Imagine walking up narrow, hilly, cobblestone streets. Your footsteps echo against the small homes and shops, splashed with brilliant pinks, blues, yellows and greens. In the distance you can see gentle mountains rise, hear the faint sounds of guitar music and smell meat sizzling in skillets. You are in the Mexican state of Guanajuato, and it's not your typical Mexican getaway.
Guanajuato is a state in the northern-central part of Mexico and is one of its most beautiful and historical. In fact, more than 16,000 U.S. expats now live there, seduced by its aesthetic and quality of life. While beach lovers will flock to Mexico's coastal cities and towns, people who travel to Guanajuato will be looking for something a bit deeper.
The two cities to know for first-timers to Guanajuato will be its Unesco cities, the city of Guanajuato and San Miguel de Allende.
Guanajuato City, which was founded 400 years ago, is the capital of the state and is a destination known for its cultural festivals, arts music and theater. Guanajuato City is also renowned for producing leather products like shoes and jackets.
San Miguel de Allende is a stunning colonial city, known for its cobblestone streets and baroque and neoclassical architecture, as well as its luxury and boutique hotels.
Where to stay
"There is a variety of hotel product," said Guanajuato Tourism Secretary Fernando Olivera. "In the state of Guanajuato there are 24,000 rooms. We've been opening an average of one new hotel every month for 37 months."
There are an additional 36 hotels in the pipeline, meaning that over a four-year span Guanajuato will be receiving an investment of 73 new hotels. In the World Heritage Cities especially, travelers will find high-end names like the Rosewood San Miguel de Allende; Belmond, with its Casa de Sierra Nevada; and Relais & Chateaux, with Villa Maria Cristina.
"There are other kind of hotels, for example, ones in 18th-century haciendas, which have been remodeled, but still maintain their colonial essence," Olivera said. Consider Hacienda San Cristobal, a hacienda that dates to 1614 and whose grounds served as a battlefield during the War of Independence in the 19th century. Today the hacienda has 32 rooms, a spa and restaurant and a bar.
For foodies
Mexican food fanatics won't go hungry in Guanajuato, where local specialties include enchiladas, stuffed chiles, tamales, empanadas and flambre estilo San Miguel de Allende (a mix of beef, chicken and pork with fruits and vegetables). If fine dining is your style, visit La Canica in San Miguel. This restaurant, helmed by a two-star Michelin chef, opened only two months ago.
Die-hard foodies will want to visit Guanajuato in June for the Cumbre Internacional de la Gastronomia de Guanjuato. This two-week-long festival receives the participation of eight to 10 countries, bringing chefs from all over the world. There are about 120 gastronomic activities, including festivals, dinners and conferences, and the event pulls more than 60,000 tourists. "This is the largest gastronomy festival in Mexico," Olivera said. "It is 15 days in a row of great dinners and festivals, and it gives participants the opportunity to learn about Mexican beverages like tequila and mescal."
Guanajuato is also a wonderful spot for travelers to sample Mexican wine. "For about 200 years Guanajuato has been a wine region. Today travelers can go from the colonial cities to visit vineyards and sample our wine," Olivera said. Visit the Vega Manchon winery, as well as the Rancho Santa Gloria and the Vinicola Toyan. These three wineries are along Guanajuato's Wine Circuit.
A safe situation
"Guanajuato has always been considered one of the safer destinations in Mexico," Olivera said. "Guanajuato has never been considered a place not to visit, nor has it been placed in a travel warning or alert. We have 18,000 foreign people living in Guanajuato, around 16,000 of them are Americans."
Getting there
Guanajuato is about a 2.5-hour drive from Mexico City, or a 35-minute flight; there are eight daily flights from Mexico City. Still, travelers from several hubs in the U.S. can fly directly into Guanajuato. There are three daily flights from Dallas, one from Atlanta, five from Houston, three from Los Angeles and one from Chicago.