Guanajuato - what to see in the prettiest city in Mexico, Guanajuato, Mexico

The first thing I noticed when I arrived on a cramped public bus into the centre of Guanajuato was how busy it was. The second thing I noticed was how colourful it was. I could tell immediately that this was a town to get lost in. On my first evening in town, I decided to do no deliberate sight-seeing. Instead I simply wandered, not looking at a map or my phone, just taking in the atmosphere of the city as the light faded into darkness. I was genuinely excited to see Guanajuato in daylight. Even though it’s not one of the Pueblos Magicos like the historic town of Tequila, I knew it would be a definite contender for the prettiest city in Mexico (in my opinion).

Guanajuato is a fairly small city, so you don’t need more than two days to see it at a nice relaxed pace. Here are some of the most beautiful locations not to miss.

Sometimes it seems like every place in the world has its own Romeo and Juliet story. Guanajuato is no exception. The ridiculously narrow Callejon del Beso (Alley of the Kiss) is less than two metres wide, but that doesn’t stop the crowds from wandering through it. As I walked down the short alley, I could see two balconies above my head, almost touching. The story goes that the daughter of a wealthy man lived on one side, and the poor man she fell in love with bought the house on the other so he could be with her. Naturally her overbearing father found out one night, and became so angry he stabbed his daughter to death (how very Shakespearean). Her lover tried to save her, but fell to his death on the third step below the balconies. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).