5 Colorful Towns To Visit In Mexico

Mexico boasts a wealth of colorful, historic towns to discover. Outside of the main tourist destinations, much of the nation remains blissfully off-radar for foreign travelers, meaning an authentic experience is easily had. Here, we list the most fascinating and beautiful towns to visit during your trip to Mexico.

# Campeche

Campeche, on the Gulf of Mexico, has an abundance of colonial pastel-colored houses with arched doorways and intricate balconies. Following heavy pirate attacks in the 17th-century, the city built itself an elaborate defense system, including thick ramparts with bastions. This mixture of urban and military history has made it a Unesco World Heritage site, spurring comprehensive renovation around the town. Today, it is one of Mexico’s best-preserved colonial towns but visitors are relatively few and you can expect a warm welcome from locals. Nearby, you can visit less-known Mayan sites including Hochob and Dzibilnocac.

# San Miguel de Allende

The town’s role as an important stop on the silver route from Zacatecas to Mexico City in the 17th and 18th centuries has left San Miguel de Allende with a rich colonial heritage. With its winding, cobblestone streets and well-preserved Spanish mansions, it attracts plenty of visitors. On the plus side, its popularity means fine restaurants and carefully restored boutique hotels are in plentiful supply. Exploring can be thirsty work, but San Miguel has some stunning spots for a drink; check out the rooftop terrace at La Posadita, right opposite the dome of the Parroquia, the largest church in town.

# Guanajuato

This colorful, colonial town hangs onto the sides of a steep ravine with narrow alleyways twisting between leafy squares and colorful Baroque and Neoclassical buildings. Guanajuato’s wealth came from a nearby silver mine, once the world’s most productive. For the best view, head to Templo de San Cayetano, an ornate church with a pink façade built by mining entrepreneurs on a hill outside of town. Guanajuato’s student population gives it a youthful, lively atmosphere, with plenty of cafés (including popular Café Conquistador) and bars. Leave some time for painter Diego Rivera’s childhood home, now housing his work, as well as a visit to the bizarre mummy museum.

# Puebla

The profusion of monumental churches – 70 in the historic center alone – and ornamental fountains underline Puebla’s historical wealth and strategic importance. The lavish mansions are decorated with the city’s renowned colorful tiles whilst gourmet delights are Puebla’s other claim to fame, with the national dish chiles en nogada originating here. Visit nearby Cholula, which has a church for every day of the year. From here you can outstanding views of Popocatépetl, the nearby snow-capped volcano, which happens to be one of Mexico’s most active.

# Zacatecas

The ornate pink limestone buildings with intricately carved façades of Zacatecas are testimony to its past mineral wealth; at the height of production, the town produced a third of the country’s silver. Set in a valley and surrounded by mountains, the city is riven with steep alleyways bearing storybook names such as Tenorio (womanizer) or mantequilla (butter). The grateful silver barons helped to build Zacatecas’ many churches and convents and the stand-out 18th-century Baroque cathedral. Make time to visit the Museo del Arte Abstracto Manuel Felguérez, worth seeing if only for the building itself; a former seminary turned prison that’s now converted into a light-filled exhibition space.