Monica and I were drawn to Guanajuato after seeing photos of beautiful buildings and rugged natural surroundings. After our first visit in November 2018 for Dia de los Muertos, we realized the city had so much more to offer and we were hooked. To kickoff our 2019 year of travel, we knew we wanted to return to Guanajuato to study Spanish for a few months, not only to improve our grade-school level of the language but also to ease the transition from full-time working to full-time traveling. Now, after spending 10 weeks immersed in Spanish and life in the city, I will attempt to summarize why this place is so special and why it is now so very near and dear to our hearts!
Guanajuato is a landlocked state in the center of Mexico with Guanajuato city as it’s capital. The city seems to be less known to foreigners than its neighbor 1.5 hours to the east, San Miguel de Allende (now a magnet for expats). Guanajuato city sits in a valley surrounded by tall hills that historically were rich in precious metals. In the 1500’s, Spaniards discovered this wealth of the region and began several mining operations. At its peak in the 1800’s, one of the mines accounted for two-thirds of the world’s silver production (although no longer functional, you can still tour these mines.) This prosperity in the area allowed the city to sprout beautiful civic buildings, churches and ornate haciendas. The city’s unique valley geography, meant that as it developed, houses and buildings were built practically on top of each other, staggering up the surrounding hillsides. The bright colors of all the buildings make the city look like a big bowl of Lucky Charms.
Taking advantage of the same machinery used for mining, a network of tunnels were drilled under the city for vehicles. This helps remove much of the traffic from the city center. Additionally, many of the “streets” in Guanajuato are practically staircases, not hospitable to vehicles. These factors make Guanajuato a very pedestrian dominated/friendly city. The streets are winding, narrow, and steep making for a constant display of unique views.
At roughly 6,600 ft with a desert climate, Guanajuato enjoys year-round pleasant temperatures. It is also a University town, so there is an omnipresent, youthful vibe. Because of this, there’s seemingly always a good reason to be outside wandering around. The plazas are full of people watching the world go by, couples cuddling on door stoops, and locals enjoying some of the countless street foods and mariachi.
It is also a great place for hiking outside of town. There are many bluffs and trails surrounding the city that offer spectacular views such as the Presa de Mata or El Cerro de la Bufa.
Like most Mexican cities, there is no shortage of interesting museums to explore. Guanajuato is home to the strange and unique Museo de las Momias (Mummy Museum). From the mid 1800’s to 1958, city law required the family of the deceased to pay a ‘burial tax’ for perpetual burial. When the family failed to pay this tax, the deceased were removed to make room for new burials. Upon removal, it was discovered due to the cold temperature and lack of humidity in the area, bodies mummified instead of decomposing. Over the decades, well preserved bodies were saved and later put on display here.
It is also well worth it to take a taxi just outside of town to the Museo Ex-Hacienda San Gabriel Barrera. Due to the prosperous silver mining in the area, many magnificent haciendas were built with the riches. This 17th century hacienda and themed gardens cover nearly 5 acres. It is a beautiful and peaceful place to spend a few hours.
Our main reason for landing in Guanajuato was to take Spanish classes. There are several schools in town ranging in size and formality. We chose La Hacienda Spanish School based on the small size and the location (a beautiful old hacienda with a large garden). Our 9 weeks here proved to be exactly what we needed. Due to the small class sizes and patient teachers, we were able to take our Spanish abilities from beginner to quasi-advanced conversational. We took four hours of classes per day – 1 hour of grammar, followed by 1 hour of grammar practice, 1 hour of conversation practice, and 1 last hour of grammar. It is such a fantastic feeling to have it ‘click’ where conversations with locals feel fluid, and most importantly, you can understand each other! An added bonus of being in school was we met many wonderful people from several countries who were also taking classes. This created opportunities for friendship while in town, and we now have new and interesting friends to visit all over the world!
If you have read our posts on Oaxaca or Merida it should be self-evident that we are a bit obsessed with Mexico. It seems like each time we are here, we unveil another cultural element to adore, and meet more amazing people that make Mexico feel like a second home. Guanajuato definitely provided the warmth and hospitality that we search for to satisfy our souls. The people are genuine. The city is safe. The fruit is the best we ever had. After spending each day staring at colorful buildings, soaking up the sun, conversing with the kindest people, and hearing Mexican music spilling out of windows, its impossible to not fall in love with Guanajuato. We will surely return!
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