Is Aguascalientes worth visiting?
I wish people had given me a straight answer when I asked the same question on FB a few months back.
So what’s Aguascalientes like? And is it worth visiting?
I give you an honest opinion below.
The Geography
Taking the bus north from the city of Guanajuato, the geography started to change. Lush hills and mountains started to give way a flatter, drier kind of geography. There were bare, jagged cliffs with very sparse vegetation. If you’ve travelled through much of South and Central Mexico you’ll notice the difference. It wasn’t just the geography. Buildings looked different: more spread out, lower (mostly one storey). Everything seemed somehow similar to somewhere else I had been. Then I remembered Chihuahua.
Aguascalientes isn’t as desert-like as Chihuahua. But coming from Guanajuato you can see the slow transition. It only becomes more pronounced as you get to Zacatecas (which would be our next stop). In fact the Chihuahuan desert (the largest desert in North America) extends down into Zacatecas state.
We were still a long, long way from Chihuahua but Aguascalientes felt like a transition zone and would give me the same “cowboy country” vibe that I had experienced in Chihuahua.
Map below. See the change of colour around Aguascalientes? You’re getting into desert country
A short video of Aguascalientes
The City of Aguascalientes
Aguascalientes has some nice spots: the main plaza (Plaza Patria y Exedra) is huge. On one side lies the Cathedral of Aguascalientes. On another side lies the Palacio Municipal and the Palacio del Gobierno (a very impressive building with some incredible murals. Some photos further below).
They’ve made the area around the main square very attractive between the combination of monuments, a fountain, and some modern “courtyards” (Patio de los Jacarandas, Patio Jesús F. Contreras, Jardin Jacarandas). It’s a lively, pretty area where people can walk, socialize and relax. The city has done a great job in making the heart of the city center a very liveable place for locals.
Some Photos:
Barrio del Encino (also known as Barrio de Triana)
Just south of the center (a 15-minute walk) is the Barrio del Encino. It’s where we stayed 2 nights in an Airbnb apartment (it wasn’t good and I won’t recommend it). It’s a laid-back neighbourhood with the mostly one storey buildings that I was talking about up top.
At the center of the neighbourhood is the very pretty Jardín del Encino. You’ll see a church (Templo del Señor del Encino) and there’s a very interesting museum here: Museo José Guadalupe Posada. The museum is named after José Guadalupe Posada (1852 – 1913), an engraver, illustrator, caricaturist and political commentator. He is most famous for being the creator of the “La Catrina” the female skull used as the symbol for Day of the Dead. His designs were humorous but also cutting – and politicians were his favorite targets. A visit to this museum is recommended.
On the other side of the square was the best restaurant we experienced in Aguascalientes: La Mestiza Yucateca. Also very much recommended.
A few photos from the Barrio del Encino:
Streets in the Barrio del Encino
So is Aguascalientes worth visiting?
I wouldn’t honestly put Aguascalientes high on any list of “places to see in Mexico”.
We liked the city: parts of it were attractive, it wasn’t touristy at all, people were friendly. Our two highlights were Palacio del Gobierno and the Museo José Guadalupe Posada. Overall, the heart of the city center is attractive.
But otherwise, Aguascalientes isn’t a very pretty place. The actual city center is quite small. Walk a few blocks from Plaza Patria and you’ll come across a hodgepodge of industrial architecture which stretches and stretches and stretches.
You won’t see the beauty in Aguascalientes that you see in nearby Guanajuato or Zacatecas. It just doesn’t compare in any way. Aguascalientes, while attractive in parts, overall is not a pretty place. And while the city has a few interesting attractions, I don’t think any will blow your socks off.
That’s my honest opinion about visiting Aguascalientes as a tourist.
Still, we’re happy we experienced Aguascalientes. We met a girl with her dog walking around the Jardín del Encino who told us about moving from Los Angeles to live in Aguascalientes. She was Mexican-American. She liked the quieter lifestyle and said that she felt safer in Aguascalientes than she ever did in LA (doing research online, I found that Aguascalientes is actually one of the safest Mexican cities). She had nothing but good things to say about Aguascalientes.
There’s always something special about visiting a place with few tourists. It leads to more authentic experiences. While I might not be pumping the virtues of Aguascalientes as a place to visit, we left with pleasant memories of new sights and experiences, good food and of meeting friendly people.
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