Guanajuato seen from El Pipila.
Guanajuato has long been very popular with both foreign and Mexican visitors. I can well see why that is. It’s really a pretty city. Because of the many students, you have a lively vibe. It’s a the kinda place that is very easy to get stuck in for a few weeks or a few months.
The bus station in Guanajuato.
Most people arrive to Guanajuato by bus. The bus station is located a little outside town though. It’s 7 kilometers towards the town called Silao. Getting from the bus station to the historical center of Guanajuato is easy though. There are both taxis and cheap busses you can use. But I would suggest that you try to arrive during daylights hours, as it can be a little more tricky with tranesport at night between the bus station and the historical part of the city.
Walking around one of the many squares.
Walk underneath Guanajuato.
Guanajuato was founded as a mining town. But there were many problems with flooding in the early days. So tunnels were being dug underneath the city to divert water from the Guanajuato river when the town was flooded. Later on, people started to sue these tunnels for transportation and in the past 60 years they have been expanded. So now you have a labyrinth of underground streets underneath Guanajuato. This is very practical, as you can keep a large number of cars out of the old city center this way. And it’s really fascinating to walk through these tunnels. I took a 4 kilometre walk myself through the tunnels. Walking down there is safe by the way. I asked a few locals if it was ok to walk around there alone and they assured me that it was safe to walk there during daytime hours.
One of the many tunnels in Guanajuato.
Best view of Guanajuato.
El Pipila is a view point sitting above the old part of the city. You can take a cable car to the top. But you can also walk to El Pipila. I did that and it’s a nice 20-25 minute walk from the old city center. The view from El Pipila is really spectacular and you should make sure to get up there.
Guanajuato by night.
Guanajuato is really a treat at night. The old city center is very alive with street music, people sitting on benches and staircases. And live music in the streets and on the squares is almost a daily occurrence. I walked home after midnight a few times and never felt that this was a problem. I noticed that the locals did the same, including the young females. That is usually a good sign when you see this. So don’t hesitate to go out at night.
Hanging out at Teatro Juarez in the evening.
Guanajuato by night.
Best coffee and best wifi in Guanajuato.
Good coffee is something that is very near to my heart. And good wifi is something that I need almost daily cause I work freelance and is on the road more than 300 days a year. Cafe Tal in the street called Paseo de la Presa has both. Really good expresso based coffee and good strong wifi. For the same reason I noticed that the place was very popular with expats. It’s not a big modern streamlined cafe, but a place with winding stairs and a little room out back where they grind the coffee themselves. I totally loved that place. Cafe Tal has the best coffee and the best wifi in Guanajuato.
Cafe Tal is great.
This is one of my favorite towns ever as well. An important Travel Tip would also be to choose “normal” days to visit Guanajuato as during some events and festivals the place is sooooo crowded that takes away from the great experience and it can even turn into a frustrating trip. I will discourage people from going during Semana Santa (Holy Week/Spring Break) and Cervantino Festival (couple of weeks of October)
Nice looking town.
Thanks for sharing your trip to Mexico. My boyfriend and I are going to the city. Where did you stay?
Is Mexico a budget-friendly travel?
Hi’. When I was in Guanajuato I stayed at a little family run place called Hotel Zplendid. I stayed there mainly cause I liked the location. Mexico is generally quite budget friendly. I am not traveling on a rock bottom budget when I travel. So it’s a little hard for me to judge in that regard. But my daily budget og 50$ a day for everything was easy to keep in Mexico. And I stay in single rooms every night. Eat out in restaurants daily. And usually have a couple of beers at a bar in the evening.
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