Everyone will tell you that one of the bests things to do in Guanajuato is to leave your map at home and let your feet guide you through the maze of streets of the Old Town, where you’ll be amazed at the colorful buildings, leafy plazas, and charming cafes you’ll find around every corner. But all that exploring can be exhausting in the hot summer sun, especially when you know there’s no beach around.

Here are five ways to keep the heat from getting you down as you make the most of your experience in Guanajuato.

Read this guide in Spanish here.

Street Strolling With Serenades

Callejoneadas are a joyful nighttime tradition unique to the state of Guanajuato. A group of musicians in period costumes will accompany you on a nighttime tour of the city’s streets and plazas as they perform typical songs from Guanajuato and other regions of Mexico. They’ll also tell jokes and historical legends about the places you see. Many of Guanajuato’s buildings are brilliantly lit up at night, so this is the perfect way to see the city with cooler temperatures and enjoy live music at the same time. It’s also a good chance to practice your Spanish, as the traditional tours usually aren’t offered in other languages. (Of course, the best way to improve your Spanish during your trip to Guanaujuato is to take a Spanish course at don Quijote!).

There are three different places to find your callejoneada: look for the men and women dressed in costume at Jardín de la Unión, Plaza Central, or the steps of Juárez Theater. It generally lasts about two hours.

Freshly made “Snow”

La Garrafa Nieves makes their own delicious ice cream or nieve (snow), as it’s called in Mexico. Local flavors go far beyond chocolate and vanilla: try queso (cheese), beso de ángel (who knew that angel kisses taste like cherry and nuts?), tequila, or any type of fruit you can think of. Its central location beside beautiful Plaza de la Paz, also known as Plaza Mayor, makes this spot the ideal place to try a wonderfully cold treat and take a break from walking around the city on a hot summer day.

Fiestas on the Water

If you’re in Guanajuato in late June, you’re in luck! Head to the southeast side of the city to Presa de la Olla, a dam built in the 1740s to provide the city with a dependable water supply. Every year around June 24, the reservoir is the place to be to celebrate the Fiestas de San Juan y Presa de la Olla with music, dancing, races, games, and plenty of food and drink. Any other time of the year, the reservoir is a peaceful place to row boats across the water, enjoy the green gardens, and taste the local cuisine at one of the bordering restaurants or food stands. And even if you miss the festival in June, you can experience festive fun every Sunday at the Embajadores market with music, food, and great atmosphere. 

The city at sunset

When the day starts to cool off, walk behind Juárez Theater and take the red funicular (cable car) up the side of a mountain to Guanajuato’s top lookout point, the Pípila Monument. In addition to incredible panoramic views of the city, there’s an enormous statue of El Pípila, a local hero who earned his fame in 1810 around the beginning of the Mexican War of Independence when he torched the grain warehouse (Alhóndiga de Granaditas) after the Spanish had barricaded themselves inside. Come up to the lookout point a bit before sunset to see the city’s bright colors in the daylight before they fade away and are replaced by the magical lights that illuminate the city at night.

Where the sun can’t find you

Imagine leaving the heat behind as you go more than 600 feet underground. To burrow deep into Guanajuato’s mining history, take a trip to Mineral de Pozos, also known as San Pedro de los Pozos, a desolate ghost town that was once a booming population center thanks to its many gold, silver, copper, and zinc mines. Though its beautiful, crumbling stone and adobe buildings in the desert have long made it a desirable backdrop for shooting films, it wasn’t until the 1990s that artists started trickling into town, inspired by the unique landscapes. Then in 2012 Mineral de Pozos was named one of Mexico’s Magical Towns, and a new energy began to flow, with hotels, restaurants, shops, and art galleries popping up to accommodate visitors. You’ll enjoy going deep down into one of the mines, or just walking or biking through the ruins of the city, where time seems to stand still.

All cities have their charm. Granada has its own, and that of all the others. That’s what the poet Antonio Machado said, but, is there any another city in the world in which the same thing happens? We think so: Guanajuato.

Both cities share a spirit, an atmosphere that unites them. In Granada and Guanajuato, you will find narrow cobbled streets, picturesque architecture, lots of history ... and even a university environment! Ideal if you want to learn Spanish.

If in Granada a palace, La Alhambra, dominates the horizon; in Guanajuato it’s the Basilica de Nuestra Señora. A detail that also links this Mexican basilica to the Spanish city is that inside it is a sculpture of the Virgin brought from Granada in 1577!

If we go beyond history and focus on legend, a curious detail stands out. Both cities have a street named after a kiss, the Calle del Beso. While in Guanajuato it pays homage to a tragic love story, in Granada the legend tells us of a young deceased woman who is resurrected by her mother’s kiss. The important thing is that you can walk through a colorful, traditional and romantic street.

And after some walking, one begins to have an appetite. You already know the good dishes of the Spanish city, well the Mexican one does not lag far behind: its gastronomy is one of the most delicious in the country. Typical dishes of tamales, chalupas, enchiladas, empanadas… but made with such care and pampering, like good home cooking, that they are leagues beyond the fast food taco restaurant fare. And best of all, you will find these delicacies at good prices.

Perhaps the reason Guanajuato is one of the cheapest cities to live in is because, like Granada, it’s a university city. Half of the Guanajuato population is under 30 years old, which also means that there are numerous entertainment options. Who knows better that a student how to have fun on a modest budget? A movie ticket costs 60 MXN (not quite 3€), a beer 30 MXN (1.4€), a refreshment 12 MXN (less than € 0.60), a dinner in a restaurant 150 MXN (almost 8€) ... You can enjoy and have fun without scaring your wallet!

And if you want to tour spots full of history in Guanajuato, just like Granada, it’s full of them. If the Spanish city has the Nasrid legacy, medieval Christian, the Renaissance ... in Guanajuato you will see prehispanic constructions like Cañada de la Virgen or Peralta; and inside the city you will be surrounded by monuments and baroque buildings such as the San Diego Temple or the Basilica itself; Colonial style, as in the Plaza del Baratillo; Neoclassical style, like the Juárez theater ... It should not surprise you that this beautiful city has been declared a "World Heritage Site".

Mexico is an enormous country, where cultures with thousands of years of history live together with a modernity that keeps an eye to the north while continuing to treasure its traditional values. It's a country to get away to and enjoy: dreamy beaches (on the Caribbean and the Pacific coasts), impressive pre-Columbian era archeological ruins, and unique traditions. Also, Mexican folklore is widely known and appreciated, not to mention its cooking!

Let's take a look at ten recommendable places for relaxing and enjoying weather and the friendliness of the Mexican people, in Spanish of course. Creating a list of recommended places always presents the problem of where to begin. That's why in our attempts to be fair, we're relying on good old fashioned alphabetical order...

1. Acapulco

On the coast of the state of Guerrero, 390 kilometers from Mexico City, this is one of the most internationally known vacation destinations in Mexico. The Acapulco Bay, in all its magnificent beauty, invites us to dive into its warm waters. (Nearest don Quijote Spanish School in Mexico: Oaxaca).

2. Cancun

This is without a doubt the number one vacation destination in Mexico. Located in the state of Quintana Roo, (the eastern-most state of the country) this city has quickly developed from a small isolated fishing town into the most important tourism center in Mexico, which guarantees an international atmosphere and first-class hotel facilities.

An example of just how popular this destination is; the airport here receives an average of 200 international flights per day. White sand beaches, modern hotel resorts and a subtropical climate with an average temperature of 270 C. all year round, all invite us to relax here.

3. Guanajuato

We find this colonial gem, capital of the state with the same name, in Mexico's interior. The city of Guanajuato reached a high level of development in the colonial age due to gold and silver found in the region. In the beginning of the 19th century, Guanajuato witnessed a great victory for revolutionary insurgents, headed by the priest Father Hidalgo, over Spanish troops when they took over the Alhóndiga de las Granaditas and massacred troops and civilians who'd taken refuge inside the building. It's one of the most relevant moments in the country's history.

Today, Guanajuato is an important university city and home to the Festival Cervantino, probably the most important artistic presentation in Mexico, and even in all of Latin America. This is the perfect place to study Spanish and enjoy tradition, art and culture in all its dimensions.

4. Mexico City

The capital of the republic is also the oldest metropolis in America and the second most populated city in the Americas after Rio de Janeiro. The Distrito Federal (or deefe as Mexicans refer to the city) features two areas that are listed as UNESCO world heritage sites: the Historic Center, where for example we find: the Metropolitan Cathedral, an American archeological treasure, the National Palace, where we can view Diego Rivera's frescos, offering observers the story of the Mexican Revolution in images.

The second area is the Ecological park Xochimilco. The park is like a small Venice-turned-garden. The city also has many museums: the National Museum of Anthropology, The National Museum of Art and the National Museum of History. All of Mexico can be found in el deefe, as long as you know where to look. (Nearest don Quijote School: Oaxaca)

5. Monterrey

In the state of Nuevo León, in the north of Mexico, we find one of the most important cities in the country due to its strong economy, trade and industry. Its tourist attractions are not just limited to its architecture, which joins colonial and modern styles, Monterrey is known as "the city of mountains", as the city is like a fortress surrounded by mountains... and by impressive sites such as the Cascada Cola de Caballo National Park and the Cumbres de Monterrey National Park, one of the biggest in the country. The balance of urbanism and nature makes Monterrey an ideal place to visit in Mexico. (Nearest don Quijote School: Guanajuato)

6. Oaxaca

The capital of the state with the same name, on the isthmus that unites the body of the country with the southern peninsula of Yucatan, this is one of the most beautiful colonial cities in Mexico. It has maintained its ancestral traditions, its vibrant arts and its way of life. Rich in archeological sites, we'll make our way through baroque temples, 16th century convents, colonial era buildings and numerous museums... it's a city of calmness and culture, a city that invites us to experience customs and traditions with its residents, chatting with them in Spanish. (Nearest don Quijote School: Oaxaca)

7. Playa del Carmen

In the state of Quintana Roo, just a few kilometers from the tourist center of Cancun, we find a place that offers the best of the Caribbean coasts, with endless white sand beaches and emerald blue waters where you can touch bottom with your eyes and observe its gorgeous natural marine life on the sea floor. The city maintains the advantages of a small town. It's a place where you can sit back on a terrace and enjoy wonderful weather and a sense of peacefulness floating in the air. Or you can take a short boat trip over to the Island of Cozumel, an island that invites us to go diving in its tropical waters. Playa del Carmen is a place for relaxing, and concentrating on Spanish in a quiet environment, a nice contrast to the hyperactive commotion of mass tourism destinations. (Nearest don Quijote School: Playa del Carmen)

8. Puerto Vallarta

In the heart of Banderas Bay, on the Pacific coast of the state fo Jalisco, Puerto Vallarta is "laid back" center for tourism and eco-adventure. The beaches here remind us of movies like the classic "la noche de la iguana" (Night of the Iguana), especially if we take a walk on Playa Mismaloya. Enjoying the stunning sunsets that have made it famous is one option for way to cap off our Spanish class at the school Solexico. At night we can go for walks on the lively Playa de los Muertos, to the south of the pier and the Cuale River. (Nearest don Quijote School: Guanajuato)

9. Santiago de Querétaro

This is the capital of the state of Querétaro, whose name comes from the Tarascan Querendaro, later adopted by the Spanish and used in its current form. The city, declared an official UNESCO world heritage site in 1996, offers the visitor a perfectly preserved baroque area with perfectly arranged clean streets and proverbial peace and quiet. Along with the harmony and safety of the old town, Santiago de Querétaro is also a successful city: the University of Aeronautics in an international leader in its field and the booming economy make this the third wealthiest city in Mexico, only behind Mexico City and Monterrey. (Nearest don Quijote School: Guanajuato)

10. Xalapa

For many, this city located in the state of Veracruz, with its engaging cultural activity, is the most beautiful in Mexico. The vibrant culture here has lead many Mexican people to know the land of the jalapeño chili peppers as "the Athens of Veracruz", not due to any architectonic similarities, but due to tireless, unstoppable and nearly permanent cultural activity. Culture is everywhere in Xalapa: numerous museums, omnipresent art exhibits, constant concerts, libraries, bookstores, theaters, movie theaters... This is one cultural center we won't want to miss. (Nearest don Quijote School: Oaxaca)