templo de San Francisco The Basilica Universidad de Guanajuato Teatro Juarez
Built between the early 19th century and the 1990s, the Guanajuato tunnels are a series of wide channels that extended under the city as a diversion for the Rio Guanajuato (Guanajuato River) to prevent flooding to the early mining town. Since flooding was better controlled, these tunnels became roads to help divert traffic away from the city centre. The first vehicle journey was in 1961. The tunnels have decorative entrances and charming open stretches. All of the tunnels have footpaths that are perfectly safe to walk but watch out for the traffic fumes.
For a gruesome experience, check out the naturally mummified remains of locals at the “Mummies Museum” to the northwest of downtown. The mummies are a notable part of Mexican popular culture!
According to scientists, when the air is extremely dry and cool, human corpses will naturally mummify, and may stay well-preserved for thousands of years.
This is exactly what happened to the dead bodies buried outside the city of Guanajuato. But why were these mummified bodies unearthed? Here’s their story…
Between 1865 and 1958, the town required that relatives of the deceased pay an annual grave tax. After failing to pay for three years in a row, their loved ones were unearthed. These mummified corpses were then stored underground in an ossuary just in case the relatives were able to pay the money, and ask for a re-burial. As the mummies gained notoriety, the ossuary rebranded itself as a museum which is located underneath the graveyard.
Among the many mummies on display is that of a baby known as “the world’s smallest mummy”, no bigger than a loaf of bread. Next to it is a pregnant mummy.
The Museo de las Momias de Guanajuato is located a short distance outside the city centre and can be reached by a bus marked “Las Momias”.
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Blog post and photos by Peter who has been travelling almost full-time since 2005 and has been to over 122 countries. He visited several countries, such as Japan, more than 20 times. Peter is Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of GlobeRovers Magazine, an independent travel magazine focused on intrepid destinations.