Guanajuato: the prettiest town in Mexico

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Three years ago, sitting in our Stoke Newington kitchen, I pinned a picture of Guanajuato on Pinterest. I didn't know much about Mexico then – I had this idea that it might feel kind of dangerous (it doesn't) – but I loved the look of this colourful town. I didn't know whether I'd ever go. I didn't know that a year later we'd be setting off to travel full time. But I kept it in the back of my mind.

So when we decided to go to Mexico, Guanajuato was top of my list. After a fun week in Mexico City with my sister (more on that soon), we headed north and stayed for a week.

Expectations can really ruin your experience of a place, but Guanajuato was just as pretty as I'd imagined. It almost feels European. With its twisty lanes, colourful houses and steep hills, at times it felt like we were in Lisbon.

We didn't see any of the 'sights', I don't even know what they are. Instead, we wandered around the city's plazas, ate gorditas and hiked up to that Pinterest-worthy viewpoint.

A view of the city

Struggling with the wind at the mirador

A cafe on a bridge Lots of flowers

The theatre

The cathedral

One of the city's pretty plazas

Another plaza lined with cafes

Colourful buildings A historic building

Dining al fresco

Where to eat

One thing we did do, is eat a lot (as usual). Guanajuato isn't particularly known for its food, but we found plenty of good spots.

  • La Vie en Rose: A French bakery good for pastries and snacks.
  • Centro Bharati: An Indian–Mexican fusion restaurant that's great for vegetarians.
  • Our absolute favourite place to eat was the gordita stand around the corner from Centro Bharati on De La Cabecita. This was our first time trying gorditas, or even hearing about them, they're little tortilla pockets with your choice of filling, my favourites were mushrooms and potatoes with cheese. There's always a queue, but it's worth the wait.

Gorditas

  • Pacifico Surf: A lively evening spot for fish tacos.
  • Delica Mitsu: After 3 months without Asian food, this place was such a treat. My noodle bowl with ginger chicken and sesame dressing was delicious. And there's a Japanese chef so it's all pretty legit.

Japanese noodle bowls

  • El Tapatio: A traditional Mexican restaurant with a great M$65 set lunch.

Where to stay: We stayed at this airbnb, a cute studio overlooking a little plaza. Great value for the location.

Next stop: San Miguel de Allende!

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