Guanajuato, a UNESCO World Heritage City nestled in the mountains of central Mexico, is a place where history is built into every hillside alley and underground tunnel. Today, visitors can still tour La Valenciana Mine, where centuries-old tunnels and original mining equipment offer a glimpse into the city's wealth-driven past. The nearby Templo de San Cayetano, built by mine owners in the mid-1700s, is a stunning example of baroque design, lined with gilded altars and intricate woodwork.
Guanajuato’s layout is anything but ordinary. The city is a maze of winding callejones (narrow alleys), colorful buildings, and staircases that seem to go in every direction. For a more interactive experience, travelers can join a callejoneada, a nighttime walking tour led by costumed musicians who share songs and stories as they move through the city’s alleys, creating a moving performance that blends comedy, history, and tradition.
Each October, Guanajuato becomes the stage for the Festival Internacional Cervantino, one of the most important cultural festivals in Latin America. Artists from all over the world gather to perform in colonial theaters, open-air plazas, and even former convents. The festival was inspired by Miguel de Cervantes’ Entremeses, which were first performed by university students in the 1950s and are still reenacted every year in the city's cobbled streets.