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underground network of tunnels runs beneath the city
helping to control the flow of traffic. Known as the birth-
place of Mexican Independence, Guanajuato is an important
stop along Mexico’s Independence route, which also
visits the nearby towns of Dolores Hidalgo and San Mi-
guel de Allende in Guanajuato state. You can tour the
Alhóndiga de Granaditas, a historic building and monu-
ment located in the city center and the site of the first
major victory over the Spanish in 1810.
Guanajuato is a city of legends and legendary places.
One of the best known is the famous Callejón del Beso
(Alley of the Kiss), an alleyway so narrow that couples
can kiss from opposite balconies.
The city take place of annual “Festival Cervantino” , a
festival of performing arts that’s named in honor of Mi-
guel de Cervantes Saavedra, author of Don Quixote.
You’ll also find a museum dedicated to Don Quixote
and statues of him and his sidekick, Sancho Panza, in
the Allende Plaza just outside the Teatro Cervantes
(Cervantes Theater).
Famed Mexican muralist Diego Rivera was born in Gua-
najuato where his former home has been converted into
an excellent museum. The city is also home to a large
student population, many of whom attend the Univer-
sidad de Guanajuato (Guanajuato University), one of the
oldest universities in the state. Located next door to the
university is an art museum.
Favorite local dishes include enchiladas mineras
(tortillas filled with meat, beans or cheese and topped
with a sauce made from guajillo and chiles anchos) and
pacholas Guanajuatenses (ground beef with spices).
Tel.: (555) 555 55 55
TOURISTIC GUIDE
Guanajuato, the capital of Guana-
juato state, is a charming colonial
city situated in a valley surrounded
by the Sierra de Guanajuato moun-
tains. Guanajuato is nicknamed “the
place of frogs” because the shape of
its mountainous terrain is said to
have resembled a frog to the city’s
early inhabitants.
Founded in 1559, Guanajuato is a
former silver mining city and home
to the La Valenciana mine. Silver
was first discovered in Guanajuato
in 1600. La Valencia was opened a
century later and quickly became
one of the richest and most produc-
tive silver mines in the world. The
adjacent Templo de San Cayetano
stands as a monument to the wealth
and riches extracted from the mine.
The historic center of Guanajuato
has something special with hun-
dreds of cobblestone alleyways run-
ning up and down the hillside.
Shady plazas are dotted with side-
walk cafes, museums, theaters, mar-
kets and historic monuments.. An
Lema o eslogan de la empresa GUANAJUATO
GUANAJUATO TOUR GUIDE
ALUMNO: MARTÍNEZ BOLAÑOS GERARDO.
La Valenciana mine: Guanajuato’s Silver City
Silver mining at La Valenciana
brought great wealth to the region
and magnificent churches and man-
sions were built with the riches.
Much of the region’s early wealth
belonged to the Spanish mine own-
ers, while the people of Guanajuato
worked as laborers. After the Mexi-
can Revolution, operations at the La
Valenciana mine were shut down.
The mine was reopened in 1968 as a
cooperative yielding silver, gold,
nickel and lead. The La Valenciana
mine has since ceased operations,
but it remains an important Guana-
juato attraction. Part of the mine is
sectioned off for tours which are ex-
pertly guided by retired miners who
provide firsthand experience about
working in the mines. Descend into a
dimly-lit mine shaft to explore sever-
al caverns displaying a variety of
drilling equipment and mining tools.
The part of the mine that’s sectioned
off for tours has been restored with
original equipment and historical
artifacts. You’ll notice a figure of the
Virgin Mary carved into one of the
walls and narrow passageways that
extend further into the depths of the
mine.
Silver was first discovered in Mexico’s
Bajio region in 1600. A century later,
Guanajuato was the leading center of sil-
ver mining in the world.
The village of “La Valenciana” is locat-
ed on the northern edge of Guanajuato
and is home to the “La Valenciana” mine,
once one of the richest and most produc-
tive silver mines in the world. Originally
owned and operated by the Spanish, the
“La Valenciana” mine was discovered by
Antonio Obregon y Alcocer, who became
the owner of the mine and Conde de Va-
lenciana .
Located just outside the entrance to the La
Valenciana mine, the 18th century “Templo
de San Cayetano de La Valenciana (San Cay-
etano Church) stands as a monument to the
wealth of the mine. This pink stone church
was commissioned by the Count of Valencia-
na. Step inside to admire the church’s ornate
interior with gilded altars, intricate carvings
and enormous paintings dating to the 19th
century.
More of Guanajuato
Guanajuato is a city steeped in legends and
myths, many dating as far back as the 16th
century. The telling of local legends such
as “La Llorona” (the weeping woman), “El
Truco” (the trick) and the famous
“Callejon del Beso” (Alley of the Kiss) are
Guanajuato attractions, and best told by
local guides.
The sharing of local legends is part of the
tradition of the “callejoneada”, a type of
“walking serenade”, during which local
musicians dress up in traditional 17th cen-
tury costumes and weave their way through
the cobblestone streets and narrow alley-
ways of colonial Guanajuato while playing
music, singing popular folk songs, telling
stories and reciting local legends.
“El Cerro de Cubilete” (Cubilete Hill) is located
15km west of the city of Guanajuato in the
heartland of Mexico, a region known as the Ba-
jio. At 2,579m (8,460 feet), Cubilete Hill is the
highest mountain in Guanajuato state and
thought to be located at the exact geographic
center of Mexico.
Marvel at the towering “Cristo Rey” (Christ the
King) statue, a 20m (65 feet) monumental sculp-
ture, religious site and museum situated atop the
summit of Cubilete Hill, and enjoy stunning
panoramic views of the surrounding area. The
statue faces the city of Leon and can be seen for
miles.
One of the oldest universities in Latin America, the Universidad de Guanajuato (University of Guanajuato)
first opened in the 18th century as a Jesuit school for
children. It was the first educational building to open its doors in Guanajuato, and was originally founded as the
Hospice of Holy Trinity. It changed names several times
before becoming property of Guanajuato state in 1828.Shortly after becoming property of the state, the
university was renamed the Colegio Nacional de Guana-
juato (National College of Guanajuato). In 1945, the National College of Guanajuato gained university status
and was renamed the University of Guanajuato. Today,
the University of Guanajuato has schools located throughout Guanajuato state and offers numerous acade-
mic programs including undergraduate, masters and
doctorate degrees. It was granted autonomous status in
1994.
More of Guanajuato
Guanajuato is an excellent outdoor destination
with pleasant year round weather and beautiful
landscapes. Nature lovers, outdoor enthusiasts and adventurous travelers can explore the mountainous
terrain and vast natural areas of Guanajuato; inclu-
ding the nature reserve at Las Palomas, Sierra de Lobos and the ecological zone at Valle de Santia-
go. Popular activities include hiking, mountain
biking, rappelling, fishing and camping.
Adventure sports enthusiasts flock to Guanajuato
for paragliding and hang gliding. Paragliding and
hang gliding are similar to one another in that both
sports provide spectacular bird’s eye views of the
rugged and beautiful landscapes of Guanajuato.
The equipment used for each differs however
depending on the sport, and you’ll want to decide
which is right for you.
If you want to experience “San Miguel de Allende” as
part of an adrenaline-filled, exhilarating adventure,
doing so driving an ATV is the thing for you. In the
company of expert guides, you’ll visit remote locations
such as “San Miguel Viejo”, the Allende Reservoir and
the Sanctuary of Atotonilco. Along the ATV route,
you’ll observe some of the chapels and ruins that still
remain after more than four hundred years.
If you want to know more about the independence of
Mexico and how it came about, you can enjoy a histori-
cal tour finding out about the Mexican insurgent move-
ment in the wonderful city of San Miguel Allende, led
by guides specializing in tour groups from the company
Bicentenario Todo Terreno Cuatrimotos (Bicentenary
All-Terrain Quad Bikes).
The colorful and lively colonial city of Guanajuato
is a cultural mecca and internationally known as
the host city of the annual Festival Cervantino
(Cervantino Festival), a state sponsored cultural
festival that’s held each year in October. The Cer-
vantino Festival is one of the premier arts and cul-
tural festivals in Mexico and Latin America and
features performing arts from around the world
with a special emphasis placed on artistic creations
in the Spanish language.The origins of the Cervan-
tino Festival date back to the mid-20th century
when short plays by Miguel de Cervantes Saave-
dra, author of Don Quixote, were performed in the
city’s plazas. The festival was named in honor of
Cervantes and officially founded in 1972, the same
year that the original cultural program was expan-
ded to include more international acts.