8 Activities To Do In Guanajuato, Mexico

Are you visiting Guanajuato Mexico soon?

Are you a lover of excellent Mexican cuisine, colourful architecture, historical buildings and breathtaking views? You have come to the right place, Guanajuato offers this and much more.

Our Guanajuato Travel Guide will assist you in planning your travels. We share with you the best things to do in Guanajuato, where to stay and where to eat plus tips on getting there and travelling around.

Guanajuato is a charming colonial city located in the centre of Mexico in the state of Guanajuato. In 1988 Guanajuato was designated a World Heritage Site. The town dates back to the 16th century. We loved wandering aimlessly through the back streets finding great coffee shops, colourful colonial architecture and enjoying the many plazas and squares. There are definitely more than 8 activities to do in Guanajuato, one of the most beautiful places in Mexico. We had some of the best Mexican food in Guanajuato.

A question that we are always asked is “is it safe to travel to Guanajuato”? Our answer is yes, it is safe, but as in all of your travels, you have to be careful of your personal belongings when you are out and about.

One of the fun things to do in Guanajuato is a walking photographic tour with a local booked through Airbnb Experiences.

Taken from Airbnb Experiences: Vanina’s tour includes “We´ll take a relaxed walk that starts from downtown, going through the places I love and are representative of the essence of the colourful and colonial Guanajuato. Let the photographs in my hands: during the tour, I will take pictures of you, some spontaneous and others more prepared in the sites we visit, full of Mexican colours. The idea is that you enjoy the ride and discover new places, while you take a beautiful memory of the joy that flows from this city. We will start at the iconic Teatro Juárez in front of Jardín Unión, and from that point we will walk to some less frequented places surrounding downtown. We´ll visit 2 beautiful alleys, as well as small bridges and arches that cross them. In addition, I will take you to a semi-hidden square that seems to be taken from “El Zorro” movie. From there we will go to two other colonial squares and a beautiful garden, where you will see coffee shops, bars, and small restaurants (I will give you my recommendations). To culminate the walk, I will invite you with an artisan ice cream from the best shop in the city (which lies between alleys), where we can share the sunset, while you live the heart of Guanajuato.”

For bookings click here

(Editor updated 2021)

 

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 Guanajuato Map

 

Where is Guanajuato

Guanajuato is located in the centre of the country of Mexico in the Guanajuato state.  Mexico City is 359 km away from Guanajuato or 4.30 driving hours.

Guanajuato City Map

Our 8 Top Activities To Do In Guanajuato.

We hope you enjoy our selection of Guanajuato tourist attractions as much as we did.

1. Visit the local Churches

The colourful and iconic Basilica de Nuestra Senora de Guanajuato built in 1693 stands majestically in Plaza de La Paz (the Plaza of Peace). It is located on a hill that gives it a feeling of majestic importance.

There are 23 churches in and around Guanajuato but the Basilica is the most beautiful and stunning. It has been designed in Mexican Baroque style.

King Philip II donated a jewel-encrusted silver statue of the Virgin Mary in 1557 to the town in recognition of the vast amounts of silver that Guanajuato had given to the King over the years.

 

Templo de San Francisco

Templo de San Francisco is located on Avenue Manuel Doblado and is a fine example of late baroque architecture constructed in 1741.

 

2. Spend a Night at the Theatre

Teatro Juarez

Officially opened by the President of Mexico Porfirio Diaz in 1903 with the performance of Aida. What is impressive to the eye is the 12 columns of greenstone and the rooftop of sculptures of the 9 muses. It was built in the Doric style with Roman inspiration.

During 1907 – 1910 the Theatre was recognised as the most prestigious theatre in all of Mexico and patrons came from all over to enjoy the many performances.

3. Gaze at the Statues

 

El Pipila

Pipila’s statute at the top of the hill that overlooks Guanajuato is a symbol of the local miners who joined the troops of Hidalgo in 1810 during the War of Independence.

 

It’s a 15-minute uphill walk following the signs to El Pipila. At the time of our visit, the Funicular was out of service. It is a bit of a climb! Definitely well worth it though for the views. You can take a taxi to the lookout if the Funicular is not working and you are not keen to complete the climb to the top.  If you do take a taxi why not walk back down.

Don’t forget to take your water bottle. 

Pro-Tip

The best time to visit El Pipila is just before sunset when the suns last rays of the day sends a golden hue over the town.

In public squares around Guanajuato, you will find several statues of Don Quijote and other statues such as the Angel shown above.

4.  Walk the Guanajuato Tunnels

 

Guanajuato’s ‘underground streets’ (its tunnels) in 2007 were named one of the 13 wonders of Mexico. The Guanajuato River has been covered over by these numerous tunnels that cater to pedestrians and motor vehicles. It was quite scary walking through these tunnels with cars rushing past you.

5.  Eat at the local Guanajuato Markets

Mercado Hidalgo

For as little as $2 you can get the traditional pork torta and a drink in the market, just look for the stalls where there are queues of locals.

The fruit and vegetable displays are colourful, abundant and sweet-smelling as you wander through the market.

The market is constructed in iron and steel and was originally planned to be a railway station. Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (the same Eiffel of the Eiffel Tower) was brought in to work on the project.  The railway station was scrapped in 1910 and it was turned into the market.

6.  Dine at the Restaurants and Cafes

Our favourite coffee place is Cafe Conquistador located at Pocitos 35, Juan Valle, a un lado del tunel Santa Fe.

One of our favourite things to do in Guanajuato is to wander through the alleyways of Guanajuato city and stumble across some amazing coffee shops and restaurants.

To enjoy local Mexican cuisine is a Plaza setting you cannot go past Los Olivos located in Plaza San Fernando.

7. Relax in the Many Plazas

There are many plazas scattered through the streets of Guanajuato City, some lined with restaurants, others with markets and other places to sit down and enjoy the local atmosphere.

8. Sneak a Kiss at Kiss Alley – one of the top free Guanajuato places to visit

Callejon del Beso (Alley of the Kiss) – the legend tells that the alleyway is so narrow that two lovers kept apart from their respective families managed to exchange kisses from the opposite balconies.

9. One of the Unusual Things To Do in Guanajuato

One of the unusual things to do in Guanajuato is to visit the Museum of the Mummies of Guanajuato.

In 1833 there was an outbreak of cholera around Guanajuato. The museum exhibits 59 of the 111 mummies that were embalmed after the outbreak.  We think it is expensive for what it is.

Address: Explanada del Panteon Municipal s/n Centro.

Opening hours: 9 am to 6 pm

Guanajuato Hotels

We have checked Hotels Combine website for you and have come up the top 5 hotels in Guanajuato for you to view.  Hotels Combine check over 100 accommodation sites to come up with the latest deals.

We stayed at Hotel Socavon which is a 3-star hotel that offers good value.  Some of the rooms are basic in design and some overlook the courtyard.  The hotel offers free parking and free WiFi and is located a ten-minute walk from the city centre.

Address: Calle Alhondiga 41 Barrio de Gavilanes

 

More Guanajuato Hotel Options:

Hotel La Casona de Don Lucas: Plaza de la Paz #48 Guanajuato Historic Centre, Guanajuato. The 3.5 star 13 room hotel is only minutes from Downtown and offers family rooms, a restaurant and bar.

 

Hotel Boutique 1850: Jardin de la Union 7 Centro Historico, Guanajuato. The art deco hotel is located in the city centre and offers a rooftop terrace and jacuzzi.

 

 

Hotel de la Paz: Callejon de Estudiante 1 Guanajuato Historic Centre, Guanajuato. The 3-star 15 room hotel is centrally located and offers an outdoor terrace.

Edelmira Hotel Boutique: Allende 7 Guanajuato Historic Centre, Guanajuato. The 5-star 24 room hotel offers a jacuzzi, indoor pool, inhouse restaurant and lounge bar.

Hotel Santa Regina: Calle Alonso 26 Altos Zona Centro, Guanajuato Zona Centro, Guanajuato. The 3-star 7 room hotel is centrally located and offers guests an outdoor terrace and tour desk.

For more of the best hotels in Guanajuato:

Airbnb Guanajuato Stays and Experiences

Airbnb has a list of properties available in Guanajuato.