Discover colonial cities while experiencing a little of Mexico's history.

QUERÉTARO

The city has preserved its historic downtown and taken steps to beautify many areas. The Historic Monuments Zone of Queretaro was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1996. The property was inscribed on the basis of two if its cultural criteria and considering that the site is of outstanding universal value and an exceptional example of a colonial town whose layout symbolizes its multiethnic population. It is also endowed with a wealth of outstanding buildings, notably from the 17th and 18th centuries.

Queretaro holds several treasures, and a friendly sense of civic pride prevails. The historic city center is filled with lovely colonial mansions, immaculate pedestrian alkways (andadores) and quaint plazas little changed since colonial days.

HIDALGO

The State of Hidalgo, in central Mexico, stands proud of its history and invites you to explore it. You can visit its archaeological sites such as Tula, Huapalcalco and Xihuingo; get to know its museums and ex-convents, witnesses of the evangelization process which took place after the arrival of the Spaniards; enjoy the hot springs of its bathing resorts, and spoil your palate with its rich cuisine.

GUANAJUATO

Guanajuato, the capital of Guanajuato state, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a charming colonial-era city situated in a picturesque valley surrounded by the Sierra de Guanajuato mountains. Guanajuato is nicknamed “the place of frogs” because the shape of its mountainous terrain is said to have resembled a frog to the city’s early inhabitants. The region is known as the Bajio, or heartland of Mexico.

GUADALAJARA

Guadalajara is Mexico's second biggest city, and in many respects can be considered the quintessential Mexican destination. This is the birthplace of mariachi music and tequila, but also one of the country’s industrial and business centers, sometimes referred to as Mexico's Silicon Valley. Unlike many colonial cities that maintain their original town plan, in the 1950s Guadalajara underwent a major project that changed the face of the city. Older buildings were razed to allow for wide avenues with new constructions, underground parking lots and shopping centers. Fortunately, the most beautiful older buildings were left intact.

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