With Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, and Los Cabos getting an outsized majority of foreign visitors to Mexico, it’s no wonder that most tourists only think of sand and palm trees when they think of a vacation south of the border. That’s a shame considering how much history there is in Mexico, however, with whole cities that are older than Jamestown or Plymouth Rock—and that’s not even counting the ones that were there before the Spanish colonial cities in Mexico even existed.
While many travelers visit the interior of Mexico eventually, for many it’s not until their third or fourth trip. Meanwhile they’ve headed straight for Florence, Barcelona, and Granada in the meantime to get a dose of the old world.
We’re not knocking the beaches of Mexico: I’m writing this post while looking out at the Pacific right now, but there’s a lot more to explore in the interior when it comes to culture, food, entertainment, and handicrafts. Here are are few of our favorite Mexican colonial cities to explore.
Mexico City
When most people think of a Spanish colonial cities in Mexico, one of the largest cities in the world normally doesn’t come to mind. Since this is where it all started though, all the colonial cities trace their roots back to here.
The grand cathedral that anchors the Zocalo main square was built on top of an Aztec temple, using dismantled stones, so the history is ugly and violent. It’s a grand sight though, along with the government buildings around it. Branching out from there are buildings that followed, with more churches, homes and administrative structures.
Mexico got hit with earthquakes over the years though and it’s all built on drained marshy land, so many of the oldest buildings crumbled and were replaced. So you’ll see ones from Spanish times mixed with French ones, Art Deco ones, and more as you move toward Chapultapec Park.
We’ve reviewed plenty of luxury Mexico City hotels here on Luxury Latin America but if you’re a member of the Fiesta Rewards program, you’ve got a lot of choices in this city. A new luxury one is coming to the historic district next year: Live Aqua Mexico City at Downtown. Read about it here.
Puebla
Not far from Mexico City is Puebla, which actually has the largest colonial center by area of any city in Mexico. Pack plenty of water for the long walks if you want to explore it all. The cathedral there is gorgeous by day or night; that’s it pictured at the top.
This is Mexico’s main pottery center, the home of Talavera colorful dishes and tiles. Many of the historic buildings have tile on the front that dates back hundreds of years.
Nearby is Cholula. It’s Mexico’s largest pyramid, though it really looks like a big mountain as it’s covered with dirt. There’s a pretty church on top from the Spanish days. Read more about Puebla here.
Oaxaca
The city of Oaxaca enjoys a special place in the heart of many fans of Mexico. It’s the home of mezcal, is in many ways the best culinary city outside of the capital, and many of the best handicrafts from the country come from villages in Oaxaca state.
This is one of the most important cities for Day of the Dead celebrations and a new generation of foreigners has heard about Oaxaca because it was one of the main inspirations for the Pixar movie Coco.
You could study Spanish here or take a cooking class while eating and drinking your way around the city, but leave time to explore the nearby villages and Monte Alban to really get the full picture. You can establish a base right in the historic center at a small boutique hotel or go for a more modern Mexican experience at Grand Fiesta Americana Oaxaca.
San Miguel de Allende
San Miguel de Allende has long been a crowd-pleaser, but its popularity has grown far beyond the community of artists and foreign retirees that put the place on the map. It now constantly shows up in glossy travel magazines as “the best small city in the world” or even “the best city in the world” period.
It certainly is one of the most photogenic cities in the world, on par with the best in Italy and Spain. Then there is beauty all around you as you walk around, with impressive art galleries and shops filled with beautiful items to take home. There’s no shortage of rooftop bars and interesting restaurants to explore, plus there are some excellent wineries near San Miguel that are worth the trip.
This colonial city in Mexico also has some of the highest-rated hotels in the country, many of them showing up on those same magazine best-of lists on a regular basis. One of our favorite luxury properties is Live Aqua San Miguel. Follow that link to make a booking or see our full review here and then follow the link at the end.
Queretaro
This attractive city is just down the road from San Miguel but it doesn’t get nearly the attention, even though it’s bigger and has a large Spanish colonial history center. This is actually one of the wealthiest cities in the country too, thanks to a lot of industry on the outskirts.
Queretaro isn’t loaded with must-see attractions or sites, though there are some interesting art museums and a quirky historic one showing off a century and a half of calendars through the ages. Prices here are a terrific bargain for hotels and meals plus it’s only 2.5 hours or so from the capital city. It’s own airport, TAR, is based here.
One interesting way to visit this city and get the full experience would be to spend a few nights in the historic center or nearby, then head out to the wine country route to do some sipping. A good base in the countryside would be Fiesta Americana Hacienda Galindo Resort and Spa.
Merida
While most of Mexico’s Spanish colonial cities are far from the coast, you can actually get to the beach in an hour from Merida, the capital of the Yucatan Peninsula. It’s also only a few hours from the Cancun airport and is now connected to there by train, so it’s an easy destination to get to.
Merida actually has the oldest cathedral on the mainland of the Americas, completed in 1598. You can contrast that with Mayan ruins you can get to from here on a day trip such as Uxmal, Chichen Itza, and Ek Balaam. Spend some time sampling all the Yucatecan cuisine that’s unique to this part of Mexico, especially if you’re a carnivore. Salbutes, cochinita pibil, and sopa de lima are just the start.
You probably won’t spend all that much time at your hotel since you’ll be out exploring ruins, cenotes, and historic sites, but you’ll find plenty of good ones to enjoy in the evenings in the historic center and near the Paseo de Montejo. The award for the grandest lobby goes to Fiesta Americana Merida, strolling distance to many of Merida’s best restaurants.
Morelia
Filled with solid and stately buildings that look like they’ll last another 500 years, the historical center of Morelia is an attractive place to visit that’s almost completely off the radar of foreign visitors. Some of them pass through on their way to the monarch butterfly sanctuaries in the countryside or Patzcuaro with its craft villages and low-slung, red-roofed historic area, but Morelia doesn’t get a lot of vacationers hanging around longer.
This is a great city for strolling, however, with beautiful plazas where you can watch local life going on. Any tour buses you see are going to be full of locals, not people who have flown in by the planeload. You’ll find great rates on hotels and restaurants and be sure to get some churros and chocolate.
When you’re ready to explore, the craft villages and the butterflies will be waiting. See more about Morelia here.
How about you? What are your favorite colonial cities in Mexico?
