{"id":12997,"date":"2022-05-25T19:48:36","date_gmt":"2022-05-25T19:48:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nohurrytogethome.com\/?p=12997"},"modified":"2023-04-15T07:27:38","modified_gmt":"2023-04-15T07:27:38","slug":"guanajuato-pueblos-magicos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nohurrytogethome.com\/guanajuato-pueblos-magicos\/","title":{"rendered":"Exploring the Magic of Guanajuato’s Pueblos M\u00e1gicos"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Growing up in Mexico City, Guanajuato was never really on my radar as a must-visit destination. After all, going just about anywhere else in the world sounded a lot more enticing to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I came back to Mexico City in 2020, I made it my mission to explore as much of my home country as I possibly could. Borders to most other countries were closed, anyway, so it only made sense to begin traveling locally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even as most countries have now re-opened their doors and are welcoming visitors with open arms, I still feel I yet have so much left to see of Mexico that I haven\u2019t even bothered to renew my passport. Seriously, if someone would have told me that one day I wouldn\u2019t feel that huge itch to always be elsewhere, I would have laughed in their face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And so, it happened. Instead of beginning to count countries, I started counting Mexican states. So far, I\u2019ve been to 18 out of 32 of them and I plan on seeing them all before 2022 ends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guanajuato was one of them. Being located less than a 5 hour\u2019s drive from Mexico City, it makes for an easy state to tackle off my bucket list. Instead of focusing on popular destinations like San Miguel de Allende, though, I decided to concentrate my visit on the pueblos magicos in Guanajuato to get to know a few of the lesser-known places this wonderful state has to offer.<\/p>\n\n\n

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I never would have thought Guanajuato had so much to offer in terms of cultural heritage, architectural goodness, and nature. Oh, and did I mention it also boasts a kickass wine-making scene?! I honestly had no idea!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s great about Guanajuato is that thanks to its relatively small size, it allows you to cover a ton of ground in a very short time. Add to that the fact that there is something worth seeing every few miles, and you\u2019ve got yourself the perfect recipe for a wonderful trip!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pueblos M\u00e1gicos in Guanajuato You’ve Got to Visit<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Mineral de Pozos<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Mineral de Pozos was probably my favorite of Guanajuato\u2019s pueblos magicos<\/a>, so much so that I\u2019m already planning to return for a longer visit next month!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pozos, as Guanajuato people commonly call it, was a thriving mining hub during the 19th century and well into the 20th century. Armed conflicts during the Mexican Revolution combined with a decline in prices of silver and gold caused most of its inhabitants to abandon the town, leaving it with just over two hundred people by the time the 70s crept in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mineral de Pozos is no longer a ghost town thanks to tourism. Even though only about 2000 people live there officially, the town has made a comeback as a tourist destination, especially during the weekends when visitors flock here to check out its abandoned buildings and mines. Still, during the weekdays especially, it still feels pretty deserted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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For me, the absolute best thing to do at Pozos is to simply walk around its streets. Although small, you\u2019ll find serious architectural eye candy in every single corner. Don\u2019t be surprised if you find yourself spending at least three quarters of your time at Mineral de Pozos taking pictures!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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After exploring the town, a must-do is checking out a few of the mine ruins around Mineral de Pozos. There are dozens of them scattered around the outskirts, so you\u2019ll have plenty of options to choose from. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A can\u2019t-miss one in your itinerary is Santa Brigida (the most iconic one in town), where you\u2019ll find three humongous furnaces that are usually the emblem of Pozos. I also visited others that are lesser-known, most of which I had absolutely all to myself, but even the most popular ones like Cinco Se\u00f1ores were practically empty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can actually go underground into the mines to take a step back in time and get an idea of how tough the miners had it, but I didn\u2019t do it myself because\u2026 claustrophobia. Still, the ruins around them are reason enough to visit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Next on the itinerary was a visit to Mineral de Pozos\u2019s famous lavender field, which is located at Rancho de las Barrancas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even though it\u2019s not as striking as the ones in France, they\u2019re beautiful and the aroma in the entire place is divine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They also have a restaurant at the rancho (try their lavender bread hamburgers and their lavender beer!) as well as a small gift shop where you can purchase homemade goodies like soap, creams, and cookies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I actually found lavender to be a huge thing in Guanajuato. I first noticed it at my hotel, where I was greeted with lavender tea on arrival and later found all their soaps, shampoos, and creams were lavender-based.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Yuriria<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019d never heard of Yuriria until I started planning my pueblo magicos route through Guanajuato.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Towered by a centuries-old convent that looks more like a medieval fort than a religious structure, Yuriria is a somewhat sleepy town in the south of Guanajuato where gorgeous colonial buildings and nature reign supreme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Aside from its centuries-old architecture, the main reasons most people visit Yuriria for are its artificial lake and a volcanic crater that sits almost in the center of town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lake is a wonderful place to go boating, fishing, or doing some serious bird-watching. It\u2019s also a popular place for locals to hang out during the afternoons and weekends, especially in Centro Gastro Artesanal, where you can grab a bite and a few drinks paired with beautiful views of the lake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A short walk opposite the lake, you\u2019ll also find La Joya, which is one of the thirteen volcanic craters found in southern Guanajuato. Here, you can go kayaking, hike or bike around the crater, and even explore a cave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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