We stayed in the apartment on the top floor of the white building in the center of this photo
Just 45 minutes or so from León is the city of Guanajuato. Located in a valley formed by a ring of steep hills, Guanajuato is the capital of the Mexican state of the same name.
We thoroughly enjoyed wandering around the city
During the several hundred years of the Spanish occupation, the city and surrounding hills were a significant mining operation. The resulting prosperity resulted in a beautiful colonial city – the maze of streets are lined with brightly colored, architecturally-interesting buildings.
Gorditas for breakfast one morning
Since the city was largely developed before cars, the streets are more like a series of narrow walking paths that wind their way up the steep hillsides that surround the town.
Riding up the funicular to the overlook above Guanajuato
Automobile traffic is mostly routed through a series of tunnels beneath the town, so walking is the primary mode of transportation in Guanajuato.
We visited the museum and childhood home of Guanajuato’s most famous artist, Diego Rivera
Wandering the seemingly endless network of small paths, or callejónes, is rewarded by views of brightly-colored houses built up the hillsides as well as the surprise tree-shaded plazas that emerge without warning.
We followed our typical strategy for our trip to Guanajuato – rent an apartment near the center of town via Airbnb, spend a few hours each day wandering and exploring the sights and sounds of a new place, and enjoy the unlimited running water of the apartment and the cool evening temperatures of Mexico’s central high plateau.
