Almost 400 years ago, the founding Spanish silver barons swore an oath to pave the streets of Zacatecas (pop. 125,000) with the precious metal. Using indigenous labor, they extracted more than 6000 tons from the mountains before abandoning their plans. The city’s high altitude (2500m) wards off high temperatures, making Zacatecas a pleasant place to while away the time. The centro—recently dubbed a UNESCO World Heritage site—boasts leftover mansions, glorious temples, cable cars, and a dozen museums with impressive modern art collections. During the summer, students and professors from across the world come to study at the university, learn Spanish at the Instituto del Fénix, or decipher Náhuatl at the Ethnography Center. Zacatecas is a college town that knows how to have fun, with Corona—brewed on the outskirts of town in the world’s second largest cervecería—fueling the most of the city’s nightlife.
Zacatecas is 610 km from the D.F. on the silver trail and 190km from San Luis Potosí. The city’s narrow cobblestone streets are not only mercilessly snarled, but their names change frequently, they’re sprawled over hills, and many are callejones (alleys often ending in stairways). Hidalgo is the main street, and the cathedral is a useful landmark visible from all over town.
Most budget accommodations have been priced out of the centro and linger at its fringe, on López Mateos—the main thoroughfare bordering the historic core. Reservations are a good idea at the cheapest hotels.
Zacatecas is famous for its rich sweets and heavy enchiladas. Get that sugar rush with dulce de leche (caramelized milk), camote (yams), coco (coconut), or batata (sweet potato)—they all cost around 5 pesos, and are peddled by vendors in the centro. Zacatecas also hosts a thriving cafe culture.
Because of its extraordinary beauty, Zacatecas’s entire centro is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Strict building codes and prohibitions against gaudy advertisements make it hard to tell where the city ends and the museums begin, but it hardly matters, as both are spectacular. Not to be missed are the two Coronel museums and the vista of the city from La Bufa. If you’ve got a few more days, leave time for the neighboring town of Guadalupe and the ruins of La Quemada .
Catedral Basílica. This pink sandstone cathedral was begun in 1729, completed in 1752, and consecrated in 1862. The intricate three-story facade is perhaps the best example of Mexican Baroque and depicts Christ blessing the Apostles and images of the Eucharist. The northern facade bears a representation of Christ on the cross, and the European Baroque southern facade pays homage to Nuestra Señora de las Zacatecas. The interior of the cathedral is surprisingly plain, though legend has it that prior to the War of Reform (1858-1861) it was as splendid as the outside. (On Hidalgo, 4 blocks northeast of Juárez. Open daily 7am-1pm and 3-9pm. Free.)
Museo Rafael Coronel. Bristle-faced tigers, swarthy Moors, caimans, devils, and gods stare out from the walls of this superb museum that stresses the power of máscaras. Masks are housed in the dramatic Ex-Convento de San Francisco, built in the 17th century by Franciscans and then occupied by the Jesuits until the late 18th century. The exhibits showcase an enormous collection of figurines, pottery, and puppets donated by Rafael Coronel. Don’t miss the rooms with Coronel’s recent photographs and paintings. (To reach the museum from the cathedral, follow Hidalgo, bearing left at the fountain at the 1st fork, and right at the 2nd. Open M-Tu and Th-Su 10am-5pm. 20 pesos, students and seniors 10 pesos, children free.)
Museo De Pedro Coronel. Housed in the former Colegio de San Luis Gonzaga, a Jesuit college established in 1616 that later became a jail, the museum is now home to the unparalleled paintings, sculptures, and tomb of Zacatecan artist Pedro Coronel. It also has one of the best modern art collections in Latin America, with works by Braque, Chagall, Dalí, Hogarth, Goya, Miró, and Picasso. Check out the view of the Plazuela Santo Domingo from the second-floor windows. The Historical Library of Zacatecas attached to the museum is home to thousands of volumes, some dating back to 1560. ( On Villapando at Serdán. Facing away from the cathedral entrance, cross Hidalgo going right. Turn left into the first alleyway, left as it ends on Dondina, and right at your first opportunity, following Villapando to the museum. ☎922 1821. Open M-W and F-Su 10am-5pm. 20 pesos, students and seniors 10 pesos, children free.)
Cerros And Teleférico. Most people walk up Cerro El Grillo to catch the teleférico (cable car) to the much higher Cerro de la Bufa. El Grillo also has a splendid view over Zacatecas, and the Mina el Edén east entrance neighbors the teleférico stop here. Named in Basque for its resemblance to a Spanish wineskin, the Cerro de la Bufa peers down on the city from its highest crag. Museums, a church, and tons of clambering kids stand at the top, but the real attraction is the view. The Museo de la Toma de Zacatecas, adjacent to the Cerro de la Bufa, was built to commemorate Pancho Villa’s decisive victory over federal troops in the summer of 1914, and displays an array of revolutionary memorabilia, including photographs, a cannon, and small weapons. (☎922 8066. Open daily 10am-4:30pm. 20 pesos, students and children 10 pesos.) On one side of the museum lies the 18th-century Capilla del Patrocinio, with a graceful facade and cloistered courtyards carved from the pink stone that graces many of Zacatecas’s monuments. A short but steep walk up the hill leads to the Moorish Mausoleo de los Hombres Ilustres de Zacatecas (Mausoleum of the Illustrious Men of Zacatecas), worth the hike if only for the view of the city. There’s yet another view behind the museum, from the castle where the Meteorological Observatory is housed. Climbing around is half the fun. (To get to La Bufa, either take a taxi from the centro (35 pesos), or the teleférico from Cerro del Grill. Teleférico open daily 10am-6pm. 23 pesos. Teleféricos also leave from La Bufa below the Capilla, but depending on the time of day, you may have to wait in line for 1hr.)
Museo De Arte Abstracto Manuel Felguérez. This converted prison houses a wide range of Mexican abstract art from the past 40 years. On prison-guard catwalks, you can survey the Manuel Felguérez collection, which takes the former prisoners’ position. The museum also boasts superb giant canvases from the Osaka 70 exhibit and temporary displays on Mexican and international figures. (Colón 1. ☎924 3705. Open M and W-Su 10am-5pm. 20 pesos, students 10 pesos.)
Parque Enrique Estrada. Southeast of the downtown area, 39 pink stone arches mark the end of Zacatecas’s famous colonial aqueduct, El Cubo. Beside the aqueduct is the beautifully manicured Parque Enrique Estrada. On the western side of the park is the former governor’s mansion, now the Museo de Francisco Goitia, Enrique Estrada 101. The museum displays contemporary art from the last half-century, examining the influence of modern Mexican artists on the international scene. (☎922 0211. Open Tu-Su 10am-5pm. 10 pesos.)
Palacio Del Gobierno. Built in 1727 as the count Joseph de Rivera Bernández’s residence, the building distinguishes itself with a mural that surrounds its interior stairwell. Painted in 1970 by Antonio Rodríguez, the work traces the history of Zacatecas from antiquity to the present. (Next to the cathedral. Open M-F 9am-8pm. Free.)
Templo De Santo Domingo. Built by the Jesuits in 1746, the temple contains nine Baroque altarpieces covered with enough gold to make the whole church gleam. There’s also a rare 18th-century German pipe organ. (At the end of Villapando. Open daily 7am-1pm and 5-8pm. Mass held frequently on weekends. Free.)
Museo Zacatecano. This museum has a permanent exhibit on the art of the region’s native Huichol people as well as a collection of 19th-century retablos (icons) that provide something of a crash course in Mexican Catholicism. (On Dr. Ignacio Hierro, 2 blocks down from Santo Domingo. ☎922 6580. Open M and W-Su 9:30am-5pm. 20 pesos, students and seniors 10 pesos.)
Mina El Edén. Discovered in 1583, the Mina el Edén was one of Mexico’s most productive silver mines until the 1960s, when continual flooding made mineral extraction futile. Now reopened as a tourist attraction, the interior lacks the beauty of natural caves. Its cramped depths make it easy to see why it was sarcastically called “The Mine of Eden,” in reference to the miserable conditions suffered by its workers—five to seven workers died each day during the mine’s peak. The 45min. tour includes some fairly tame treks across rope bridges and auto-pilot descriptions by Spanish-speaking guides. (The mine has 2 entrances; enter at the east entrance, close to the Grillo teleférico stop. An old mine train will take you to the tour starting point. Open daily 10am-6pm. 60 pesos, children 30 pesos.)
Folkloric dance, all kinds of music, and parades constantly enliven the cathedral square. Every Thursday, the Zacatecas state band stages a free classical concert at 7pm, and clowns entertain children on the steps surrounding the cathedral almost nightly. The yearly cultural highlight is Zacatecas en la Cultura, a festival during Semana Santa, in which concerts, operas, and plays are held in the elegant Teatro Calderón, on Hidalgo near the cathedral, and throughout the city. Zacatecas is also reputed to have Mexico’s best Morismo (reenactment of the battle between the Moors and the Spanish) held in mid-August. Call the tourist office for specific details. From September 8 to 22, the city celebrates the Feria Nacional de Zacatecas with bullfights, agricultural and crafts shows, music, and sporting events.
Nights in Zacatecas can be expensive, but the combination of fun crowds, mezcal, and nonstop party music is worth it. There are plenty of cheap, colorful cantinas and pool halls, and there’s even an occasional rodeo. The nightlife listed is in the centro, where well-lit, relatively safe streets eliminate the need for taxis. By far, the best parties are callejoneadas: Zacatecans are prohibited from possessing alcohol in public, so they hang buckets of mezcal from a donkey’s neck and follow it around the city.
Take a Villanueva bus from the small bus station in Zacatecas on López Mateos to La Quemada (45min., every 30min., 20 pesos). Specify that you want to get off at the ruins (Las Ruinas de la Quemada). The road to the ruins is on the left of the main route, right after the restaurant with the Corona sign. As there are no buses, walk about 3km to reach the entrance. Site open daily 10am-5pm. 37 pesos, with museum 8 pesos. You’ll have to get off in Malpaso and change buses to get to Jérez. Hostal Villa Colonial offers recorridos between the hostel and the ruins for 90 pesos. (4-person min., van leaves at 10:30am and returns at 3:30 pm).
About 50km south of Zacatecas lie the well-preserved ruins of La Quemada (AD 500-800). The ruins have not yet yielded any spectacular artifacts, nor is it attributed to any major Mesoamerican civilization, so the ruins are more or less untouristed. Hikers will love scrambling around this adobe pyramid city, as the trails can sometimes be unnervingly steep. The ball court, dwellings, fortresses, and temples of La Quemada were built into a mountain with a stunning 360˚ view of the surrounding countryside. A 170km network of dirt and clay roads runs between the citadel and what used to be ranching villages in the fertile lake-area below. Some theorize that La Quemada was the site of the legendary Aztec city Chicomostoc, Tenochtitlán’s precursor Tlascan, and capital of the region north of the Río San Antonio. It is only that known the city-dwellers traded with almost all of the cultures of Ancient Mexica at one time or another. The oldest representation of the eagle-serpent-cactus symbol was also found here.
The scaled museum model of the ruins is a helpful guide to the more remote sections. Few parts of the expansive ruins are off-limits, so it is a good idea to take a few hours and a lot of water when exploring. Beware: the tall grass surrounding the hillsides is a favorite hiding spot for rattlesnakes, among other venomous predators.
La Cervecería Corona. The world’s second largest brewery does not accept walk-in tourists, and reservations for alcoholic excursions must be made through someone who can pull strings. Guillermo and Ernesto, the boys at the Villa Colonial , are good friends of the management and offer transport to and from the brewery Monday through Saturday. ( Tours 100 pesos per person, 4-person min. Tours depart Zacatecas at 2pm and return around 7pm.) The trip includes a tour of the factory and all the beer you can drink. A small souvenir shop is also located outside the cervecería. ( The “Cía. Cervecera de Zacatecas, S.A. de C.V., ” is on Antonino Fernandez Rodriguez 100, Calera de Victor Rosales. Call ☎478 985 4040, ext. 1194, 2200 or 1123 for directions, and to schedule an official tour.)
Guadalupe. The village, named after the town church, was founded in 1707 as a training site for Franciscan missionaries. The Ex-Convento de Guadalupe, located on the main plaza, is known not only for having produced over 3000 missionaries, but for its famous statue of the Virgen de Guadalupe, above the altar. Next to the cathedral is the Museo de Guadalupe, which contains paintings depicting scenes from the life of St. Francis and of nearly every known incident in the life of Jesus Christ. (From Zacatecas, catch a Transportes Guadalupe bus from the bus station or the smaller station on López Mateos 30min., 5 pesos. Tell the bus driver you want to get off in Guadalupe’s centro. From the bus station in Guadalupe, walk a short distance to your left along Mateos and turn right on Constitución at the monument in the center of the street. The cathedral is a couple of blocks ahead. Catch a return bus to Zacatecas from the same bus station. Cathedral open daily 10am-4:30pm. 20 pesos.)
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For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.
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