I visited this WHS in January 2022. As my 550th visited WHS, it will always have a special place in my memories, but my experience was further enhanced by meeting up with Zacatecas' director at the UNESCO World Heritage Regional Institute who was directly involved in Zacatecas' nomination and inscription on the WH list and is now mainly managing awareness-raising efforts at schools on UNESCO WHS and collaborating with Caribbean and Latin American states to promote existing WHS and add other tentative ones.

Just like Guanajuato, Zacatecas owes its historic monuments to the wealth generated by its silver and gold mines. It is also situated in a valley but not as narrow as in Guanajuato, and there is the Cerro de la Bufa's cableway which is an easy way to have a panoramic view over the city. For those that are not good with heights, be aware that the ride takes around eight minutes and one of the cablecars has a glass bottom too! From here the main tourist attraction, apart from the view, is the underground train tour inside the El Eden mine and the many bronze statues honoring important figures from the Battle of Zacatecas. Zacatecas is at an altitude of almost 2500 metres so exploring its many churches and sites was slightly more strenuous than other colonial cities and extremely cold in the morning (a bit like in Cusco, Peru).

The city cathedral at the heart of the historic centre is one of the best examples of Mexican Churrigueresque architecture. Its main over-the-top facade (best seen in afternoon light) reminded me a lot of Lecce's cathedral albeit with pink stone. Make sure to also check out its side facade with indigenous elements which is equally full of interesting details. The Plaza de Armas is full of historical buildings but what stood out for me was the Galeria de Nacimientos with cribs from all over the world. Nearby don't miss the Calderon Theatre as well as the second floor of the Mercado Jesús González Ortega. Another massive church not to be missed is the Church of Santo Domingo known locally as the Parish of the Immaculate Conception which would substitute for the cathedral when it was in construction. Its interior with eight Churrigueresque wooden altars gilded with gold mined from the Cerro del Grillo was more interesting than that of the cathedral.

Further on from the Regional Institute of UNESCO World Heritage in Zacatecas, just after the Fuente de los Conquistadores, lies the Rafael Coronel Museum in the former 16th century Convent of St Francis, displaying the largest mask collection in Mexico as well as the UNESCO WHS inscription certificate. Just outside the museum, adjacent to the remaining church facade, is a small square with a black UNESCO WHS plaque. In the courtyard of the UNESCO regional institute there's a Category 2 UNESCO plaque and further down the street near the Fuente de los Faroles there's another UNESCO WHS manhole-like marker sponsored by INAH. A few metres away lies the 18th century El Cubo Aqueduct of Zacatecas with the Plaza de Toros bullring, part of which has now been converted into a hotel (worth viewing mostly after sunset).