Region

Colonial Highlands

Silver cities, Huasteca waterfalls, monarch forests.

Guanajuato · Querétaro · SLP · Aguascalientes · Zacatecas · Michoacán

Aguascalientes

Small, calm capital known for one enormous April fair

The Aguascalientes guide →
City

Aguascalientes

Calm rail-town capital built around one giant April fair

Skip unless…

Guanajuato

Silver-mine cities, student nightlife and the Bajio's cultural core

The Guanajuato guide →
City

Guanajuato City

Silver-mine city of tunnels, alleys and estudiantina nights

Must-seeCity

San Miguel de Allende

UNESCO colonial looks, a big expat scene and dollar prices

Worth it

Michoacan

Monarchs, Day of the Dead and food worth the trip, with real caveats

The Michoacan guide →
City

Morelia

Grand pink-stone capital with serious michoacano food

Worth itPueblo

Patzcuaro

Purepecha lake town and the home of Day of the Dead

Worth it

Queretaro

One of Mexico's safest states, wine country and a walkable capital

The Queretaro guide →
Pueblo

Bernal

A giant rock monolith over a tidy weekend Pueblo Magico

Worth itCity

Queretaro

Safe, walkable capital at the edge of Mexico's wine country

Worth itNature

Sierra Gorda

Cloud-forest biosphere reserve and Franciscan mission country

Worth itPueblo

Tequisquiapan

Cobblestone wine-and-cheese town for a Queretaro weekend

If nearby

San Luis Potosi

Desert ghost towns, turquoise rivers and a quiet mining capital

The San Luis Potosi guide →
Nature

Huasteca Potosina

Turquoise rivers and waterfalls in the potosino jungle

Must-seePueblo

Real de Catorce

A silver ghost town at 2,750m through a one-lane tunnel

Must-seeCity

San Luis Potosi

Low-key mining capital, good food, few crowds

If nearby

Zacatecas

A silver city at 2,400m with an uneasy state around it

The Zacatecas guide →
City

Zacatecas

Dramatic silver downtown high in the northern sierra

Worth it