Our First Impressions of Guanajuato, Mexico

As our very comfortable (and overpriced) bus arrived in Guanajuato from Guadalajara, we were both a tad disappointed at what we saw. The city was supposed to be UNESCO listed and from what we had heard, it was a must-see while in Mexico.

From the bus window, we didn’t see any interesting buildings, no historical sites and nothing that looked even remotely appealing. Feeling unsure of why we decided to travel here, we disembarked from our bus and hopped on the local transport to take us into town.

The little bus winded up the mountainside and after about 20 minutes, as if out of nowhere, hundreds of colourful, square buildings appeared. We entered into an underground tunnel and were told to get out there. We obeyed the driver and followed the crowd of people up a narrow flight of stairs. What we saw at the top was shocking – as if we just stepped into a postcard!

Picture-perfect plazas lay before us, historical buildings lined the sidewalks and numerous churches and cathedrals towered over the city. With our backpacks slung over our shoulders, and our eyes darting all around us at the gorgeous architecture, we hoofed it to our hostel. To our surprise, the room was beautiful and large, while the view from the rooftop terrace and the building itself were both lovely.

We didn’t even want to shower or freshen up after our travel day, we were too excited to get out and meander through the old colonial town. After having only been in Guanajuato for an hour, we both decided that this was the most picturesque city we’ve been to, and one of the best places to visit in Mexico.

Narrow cobble stone lanes twisted and turned up the mountainside, while tables poured out of cafes and restaurants onto the pedestrian-only streets. The colours of the buildings were pastel yellows, oranges and pinks, with a few vibrant purple, red and blue ones thrown in for good measure.

The atmosphere in the air was relaxed and romantic. Live music played in the streets and lovers strolled hand-in-hand. No matter where we walked, each lane we decided to wander down led us to an amazing building or landmark.

We couldn’t get enough of it and wanted to soak in each and every sight. After spending just one day in Guanajuato, we both knew that we needed more time in the city and wished that we had given ourselves 2 weeks, or more. We had a food tour planned, a mummy museum to visit, a night of symphony and theatre, various plazas to wander through and numerous churches and cathedrals to explore. There were so many more museums, markets, restaurants and day trips that we wanted to do as well!

Deciding to come inland and leave the coast behind was the right decision for us, and we felt at home in Guanajuato. This UNESCO city had so much going for it, and after just one day, we already knew we’d be sad to say goodbye when it was time to move on.

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