COLONIAL CITIES

(GUANAJUATO / AGUASCALIENTES / SAN LUIS POTOSÍ / ZACATECAS)

Spend your honeymoon discovering the secrets of several of the main colonial cities in Mexico. Begin your journey in the city of Guanajuato, which you can arrive at in just a 30 minute flight from México City?. Choose to stay in one of the luxurious haciendas (large country estates) or in hotels with spas awaiting you with rich, relaxation treatments. The best way to get to know this colonial jewel, declared a World Heritage Site, is to walk its picturesque streets and discover the beauty of its architecture and romantic lanes, that contain histories and legends. Do not miss visiting the famous Callejón del Beso (Kissing Lane), the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Guanajuato, the Alhóndiga de Granaditas (a public granary that was significant in the Mexican Independence movement) and the Monumento al Pípila. Make your way to the underground tunnels that run the length of the city and end at the Fuente del Baratillo, a fountain where you will be able to purchase the best handicrafts around.  Also do not forget to go in the Teatro Juárez (Juárez Theater) and the Museo de las Momias (Mummy Museum). Enjoy the wide variety of dishes the state has to offer: sopa de médula (bone marrow and chicken soup), enchiladas mineras (tortillas filled with cheese and onion and topped with potatoes and carrots), pacholas (strips of ground beef and spices), tacos de nata (chicken and cheese soft tacos in a bed of creamy sauce) and a succulent desert known as sopas de amor (sweet rolls with rum and anis, topped with nuts and raisins).  A couple of days later you can head towards Aguascalientes, and from there take Highway 45 northwest until you reach León, where you can stop to purchase some of the local leather goods. Then continue on Highway 45-D northwest, where after 132 km (82 mi) you will arrive at a city full of antique neighborhoods, churches, squares, gardens, architectural monuments, modern buildings, museums, bullfighting rings and hot spring pools. Acquaint yourself with its five typical neighborhoods, each one possesses Baroque architecture of great cultural value.  It is worth visiting the Catedral Basílica, and the churches Templo de Aguascalientes, San Diego, and Nuestra Señora del Rosario. And of course, do not leave without delighting your taste buds with the regional wines. Afterwards, get ready to continue your romantic journey in San Luis Potosí. Take Highway 70 east, and when you arrive at kilometer 40 (mile 25), continue northeast until Ojuelos de Jalisco. From there take Highway 80 until your once again reach Highway 70 in Villa de Arriaga. From here, travel 62 km (39 mi) more and you will reach this large city known for its beautiful architectural examples that combine Neoclassic and Baroque styles. Visit the Teatro de la Paz (Peace Theater), the church Templo de San Francisco, the museum Federico Silva and the Centro Taurino Potosino. On the outskirts of town you can amuse yourself in the thermal waters of Parque Gogorrón or, if you are ecotourism lovers, you can take a trip to the Laguna de Media Luna (Half Moon Lagoon), ideal for diving and camping.  You can also go to the Sótano de las Guaguas, whose dome measures 291 meters (955 feet) high and Sótano de las Golondrinas, an incredible abyss of 512 meters (1,680 feet) deep. To finish your honeymoon with a golden touch, travel to Zacatecas, also declared a World Heritage Site. To get there, you just need to leave San Luis Potosí on Highway 49 heading northwest. It is one of the most beautiful cities in Northern Mexico thanks to its historical richness and architecture.  Just take one look at the Plaza de la Revolución Mexicana (Mexican Revolution Square), the chapel Capilla de la Virgen del Patrocinio, the Museo de la Toma de Zacatecas (The Taking of Zacatecas Musuem) and the Mausoleo de los Hombres Ilustres (Mausoleum of Famous Men). You can tour its streets on foot at ground level, or if you prefer, from a cablecar that goes up to Cerro de la Bufa, where you can admire the city from 85 meters (279 feet) up.  Do not miss touring the El Edén mine, where you will aboard a train that takes you on an excavation route through a tunnel 600 meter (1,969 feet) long. Finally, heads toward El Malacate, where you will find the best night life in the city.