Guanajuato the land of frogs

When theme parks, beaches, scuba diving, and whale watching have lost their charm after multiple vacations to Mexico, perhaps a visit to The Land of Frogs in Central Mexico is in order.

The City of Guanajuato, which is called The Crown Jewel of Mexico’s colonial cities, was named The Land of Frogs by a group of indigenous people. By some accounts, the indigenous took one look at the terrain and said, “Nothing but frogs could live here!” Some say the indigenous found thousands of frogs in the mountainous terrain. Other accounts say it was the shape of the mountains that reminded the indigenous of frogs. Whichever account is true, Guanajuato is a place to get to know.

Guanajuato earned its place in world geography when the Spanish found the surrounding mountains rich in silver deposits. In fact, at one time more than one-third of the world’s silver riches were mined in Guanajuato. Though none of the usual summer vacation activities exist in Guanajuato, this city exudes history with every unsteady step you take through its cobblestone streets.

The state of Guanajuato is the Cradle of Mexican Independence. It was here Mexico began its quest to become Mexican. Guanajuato is the perfect spot to see where and learn how Mexico began to fight for its hard-earned independence from Spain. Although small, the city of Guanajuato has outstanding colonial architecture built with the silver revenue from times past. With modern museums, cultural events almost year-round, one of world’s oldest universities, and an almost perfect year-round temperate climate in which to enjoy this country’s Crown Jewel, Guanajuato can be the perfect alternative to the usual vacation fare.

Many first-time visitors we’ve interviewed have expressed amazement to find that Guanajuato defies their stereotypical expectation of Mexico. Many who have traveled extensively throughout Europe have told us Guanajuato could be a town from Spain or Northern Italy that was somehow magically transplanted to this side of the planet.

Depending on whom you ask, The City of Guanajuato has a population of between 100,000-120,000 people. It is nestled in a ravine with the city literally built up the sides of the bowl-like surrounding mountains. If nothing else, a trip to Guanajuato would be worth the time and expense just to marvel at how the Mexicans figured out how to build this city. To call it a marvel is a gross understatement.

Another marvel to behold is Guanajuato’s system of underground tunnels. Originally, the Guanajuato River flowed through the center of town. Numerous devastating floods occurred over the centuries, and engineers decided to divert the river away from the middle of town in the early 1900ґs. After diverting the river, the riverbed was turned into a maze of underground streets--this time to divert traffic.

How To Get Here

More American tourists we meet are driving to Guanajuato. This is not as difficult as one might imagine. Go to Google. com and type “driving to Mexico”. You will find numerous articles on the logistics of driving here. The only problem you will encounter when arriving in Guanajuato is parking. Although city officials are working to solve this problem by building more parking facilities, it is a nightmare. Parking is at a premium and you will rarely find adequate and safe parking near your hotels.

The best way to arrive in Guanajuato is to fly to Leon, Guanajuato. From there, you can take a cab for about $25.00-$30.00 to Guanajuato. It is about a 45-minute ride.

A way to combat the difficulty of your Leon cabbie knowing where your lodging is located, especially if you have arranged a private apartment for your vacation stay, is to have the Leon cabdriver take you to the Guanajuato’s Holiday Inn or to the bus station. From there, it is a simple matter of switching to a Guanajuato cabdriver who will know where everything is in Guanajuato’s confusing maze of streets.

Lodging

Guanajuato has a large influx of wealthy travelers to whom the hotel industry caters lavishly. You can find accommodations to boggle the mind and pocketbook.