After finishing my trip to Guadalajara, I moved on to Guanajuato, a much smaller city with a more charming and compact atmosphere. The city is famous for its colorful buildings covering the surrounding hills, and in this post, I’ll share my experience exploring Guanajuato Centro, including Jardín de la Unión, the Pípila viewpoint, and the hostel where I stayed.
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Guanajuato
Arriving in Guanajuato Centro
When you arrive at the Guanajuato bus terminal, you can catch a local bus into the city right outside. The bus I took was incredibly old, and the seats looked almost as if someone had taken benches from a park and bolted them directly onto the floor. It was definitely memorable.
On the way into the city, I started seeing houses and buildings climbing up the hillsides. This seemed to be exactly what people meant when they described Guanajuato as a city of hills. The colorful buildings were especially striking and gave the landscape a distinctly Mexican character.
If you stay on the bus until a stop where lots of people get off, you will usually end up somewhere around central Guanajuato. Many passengers get off near Hidalgo Market, but wherever you leave the bus, you will eventually need to walk. Major attractions such as the Basilica of Our Lady of Guanajuato and Jardín de la Unión are difficult to reach directly by bus.
Find more information on the Official Guanajuato City Website.
Basilica of Our Lady of Guanajuato
The Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Guanajuato is one of the city’s best-known landmarks. Its combination of Baroque and Neocolonial architecture, together with its bright yellow exterior, gives it a particularly striking appearance. Inside, the gilded altar makes it feel even more elaborate.
When I visited, a wedding was taking place inside. It was an interesting opportunity to see Catholic culture, which is deeply rooted in everyday Mexican life, from close by. I had previously seen a funeral while traveling in Guadalajara, so the contrast between the two experiences felt strangely memorable.
Walking Through the Colorful Streets of Guanajuato
The streets of Guanajuato are both colorful and surprisingly charming. In European cities, you often see beautiful flowerpots hanging from windows. In Mexico, cacti sometimes seem to take their place.
Guanajuato was once an extremely prosperous silver-mining city. During the 18th century, the region became one of the world’s major centers of silver production. Traces of that mining history can still be found throughout the city, particularly in its tunnels, bridges, and unusual multi-level urban structure.
Many buildings from the Spanish colonial period have also been well preserved, which can occasionally make the city feel almost European. Different architectural styles and decorative details appear throughout the streets, while the churches combine the bright colors and ornate character associated with colonial-era architecture.
Jardín de la Unión
Jardín de la Unión feels like the natural starting point for exploring Guanajuato. Located right in the center of the city, it is easy to reach from almost anywhere in Centro, and mariachi music frequently fills the area, giving it a lively atmosphere throughout the day.
Although officially called a jardín, or garden, it feels more like a central plaza. One of its most distinctive features is the carefully trimmed geometric trees, something you can occasionally see in plazas elsewhere in Mexico as well.
The garden is almost always crowded with both tourists and locals. If you want to experience the energy of Guanajuato, there are few better places to start than Jardín de la Unión.
The narrow streets surrounding the garden are packed with souvenir shops, restaurants, and small businesses, so simply wandering around is enjoyable. The downside is that prices tend to be slightly higher because of the central location.
Walk just a few blocks away from Jardín de la Unión, however, and you can find plenty of cheaper restaurants and cafés. Personally, I would enjoy the atmosphere here and look elsewhere for food.
Pípila Monument and Guanajuato Viewpoint
Monumento al Pípila
Guanajuato is particularly famous for its night views. The viewpoint around Monumento al Pípila is one of the most popular places in the city because it offers a panoramic view across Guanajuato Centro.
The name Pípila sounds slightly cute and unusual, but it was actually the nickname of Juan José Martínez, a hero of the Mexican War of Independence. The Spanish word pípila refers to a female turkey, and according to one story, the nickname came from the freckles on his face, which were said to resemble the markings on a turkey egg.
Pípila was a miner from San Miguel de Allende who became famous for his role in the 1810 Battle of the Alhóndiga de Granaditas in Guanajuato.
During the battle, Spanish forces had fortified themselves inside a large grain-storage building. Pípila is traditionally credited with setting fire to its wooden door, helping the insurgent forces break through and contributing to their victory.
The huge monument standing on the hill above Guanajuato was built to commemorate his role in the independence movement. The statue depicts Pípila raising a torch high in his right hand, and it is considerably larger and more impressive in person than I had expected.
Sunset and Night View From the Pípila Viewpoint
A large stone plaza stretches out in front of the monument, and the view of Guanajuato from here is one of the experiences I would consider essential when visiting the city.
Sunset is probably the best time to come. You can watch the sky gradually change color while lights begin appearing one by one across the town below.
Among all the buildings visible from the viewpoint, the Basilica of Our Lady of Guanajuato stands out the most. Its yellow exterior already makes it easy to spot during the day, but after dark, the illuminated towers seem to glow almost gold.
Behind the basilica, the buildings of the University of Guanajuato are also beautifully lit at night.
Visiting the Pípila Viewpoint During the Day
The Pípila viewpoint is worth visiting during the daytime as well. During the day, you can better appreciate the colors of Guanajuato’s buildings and clearly see how the houses blend into the hills surrounding the city.
Walking up to the viewpoint involves quite a few stairs, so you may be slightly out of breath by the time you arrive, but I would not consider the climb particularly difficult.
If you would rather avoid the stairs, you can also take the Guanajuato Funicular up the hill. It connects the historic center behind Teatro Juárez with the area next to the Pípila Monument, and the ride takes around five minutes. Lines can become longer around sunset and during busy periods.
Guanajuato Funicular
- Operating Hours
- Monday–Friday: 08:00–21:50
- Saturday: 09:00–21:50
- Sunday: 10:00–20:50
- Fares
- One way: 40 MXN
- Round trip: 80 MXN
These are the current visitor fares as of September 2026. Local residents with valid identification are eligible for discounted fares. Hours and prices can change, so it is worth checking the latest information before your visit.
Where to Stay in Guanajuato: Hostal Casa de Dante
I stayed at Hostal Casa de Dante for four nights and five days. The hostel is located on a hill slightly outside the very center of Guanajuato.
It takes around 20 minutes to walk there from Jardín de la Unión, so the distance itself is manageable. However, I did feel slightly uncomfortable walking back alone late at night. Another downside is the number of stairs you need to climb to reach the hostel.
Despite those drawbacks, I found that the advantages outweighed them. All the beds in the dormitory were on the lower level rather than stacked bunk beds, which made the room much more comfortable, and the hostel was consistently kept clean.
The highlight, however, was definitely the breakfast included with the stay.
A local lady prepared a different traditional Mexican home-style breakfast each morning. Her cooking was incredible, and some of those breakfasts were among the best meals I had during my entire trip through Mexico.
Being located high on the hill means climbing plenty of stairs, but it also gives the hostel an excellent open view over the surrounding city. There is a convenience store nearby, which is useful, and all of the staff I met were friendly.
Prices were also relatively inexpensive, so if you are looking for affordable accommodation in Guanajuato and do not mind walking uphill, Hostal Casa de Dante is worth considering.
Final Thoughts
That was my experience exploring Guanajuato Centro, from its colorful hillside neighborhoods and elaborate colonial architecture to Jardín de la Unión, the Basilica of Our Lady of Guanajuato, and the Pípila viewpoint overlooking the entire city.
Guanajuato may be much smaller than Guadalajara, but its steep streets, colorful houses, historic architecture, and unusual urban landscape give it a character all its own. If you are planning a trip to Guanajuato, I hope this guide gives you a useful idea of what to see and where to stay.
HDND travel
Journeys, Kept Fresh
