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.