Another city that prospered from the discovery of silver, San Luis Potosí, is known as one of the most pleasant cities in all of México. Known as "the city of plazas" or "the city of gardens", much of the early wealth was spent on building wonderful plazas which were all planted with trees and and shrubs, hence the reference to gardens.  San Luis Potosí is a colonial city rich in history and a city which contains a great deal of historical architecture.  The city was originally laid out with 7 barrios (neighborhoods) branching out from the city center.  The city center has 4 main plazas and each of the original barrios has its own plaza.  The city is a tribute to the urban planning abilities of the founding fathers and served briefly as the capital of México in 1863.

Tourism in San Luis Potosí is mostly comprised of Mexican nationals, but this is definitely a city that has a lot of potential to be discovered in a big way.  The historical center is very easy to navigate and most of the interesting sites are within easy walking distance or a short taxi ride away from Plaza de Armas, the main plaza.  Many of the streets in the historical center have been blocked of to traffic, making a walking tour very easy.  Plaza de Armas is a great place to enjoy the evenings and some live music a couple of nights a week while you watch San Luis Potosí come to life.  The nearby historical buildings, plazas and churches, some dating to the 16 century, beg to be explored and photographed.  Shopping is pretty much spread out among shops along Calle Hidalgo just north of the historical center, which has been turned into a pedestrian only area with upscale shops and cafes.  Look for quality silver jewelry and other items made of silver and quality leather goods.  Colorful serapes and some very intricate shawls are other specialties of this area.  The city's traditional market, Mercado Hidalgo is also located on Calle Hidalgo and is filled with locals each evening.  There is also a modern mall, Plaza Tangamanga, with over two hundred shops that is located quite a way from the historical center.

Area ranches produce some of México's bravest fighting bulls and bull fights are taken very seriously here.  San Luís Potosí even has a museum dedicated to the art of the bull fight. There are actually three bull rings, but the most famous is Plaza de Toros Fermín Rivera, where bullfights are held from May to September.  There is also a festival dedicated to bull fights, La Feria Taurino, held in the third week of November, when they have bull fights every day.  Rodeos are also a popular attraction here and run year round.

About eighty miles north of San Luis Potosí is the ex mining town, now a ghost town, of Real de Catorce.  Set high (9000 ft.) on a plateau, Real de Catorce was once home to more than 30,000 miners and workers.  Today less than 1000 people live in the area and some still try to eek out a living at mining.  Some of the town remnants include an old mint where they minted silver bars and coins, a fairly elaborate church and a cock fighting ring, built in 1789, that  was one of the most elaborate in the entire country.  This side trip is truly a step back in time!  Another interesting trip, 35 miles to the south, is to the Parque Nacional El Gogorrón where you can enjoy thermal baths, swimming pools, landscaped gardens, cabins and restaurants all in a tranquil mountain setting.  Centro Vacacional Gogorrón is the actual name of the balneario and everything here is priced reasonably.

Airport code for San Luis Potosí: SLP

A colonial gem that is also a popular retirement community.

San Miguel de Allende is an attractive colonial town, approximately 3½ hours north of México City, by car.  This town is well known for it's expatriate community and for having some of the finest Spanish language schools in all of México.  San Miguel is also known as a learning center of the arts and students from all over the world travel here to study painting, dance, weaving, sculpting as well as photography.  Attractive to tourists, as well as artists and writers, this colorful town also played a strategic role in México's independence.   

The tree-lined plaza, known locally as the Jardín, is the center of activity in San Miguel de Allende. The strikingly unique architecture of the parish church, with it's ornate spires, dominates the landscape and can be seen from almost everywhere in the town. 

Mexico Vacation Rental Network - Rentals in all of  México.
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For more information visit: AllAboutMéxicoCity.com, the complete travel guide to México City.
 

The village of Santa Clara del Cobre is just 20 minutes south of Pátzcuaro, in the state of Michoacán, and produces almost all of the beautiful copper pieces that are sold everywhere in México.  The local craftsmen are pretty much into one thing and that is copper. They have been producing beautiful creations made of copper since before the Spanish arrived, and they produce the very best copper objects in the entire country.   You can visit the many  shops, some small and some very elaborate with the factory somewhere on premises.  You can watch while the masters hammer out the finished product that ranges from intricate pieces jewelry to large tubs, beautifully shaped vases, plates and kitchen utensils of every size and shape.  You may even be invited to hammer out a piece yourself.  

The pleasant village lies in the hills at an altitude of 8500 feet so it can get cold in winter but is usually very mild in the summer.  The countryside around Santa Clara del Cobre is picturesque forests and farm land.  There is a small museum dedicated to copper, next to the town square and they hold a fair with copper as a theme in August of each year.  Plan on spending at least a couple of hours and a few dollars during your visit.   I guarantee that you will have to buy at least one copper item. 

Sayulita, a charming fishing village is located about 20 miles north of Puerto Vallarta, just off the main highway to Tepic.  This idyllic spot is what many feel Puerto Vallarta was like 30 years ago.  Located on the southern end of a beautiful bay, the beach is nearly always devoid of tourists. A few retirement homes have been built along the southern end of the beach and in the hills surrounding Sayulita.  There is a great bed and breakfast, a trailer park, a few guest houses and a few of the locals offer rooms for rent.  There are beachfront restaurants that serve delicious fresh seafood which is caught locally. You can rent kayaks and surfboards on the beach, the bay is usually calm.  There is a surf break directly in front of the village and several more along the beach, although it takes a pretty good sized swell to produce decent waves.

For more information visit: AllAboutPuertoVallarta.com, the complete travel guide to Puerto Vallarta.
 

Taxco has got to be one of Mexico's most unique cities.  Famous everywhere, Taxco is known as the silver capital of the world.  This easy drive of less than four hours (slightly more by bus, from Acapulco) on a modern well kept toll road will take you back in time.  Taxco is one of those quaint, picture perfect towns that never seem to age.  If it weren't for the hordes of taxis and electric poles, you could easily imagine you had jumped into a time machine and gone back a century or two.  The huge church dominates the landscape and the narrow, winding cobblestone streets are seemingly from a different era.  There are quaint inns and B&B's, many with incredible views, so you may want to schedule an over night trip.  

The zócalo, or town square, is a great starting point from which to explore Taxco.

For more information about Taxco, visit AllAboutAcapulco.com.  Then visit the "Great Side Trips" page.

This is the very heart of Tequila country.

The name Tequila is famous all over the world and is closely associated with the favorite drink of many travelers to México, the Margarita.  Mexicans will tell you the best way to drink Tequila is straight, with lime and salt, while many prefer to sip it "on the rocks". No matter what manner it is taken, most people agree that a few drinks of Tequila can produce an unforgettable experience.  This area is the very heart of tequila country and the roots of this city are closely bound to the giant industry that has grown from the worldwide popularity of it's namesake.   

As you approach Tequila the landscape begins to turn blue from the vast fields of Agave, the plant from which tequila is distilled. There are dozens of tequila distilleries in this area, both large and small, famous and not so famous.

Airport code for Guadalajara: GDL

For more information about Tequila, visit AllAboutGuadalajara.com.  Then visit the "Tequila Country" page.
 

Tijuana is Baja’s largest city, México’s fourth largest city and can boast of the most daily border crossings in the entire world.  Tijuana is also known as a party town for underage Americans who cross the border because of the lax enforcement of drinking age laws in México.  Tijuana does have  its seedy side but it has also become a very sophisticated city and northwest México’s busiest transportation hub, trade center and a manufacturing giant. 

The area known as Zona Río is an area of wide, tree lined boulevards and traffic circles, each with their own monument.  Zona Río is the financial center of the city and home to high rise office towers, trendy restaurants and upscale watering holes, Tijuana’s busiest mall and the city's cultural center are also located here.  You could easily imagine yourself in any modern U.S. city while exploring Zona Río. The Centro Cultural de Tijuana is an impressive project that contains a performing arts center, galleries, murals and sculptures, a museum and an IMAX theatre.  Near Zona Rio is the ever popular Mercado Hidalgo the one square block, open air, central market that sells everything from produce to sushi – household goods to piñatas and almost everything in between.

Avenida Revolución is the part of Tijuana that most people remember.  This is where the seedy bars and strip clubs outnumber the respectful businesses.  This is where the younger tourists flock to party and have their pictures taken on donkeys painted like zebras. One of Tijuana's best shopping areas is also located at Av. Revolución and Calle 7,  Bazar de México offers shoppers a large choice of shops selling arts and crafts articles, some of very high quality, from all over México.  This is one of the better places in Tijuana to bargain for quality crafts and you can see various artisans practicing their trade.

Tijuana also has two bull rings where you can see bull fights, on selected Sundays, from May to November.  There is a reasonably priced 18 hole golf course, night time dog racing at the old horse racing facility, Caliente racetrack. and a respectable wax museum.  

Even though Tijuana is one of the most prosperous cities in México it is also suffering from severe growing pains.  Over population is the biggest problem as families from the poorer states pour into the area seeking jobs.  Providing the infrastructure for the new arrivals is a never ending task, not easily solved.

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Tlaquepaque is definitely the ultimate "Shoppers Paradise" in México.

Tlaquepaque is  one of those places that shoppers dream of.  This Guadalajara suburb is a "must" on any vacationers agenda.  I know people who have flown halfway around the world just to shop in Tlaquepaque.  The main shopping area has been closed off to traffic so that you can stroll and shop at a leisurely pace.  Specialty shops are everywhere you look.  Over three hundred quaint shops will make your shopping experience, in this traffic free environment, a real pleasure.

Plan on at least one full day (minimum) for your visit to Tlaquepaque.  If shopping is the main purpose of your trip you may even want to spend a night or two at one of the bed and breakfast inns that have recently appeared in Tlaquepaque.

Airport code for Guadalajara: GDL

For more information about Tlaquepaque, visit AllAboutGuadalajara.com.  Visit the "Tlaquepaque" page.