Overview
Northwest of Mexico City lie ranges of gnarled, humpy but starkly beautiful hills. Here, and in the bountiful valleys of the Bajío, Spanish colonists built fortunes from the mining of precious metals, especially silver. Prosperous towns sprang up which share a heritage of baroque churches, leafy squares and pastel-washed houses. Each has its own character: the university town Guanajuato, 2,000m, built in a narrow gorge, is a centre for music, theatre and dance, while the homely yet international little town of San Miguel de Allende, 1,900m, is a magnet for artists. Morelia, 1,920m, shows off some of the grandest monumental colonial architecture, and Querétaro, 1,820m, is renowned for its impressive colonial aqueduct.
Just an hour’s drive south of Mexico City is Puebla, 2,135m, a large city with an imposing colonial core reflecting its importance as a trading post during the era of the Spanish Empire. It’s a great base for visits to the indigenous towns of Cholula and Tlaxcala.
Holidays Colonial and silver towns
From expertly designed Private Journeys to trail-blazing Group Tours, browse our range of carefully crafted holidays.
Private Journeys
Mexico
Discover Mexico: Oaxaca’s culture and coastline
(based on two people sharing & excluding flights)
Private Journeys
Mexico
Explore and Relax Mexico: Silver cities to Pacific coast
(based on two people sharing & excluding flights)
Private Journeys
Mexico
Mexican street food
(based on two people sharing & excluding flights)
Private Journeys
Mexico / Guatemala / Honduras
Treasures of Central America: Heritage of the Aztec and Mayan Empires
(based on two people sharing & excluding flights)
Things to do
We proudly offer the widest range of activities, excursions and one-of-a-kind experiences across all our destinations, tried and tested personally by our travel experts.
Accommodation
Browse our unrivalled portfolio of accommodation . Every option has been carefully chosen by our team of travel experts, so you can rest assured that you’ll relax in utter comfort.
Where to go when - our guide to Colonial and silver towns
The weather in Colonial and silver towns is wide and varied
These former silver mining towns are set among starkly beautiful hills, which share a heritage of baroque churches, leafy squares and pastel-washed houses. The area enjoys a pleasant sunny climate year round, with the most rain falling between June and September. There are many celebrations throughout the year, including Independence Day in September and the two-week Festival Internacional Cervantes in October.
View our Colonial and silver towns weather guidePapagaio
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