Pueblos Mágicos ("magic towns" in Spanish) is a program developed in Mexico to celebrate their culture in places across the country.
The main factors for a city, or town, to be considered a Pueblo Mágico are the preservation of its architecture, and its customs. There are 121 Pueblos Mágicos in Mexico, and they all take you back to a different time when you walk through its streets.
Today, we want to recommend a few of them that we believe you will want to stay longer. Here are 9 pueblos magicos you need to visit.
Pueblos Mágicos #1: Guanajuato
Guanajuato is a place that´s very hard to forget. From its stunning views to the fact that it has only 4 streets and 3,600 alleys, Guanajuato is a pretty unique one among Pueblos Magicos.
If we had to pick one thing from this place that we believe is the dealbreaker for you to visit, it would definitely be the Callejoneada. Even though we usually recommend discovering cities on your own, this tour is something so unique that we can´t avoid recommending it.
Every alley in Guanajuato has a story to tell, and the tour guides are ready to tell them all to you. You will walk at night, through the alleys, singing songs and drinking. There are games involved, jokes, and a lot of fun. You will learn about the place and have a great time.
Guanajuato is one of the most colorful cities in Mexico.
Of course, we wouldn´t want to leave you craving for more info, so we wrote a full article about it. You can access it by clicking here
Pueblos Mágicos #2: Taxco Guerrero
Taxco was, out of all Pueblos Magicos we visited, the one that surprised us the most (for good!), Built on a mountain, it offers a very unique architecture style, Their people are very friendly, the morning views are breathtaking, and it has several waterfalls around it, like Mil Cascadas or Cascada Cacalotenango.
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Another thing that we loved about Taxco is that you can hop on a cable car that takes you around, and offers a full picture of this Pueblo Mágico.
Taxco Guerrero is a pueblo mágico that will make you feel like you've traveled back in time.
You can find all the reasons why you should visit Taxco by clicking here.
Pueblos Mágicos #3: Atlixco
We weren´t sure what to expect from Atlixco, but it certainly didn´t disappoint. It has all it needs to be part of the Pueblos Mágicos program. colorful streets, well-preserved architecture, and a couple of bonuses.
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Don't miss out on the huge set of stairs painted with all the colors of the rainbow, and the image of local folklore. Not only that, but climb to the top of the hill in town and you'll find a swing waiting for you on top!
If you´re creating your own Pueblos Mágicos route, we certainly recommend you to make a stop in here.
Pueblos Mágicos #4: Cholula
Believe it or not, this place does not have an incredible story that we can relate to the famous hot sauce. "Cholula" hot sauce happens to have the name of this place, but nothing more than that! Sorry to disappoint you.
Nevertheless, Cholula is part of the Pueblos Magicos program, and it´s partially thanks to the Tepanapa pyramid. This place looks more like a hill than a pyramid, but what you´ll see inside is fascinating. It´s full of staircases on the top, and tunnels underneath it.
If you visit Cholula in October you can experience the cempesuchil fields.
The actual entrance to the whole place is through a tunnel, and at the very top, you can find an iconic church named Santuario de Nuestra Señora de Los Remedios.
Cholula is also a place where you will find fields of cempasuchil, a yellow flower that´s used all over the country to decorate for Día de Muertos. This not only represents a big tradition for Mexican, but a good business to have. Everybody wants to buy them!
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Pueblos Mágicos #5: Zacatlan
Zacatlán de las manzanas is a true Mexican hidden gem. It may not be the most popular among Pueblos Mágicos, but it definitely has a lot to offer.
Some of the things this town has include a couple of waterfalls, a glass bridge that gives you breathtaking views of the place, a 300-years-old house that will take you with their arms open, and a hand-made mural that will remind you of Gaudi's art style across Barcelona.
Zacatlán is a town like no other in Mexico.
Another thing we strongly recommend when you visit is to go to the Olvera clock factory. It may not sound like something usual, but you will see how locals built monumental clocks 100 years ago.
You will walk through literally what their workstation was before they even had electricity to power their machines and drills.
To read about all you can do in Zacatlán, click here.
Pueblos Mágicos #6: Valladolid
Mexico is world known for its cenotes. And there's a reason behind it. They have over 6,000 spread across the country! Well, Valladolid happens to have a cenote literally in the middle of it. This means you're within walking distance from one of the most magical creations of nature!
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We were surprised about how many things Valladolid has around it. From cenotes to beach towns, even Chichén Itza can be easily accessed through Valladolid.
Valladolid has a cenote right in the center of town.
And we even found a true castle from centuries ago that has become a luxurious hotel. Check out how to book a place, and visit all the best spots in Valladolid by clicking here.
Are you ready for the best things to do in Valladolid, Yucatan? Although it isn't as typically popular as the nearby beach cities, there are so many reasons to visit Valladolid!This Mexican town is considered a "Pueblo Mágico". This means that it has been preserved through time with its architecture and
Pueblos Mágicos #7: Izamal
The "Yellow city" has its name for a very obvious reason. The foundation of why the whole place is yellow is still a little unclear. A theory says that they decided to paint the whole place yellow for the Pope´s visit in 1993. Some locals, though, say that Izamal was already yellow by then.
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Another theory suggests that locals painted it to honor the Aztec god of corn, after the Spaniards destroyed a pyramid here, and used the same blocks to build the main convent.
Whatever the real reason was, it definitely helped Izamal become one of the first Pueblos Mágicos in 2002.
Izamal is painted from top to bottom in yellow.
Pueblos Mágicos #8: Teotihuacan
We found Teotihuacan to be not just a great place to see the Mexican culture, but a very convenient spot when you´re traveling around.
Only an hour and a half away from Mexico City, it is home to a great archeological area, an iconic restaurant INSIDE A CAVE, and something else that will give you a new point of view on how you see pyramids, literally.
What do we mean by this? you can hop on a hot air balloon and fly over pyramids that are almost 2000 years old! Would you dare to take a ride?
Want to know more about Teotihuacan? Click below for our full article:
Pueblos Mágicos #9: Patzcuaro
We don't know about you, but we're big fans of Disney's movie 'Coco'. The story takes place in Mexico and teaches about their culture and relationship with death.
Patzcuaro is one of the best spots to celebrate Día de los Muertos.
Well, even though it's an animated movie, they got the inspiration from Pueblo Mágico Pátzcuaro! This town is not only incredibly well preserved, but it also has a unique charm for Día de Muertos.
Seasonal flowers decorate the whole place, their people paint their faces, and they celebrate like nowhere else. Throughout the rest of the year, it's also super pretty, and it is also the connection to the island of Janitzio.
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Mexico is not only one of the most beautiful places we´ve visited, but it also offers a huge variety of landscapes, experiences, and cultures.
A whole article couldn´t summarize all the things you can do and see in here, so we created a full category for it. Click here to learn more about the home country for tacos, and see what places can you visit next!
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