Guanajuato is a fascinating city. I stopped there for three days during my Mexican trip in 2019. I was charmed by its eclectic architecture, narrow, steeply sloping streets and breathtaking views. The most remarkable buildings are la Basílica Colegiata de Nuestra Señora de Guanajuato, el Teatro Juárez and la Universidad de Guanajuato. After arriving late from Guadalajara the day before, I spent my second day in Guanajuato walking around the city from west to east, from the fascinating and very creepy Museo de las Momias de Guanajuato (I love creepy attractions, I'm quite the target audience for this museum, but I was still a bit disturbed) to the relaxing Presa De La Olla. As specified by other visitors, the view from the Monumento Al Pipila is well worth the climb. Your calves may resent it, but your eyes and heart will be delighted! I feel like I'm repeating myself in each of my reviews, but you have to get lost in this city, admire its colourful houses at random and face all its hills to grasp its charm and enjoy it to the fullest.
On my third and last day, I went to the heights of La Valenciana. As extraordinary as the heart of Guanajuato is, I was slightly disappointed by this area. It is true that the Templo de San Cayetano Confesor (La Valenciana Church) has richly gilded and decorated altars and its façade is pretty.However, I wanted to learn more about the mining history of the town while visiting this area. I started quite (too?) early at the Bocamina San Ramón. A confused old man seemed to guard the entrance but he didn't seem to be able to give me any information about how to visit the place. I went down a staircase into what seemed to be a mine shaft. It really didn't go very deep though and I left as confused as the guard. I ended up finding an interesting guided tour of a mine shaft at the Bocamina de San Cayetano. This visit offered by a former miner was very informative and was the highlight of the day. My last stop in La Valenciana was the tourist trap Museo Casa El Purgatorio.
Along with Puebla, Guanajuato is the most beautiful colonial city in Mexico. And to fully appreciate it, you have to know how to climb to its highest lookouts to embrace the landscape, but also descend into its tunnels and mineshafts to plunge into its history.