3 Great Cities to Visit in Guanajuato, Mexico.

Guanajuato, GTO, Mexico

The first place we're going to look at is the capital of Guanajuato. I would consider this as the culture hub of the state, with its unique architecture and great traditions. We recommend this city if you would like to dive deep into Mexican culture, while enjoying great food and interesting experiences. With breathtaking architecture, amazing food and friendly locals Guanajuato is an amazing place to visit.

Lodging

Budget Friendly option: Casa sobre la Peña, comes out at around $43 per night. This Airbnb is a spacious loft that comes with a great view of the city.

More expensive option: Casa Meraki Luxury Apartment

For around $130 per night, you can get a luxury 2 bed 2 bath apartment with an amazing view of the city. It comes with a temperature controlled pool on the roof of the unit as well as a bar for customers to enjoy a wide variety of beverages.

Experiences:

The "Callejón del Beso" (Kiss Alley) in Guanajuato

• legend says that couples must kiss on their 3rd step to have happiness for 7 years

Guanajuato (capital), Mexico - One of the largest Mummy Museum’s in the world. Museo de las Momias de Guanajuato

• Officially opening in 2007, this museum has quickly become one of the most unique places to visit in the country. Currently this museum has 51 mummies on display and also has an explanation on why they were able to get so many, but I believe that's something you should find out at the museum.

Jardín Unión

This garden is a wonderful place to walk around as there are plenty of great cafes in the area as well of tons of great street vendors.

Restaurants/Food: regardless of budget, street vendors are your best bet. However, if you want a more traditional restaurant experience we highly recommend Casa Mercedes

San Miguel de Allende

San Miguel de Allende is a city with endless things to do. Whether you prefer to go clubbing or go to a chill cafe, San Miguel de Allende has it all.

Lodging

Expensive option – Traditional Hacienda House

For about $90 you could rent a room in this beautiful traditional hacienda style house.

Budget – Casa de los hummingbirds, $20 per night, very basic but great accommodation.

Cañada de la Virgen

Open to the public less than 10 years ago, San Miguel de Allende's Cañada de la Virgen is one of the best-kept archaeological secrets of Mexico. The original residents of this pre-Hispanic city are still unknown, but it was believed that it was occupied before AD 540 and 1050.

Today, analysts are in awe of the site, which is precise mathematically, architecturally, and astronomically.

Restaurants/Bars

Luna Tapas Rooftop Bar

For one of the most unique dining experience in the states, Luna Bar has one of the best views in the city with great music and drinks.

Quince

Great for a rooftop dinner. They serve a modern take on Mexican food as well as sushi and sushi bowls.

El Grito

Now for nightlife this is one of the hottest clubs in the state. El Grito, named after Miguel Hidalgo's cry of Dolores, is a great place for a night out. It's a trendy club with a great bar selection, and also has some great DJs performing.

Penjamo, Guanajuato

This city on the edge of Guanajuato bordering the state of Michoacán is where I was born so it has a special place in my heart, but besides that, it's full of things to explore.

Lodging

For the lodging in Penjamo there is only one place I can recommend. There are plenty of places to stay, but this hotel far exceeds the rest. Hotel Real de Piedra is a traditional hacienda style hotel with a modern twist. This hotel has a restaurant and café on site and some of the best staff I've ever been able to meet.

Attractions

Firstly, Miguel Hidalgo was born in the area surrounding Penjamo, so you can visit a large statue dedicated to him and see where his childhood home was located.

Corralejo Tequila Distillery

One of the other essential things to do is to go to the tequila distillery in the area. Getting a tour of how they make and store tequila at one of the largest tequila distributers in the country is a great experience. There's also a shop at the end of the tour that sell tequila for rock bottom prices, since it's straight from the manufacturer.

Food

The main thing I would recommend doing is to go to the town plaza and grab food from the street vendors, then get churros as a dessert!

Restaurante Los Portales

This is the perfect brunch location in Penjamo. Their chilaquiles with a cup of coffee is what I would recommend.

Overall, Guanajuato is a great city if you would like to explore the deep roots of Mexican culture. Make sure to tune into our podcast! Next time we'll be diving deep into places to explore in Japan.