Guanajuato

Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site thanks to its many old colonial buildings, winding lanes, and narrow alleys, Guanajuato is a city that just begs to be explored on foot. A particularly pleasurable experience is visiting its many plazas, including the delightful Jardin de la Union, the city's main square with its splendid old architecture. It's here, you'll find the beautiful old San Diego Church and the majestic Juárez Theater, along with fountains and flower beds, cafés, and restaurants. Afterwards, head underground to the city's subterranean streets, part of a network of tunnels that once carried a river but are now used by cars and pedestrians wanting to get around the city quickly. Known as an art city, Guanajuato is home to many fine galleries as well as interesting museums, none more so than the Museum of Quixote, dedicated to the works of Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes (the city also hosts Latin America's most important festival in honor of the writer, the International Cervantino Festival). And if you've got the stomach for it, check out the city's famous Mummies of Guanajuato exhibit with its many naturally mummified remains of locals who died during an outbreak of cholera in the mid-19th century.