Guanajuato
Guanajuato plays an important part in the culture of Mexico because of the great amount of cultural and artistic events and festivals that have become a part of everyday life in the state.
The history, culture, architecture and the amiable people are some of the riches of this state. The hands of its people give life to Mexican art of singular beauty and their colonial monuments are a great reminder of their extremely interesting national history.
Guanajuato is located in the center of the country and is approximately 30,596 km2. It is bordered by the states of San Luis Potosí, Querétaro, Michoacán, and Jalisco. Its major cities include León, Salvatierra Celaya, Irapuato, San Miguel de Allende, Dolores Hidalgo and the capital, Guanajuato.
With an impeccable infrastructure, Guanajuato successfully hosts congresses, conventions and business activities such as the International Cervantino Festival. This festival is one of the most important events in the country. For more than three decades, Guanajuato has featured a huge number of artistic and cultural presentations for this event.
In economic terms, Guanajuato’s important cities of industry include Celaya, Salamanca, Irapuato, Silao and León. In the south of the state, agricultural development and textiles are very important.
Among Guanajuato’s natural treasures are its hot springs. Hotels, spas and water parks can be found in this area where rest and relaxation are the order of the day.
The city of Guanajuato is the state capital and was once the mining center for new Spain. Today, the city is on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage list because of its important cultural and natural heritage. Its irregular design conforms to the surrounding hills and its neoclassical buildings, plazas and baroque temples majestically adorn the city. An ancient subterranean river is now a street that connects to the old mining routes that cross the vaults and arches of the “hidden city”. Walking the streets of this capricious layout of alleys, you will find a beautiful city created by artists and craftsmen who today are a precious and valuable part of Guanajuato.
The Alhóndiga de Granaditas is where the first battle for Mexico’s independence was fought. Today, the building is a museum of regional history. Other important architectural monuments and cultural sites are the Basilica, Our Lady of Guanajuato, the Government Municipal Palace, the Plaza of Peace, Mansion of the Count of Rul, the Legislative Palace, the Juárez Theater, the baroque temple of San Diego de Alcalá, the San Cayetano Temple and the Jardín de la Unión (a beautiful triangular shaped park). Hundreds of thousands of people visit the very popular Mummy Museum and Callejón del Beso every year.
The state of Guanajuato has a wide variety of hotel services for all tastes and budgets. A large number of the hotels are located in converted colonial homes. As for food, the state offers restaurants with exquisite authentic Mexican food as well as international fare.
This beautiful colonial state will fill your senses and offers activities and entertainment for all ages.