Driving Around Central Mexico

Previous Day Prev P    
Next Day Next N    

Saturday, 6 April 1995 - Spent the day in Guanajuato exploring its beautiful historic streets, plazas, and tunnels carved through the hillside for traffic. Wandered the lively Jardín de la Unión with shaded seating and musicians, saw the Church of the Felipenses, watched cars navigate the underground roads, and visited the elegant Hacienda de San Gabriel de la Barrera museum with its stepped gardens and European furnishings before returning to the city's central plaza in the evening.

Mexico 1995
In 1522 the Spaniards entered Guanajuato by 1567 silver was beginning to drive development. This prosperity was at its height during the 18th century, and many of the larger buildings were built then. On 16 September 1810 a priest named Miguel Hidalgo y Costills proclaimed Mexico's independence from Spain and subsequently attacked Guanajuato. Many of the instigators were caught and their heads were publicly displayed in the Guanajuato square. Eleven years later, the Mexican army took Guanajuato back.
Mexico 1995
This is a picture of the hall outside our room at the Hotel Santa Fe in Guanajuato. The hotel was in a great location next to the plaza and shops in the central part of the town.

Guanajuato owes its beauty to the discovery of silver and gold in the hills where the town was built. The La Valenciana mine continues to operate - during the time of New Spain this one mine was responsible for 25% of the mined silver.
Mexico 1995
The market in Guanajuato is a busy place with a unique feature - a balcony. From here you can watch the action below and get a feeling for the layout before diving into the action.
Mexico 1995
This is the Church of the Felipenses of the Villa de San Miguel el Grande.
Mexico 1995
This is the street outside the hotel lined with cafes. The streets are very narrow as the town was built to mine silver several centuries ago. To improve the traffic pattern tunnels from mining and old riverbeds have been converted into roadways under the city. Young boys wait outside the city and for a few dollars offer to guide you through the underground maze. After driving through the tunnels a few times Cal learned the various roads and when to pop up to the surface.
Mexico 1995
This is the Jardin de la Union, laid out in 1861. It is a laurel shaded plaza in the heart of the city, always populated. The municipal band plays each evening making a late afternoon lunch a complete entertainment experience.
Mexico 1995
This is a picture of Cal and his parents at the Hacienda de San Gabriel de la Barrera - actually ex-hacienda, it is now a museum. The garden is beautiful there are 16 different gardens each landscaped in a different style. The hacienda was built in the late 17th century and is furnished with European furniture from the 17th to the 19th centuries.
Previous Day Prev P    
Next Day Next N    

Top
Top    
  Cal and VA | Adventures | Mexico 1995
        © Cal and Virginia Ann Holman
All Rights Reserved 2000-2025 Do not use without permission.
Privacy Policy - Terms
Modified last on 2025-12-26