Why you should visit Zacatecas
We were really impressed by Zacatecas. It was the place that impressed us most on our latest trip to Mexico. Why? It’s beautiful, possibly the most beautiful city in Mexico (it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site). It also has lots of great attractions which I’ll cover in this post.
Have a look at our video. They’ll be a bit of an overlap with this post. But as you’ll see, I’ll go into much more detail in this written post.
A bit of history on Zacatecas
Before the arrival of the Spanish, several tribes inhabited this region of Mexico. In the 1520’s, after conquering southern Mexico, the Spanish decided to send expeditions northwards to develop trade relations with the northern tribes and to find mineral wealth.
Spanish relations with the northern tribes didn’t go well. The natives were hostile and would attack Spanish garrisons. It even temporarily caused a retreat by the Spanish who considered the region to be dangerous.
In the 1540’s the Spanish brought in a large army and defeated the local tribes. And in 1546 they discovered silver. That’s when they established a mining settlement in Zacatecas. Soon everyone was flocking to Zacatecas: prospectors, entrepreneurs, and laborers. Many new mines were discovered. Issues continued with the local tribes and the “silver paths” leading to Mexico City were often attacked by rebels. Despite that, Zacatecas flourished and grew.
In the late 1500’s the Spanish went on a charm offensive and won the local tribes over. By the early 1600’s they had assimilated with the other Indian tribes that had congregated to Zacatecas and the region was peaceful.
Zacatecas’ wealth grew. Many of its buildings, primarily religious buildings, were built between 1690 and 1750 when the city was at its height.
By 1803, Mexico’s mines were producing more than 67% of all silver in the Americas and Zacatecas was the third most prosperous mining site in New Spain.
Today Zacatecas is still dependant on mining and it has 2 of the largest silver producing mines in the world.
Practicalities of visiting Zacatecas
We stayed in Zacatecas 4 days which is a generous amount of time to visit the city. If in a rush you could probably get by with 2 days. I’d say 3 days is probably ideal if you want to visit the city at a leisurely pace and explore a few museums along the way.
The great thing about Zacatecas is that it’s a very walkable city. We walked everywhere and nothing in the center was ever more than 20 minutes away.
Accommodation: We stayed in this Airbnb apartment in the center. Good, but (as I wrote about in this post), it could have been cleaner. If looking for a hotel in the center, I’d recommend Casa Torres.
Where to eat: We didn’t have great food experiences in Zacatecas. The exception was the beautiful Il San Patrizio Caffe which, surprisingly, wasn’t as expensive as you would think. Excellent.
Tourist information: We had a hard time finding a tourist office and were pointed in different directions when asking a few people. A lady in a travel agency across from the Cathedral was nice enough to give me a map (see below). According to the map, the official tourist office is in the Palacio del Gobierno on Plaza de Armas (which I cover below. It’s a place worth visiting).
Map below (click to enlarge)
What to See and Do in Zacatecas
A. The absolute highlights
Cathedral of Zacatecas (Catedral Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Zacatecas)
The current Cathedral was built starting in 1731and replaced a smaller church built on the same spot. Most of the construction took place between 1731 and 1752 but it was actually only completed in 1904.
The highlight of the Cathedral is the exterior. The main façade, completed in 1745, is incredible in its detail. The northern and southern sides of the Cathedral also have detailed facades: the northern one dedicated to Santo Cristo de la Parroquia (venerated by miners), the southern one to Our Lady of the Zacatecas (patron saint of the city).
In contrast, the interior is quite austere. And you might be left perplexed by the main altar – a modern altarpiece constructed in 2010 by a local artist.
Still, this is an incredible Cathedral and the symbol of Zacatecas.
Templo de Santo Domingo
The Templo de Santo Domingo is maybe the opposite of the cathedral – a bit plain from the outside…but spectacular on the inside. It is a gorgeous church (built by the Jesuits between 1746-1749), highlighted by 8 huge wooden altarpieces covered in gold.
Taking the Teleférico up El Cerro De La Bufa
A highlight for those who enjoy views. It’s the oldest cable car in Mexico and it takes you from Cerro del Grillo (about 10 minutes up a hill from the Cathedral) up to El Cerro De La Bufa. The ride takes 7 minutes, covers 650 meters, and offers incredible views of the city and region.
There are a few highlights at the top: a pretty church (Santuario Nuestra Señora del Patrocinio), a monument to famous Mexicans (Mausoleo de las Personas Ilustres de Zacatecas), some statues dedicated to heroes of Mexican independence, a meteorological observatory…but the main reason to come up here is to walk around and enjoy the great views of the city.
Mina El Edén
I’ll admit we didn’t visit the mine. Lissette has a phobia about being underground.
But it’s essential to understanding the mining history of Zacatecas and people who’ve been have only good things to say about the mine. You can walk through mining tunnels, ride an underground train, and see exhibits featuring various minerals excavated here. The mine also has a large nightclub within the mine.
The mine is located up the hill, about a 10-minute walk from the Cathedral (also located close to the funicular station…you can easily combine the mine and Cerro de la Bufa in half a day).
The official website of the mine.
Rafael Coronel Museum
Our highlight in Zacatecas was this museum.
Firstly, the location is the former convent of San Francisco which was built in the late 1500’s. Despite much of the convent being in ruins, it still manages to be spectacular.
Secondly, the Rafael Coronel Museum contains the largest mask collection in Mexico (some say it’s also the largest mask collection in the world). Although there is more than just masks in the museum, the masks are the highlight and are intriguing, representing different regions of Mexico. You could easily spend a few hours here just looking at the various masks.
B. What else to See/Do
The above really only scratches the surface of what to see/do in Zacatecas. We did a lot of walking during our 4 days and got to appreciate the overall beauty of the city.
The historic center surrounding the Cathedral is magnificent and full of historic buildings. Make sure to walk along the main street (Avenue Hidalgo), popping your head in the beautiful Teatro Calderon and the Palacio del Gobierno (which has a pretty courtyard and very impressive mural).
Go up a block to Calle Ignacio Herro (our favorite street). There you’ll see the templo de Santo Domingo. Next to it is the Pedro Coronel Museum (an art museum in a gorgeous colonial building). Further down the street is the Museo Zacateno (all about the history of Zacatecas). Continuing on, you’ll see the impressive Ex-Templo de San Augustin and come across the pretty Jardin Juarez. Along the way, you’ll see lots of beautiful buildings and monuments.
Go a little further to Jardin Independencia. Besides being a pretty square with a small park in the middle, it’s the home of the Casa Municipal de Cultura. Walk in, there’s usually an exhibit.
Walk up the Hill to Parque Sierra de Alica. There you’ll see a large park and the city’s old aqueduct. Most of it dates from the late 18th century. You can also see the city’s old bullring in the beautiful Quinta Real hotel (which is built around the bullring).
Walking back through Parque Sierra de Alica, make your way to Museo Francisco Goitia. It’s a contemporary art museum. Even if contemporary art isn’t your thing, it’s worth passing by just to look at this beautiful building (which was built as a residence for state governors).
Close by is the striking Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Fátima. It’s a modern church, built between 1950 – 2000. Beautiful stained glass.
Walking down the hill into the center, you’ll come across Alameda Trinidad García de la Cadena. It’s a beautiful green space and there are usually stalls here selling food, drink and handicrafts.
The above covers many of the highlights in Zacatecas’ center. But there’s more – Zacatecas is a place to explore and discover.
A few more photos:
Safety
Zacatecas has a reputation as being dangerous. We even had family members who live in Mexico warning us about Zacatecas.
We felt safe in the city and were told that the city itself is safe. I would still be careful if walking around at night (which is advice I always give, no matter where). But other than that, I don’t think you have anything to worry if sticking to the historic center and around.
Speaking to locals, safety IS an issue in the greater region outside the city. Zacatecas state is poor and is a crossroads for drug-trafficking into the USA…it’s also disputed territory among the cartels in the region. I would advise anyone travelling to Zacatecas to do it during the light of day.
Summary
We saw very few foreigners in Zacatecas. Any tourists we saw were Mexican. While we always love places off the beaten path, it’s a shame that so few people get here.
So why come here? Zacatecas is a beautiful city and a UNESCO World Heritage site (one of 10 Mexican cities/towns that are UNESCO World Heritage Sites).
That makes it a city very much worth visiting.
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