GUANAJUATO, Mexico — Nov. 8, 2023 — Summer may officially be in the rearview mirror, but travelers can experience summertime fun all year long thanks to the wide variety of vacation activities they’ll find in Mexico’s Guanajuato state. Visitors will enjoy warm weather from January to December and a culture that is accustomed to making the most of perpetual outdoor beauty. Whether it’s touring wine routes, embarking on outdoor adventures, and history tours, indulging in wellness experiences or even lolling around in an oasis, Guanajuato will deliver that summer fix no matter the time of the year.
Get your wine and beer on in Guanajuato
Nothing says summer like wine tasting among the rolling hills and lush vineyards of Guanajuato’s wine country. Each year, the state produces more than 1.2 million liters of wine, and its vintages have received more than 70 medals in competitions across Europe. Viticulture in Guanajuato dates all the way back to the 1520s, when the Spanish crown ordered that grapevine be planted across Mexico.
Today, more than 40 wineries have opened in the region, and visitors to Guanajuato can experience these, and much more, along the Guanajuato Ruta del Vino, or the Guanajuato Wine Route. As part of the wine experience, the Ruta del Vino includes other services that complement the wine experience, such as lodging, gastronomy and wellness. The wine route includes artisanal cheese and charcuterie shops, fine dining establishments, boutique hotels and lovely spas.
Beer lovers can find immersive experiences — literally — in Guanajuato, too. Casa Diamante Hotel Boutique, in the town of Mineral de Pozos, offers a beer bath experience in its spa. Beer yeast provides an infusion of vitamin B and proteins that aid in the regeneration of skin, cleaning and smoothing the pores. The experience is accompanied by a massage designed to help relax the muscles and reduce pain caused by stress.
From mine to museums, Guanajuato’s got history covered
For history lovers, a treasure trove of stories lies beneath the streets of Guanajuato, in the tunnels of its historic mines. The stunning architecture found across the region was built using the wealth generated from the silver mines during the 17th and 18th centuries, and today some of those mining tunnels are available for exploration.
La Valenciana is one such mines in Guanajuato that can be toured. Tours are led by former miners and students from the local university. These tours include a descent into the tunnels, as well as visits to a museum and the main city church.
History, art and culture converge in the many museums of Guanajuato, as well. Perhaps one of the most fascinating museums in the region the Museo de las Momias, or the Mummy Museum. Containing the mummified remains of former residents of the city cemetery, the museum features nearly 60 mummies on display.
Guanajuato also has many more traditional museums, including the Museo Regional de Guanajuato Alhóndiga de Granaditas, which houses a museum on the history, crafts and archaeology of the region; the Museo Iconográfico del Quijote, a restored 19th-century home containing 600 pieces of art inspired by the classic Cervantes novel “Don Quijote de la Mancha”; and the Museo y Casa de Diego Rivera, the childhood home of iconic Mexican artist, which has been turned into a museum in his honor.
What’s wonderful about Guanajuato is that even the historic city streets themselves serve as an outdoor museum of sorts. Visitors can, for example, spend hours getting lost in the narrow cobblestone alleys. Guanajuato offers numerous walking tours of the historic city center, highlighting everything from history and architecture to tacos, tequila and nightlife.
Take it outside — statewide
Of course, an afternoon at the “Oasis” is one of the most iconic summer pastimes. Believe it or not, despite being landlocked, Guanajuato offers a beach opportunity, in the charming city of San Miguel de Allende. Known as Manaia, this small, secret oasis lies less than two miles from town. Here, a man-made beach with hot spring-fed waters creates a serene, tranquil beach-like scene that’s perfect for soaking up eternal summer. It features a natural pool, a jacuzzi, a restaurant and a dedicated children’s area with games.
Adrenaline junkies, meanwhile, can get their action fix while keeping cool in Guanajuato with a white-water rafting adventure. Around the small village of La Carbonara in the Tarandacuao municipality are more than 20 rapids, as well as gorgeous waterfalls and tranquil swimming holes for taking dips in warm waters. Guanajuato is also an adventurer’s paradise for horseback riding, hot air ballooning, ATV trails and many more action-packed activities.
Year-round warm weather in Guanajuato means that outdoor celebrations are often part of the local experience. Visitors can, for instance, participate in a callejoneada, or wedding parade. The callejonada is a tradition where a whole town pours outside to celebrate with a newly married couple immediately following the ceremony. The sounds of mariachi music fill the streets, the tequila flows and the entire town comes out to help share the joy.
Guanajuato’s cooking up cuisine, couture
Patrons looking to burnish their Mexican cooking credentials will delight in taking a cooking class. Visitors will find that dozens of cooking schools across Guanajuato City and San Miguel de Allende open their doors to travelers who want to perfect their skill at whipping up fabulous Mexican recipes. And finally, the city of Leon is the perfect place to accessorize for summer, as it is the leather capital of Mexico. The city’s artisanal shops of sell everything from leather bags and belts to wallets, cowboy boots, sandals and more. For those in the market for world-class leather goods, Leon is one of the top places anywhere on the globe to fully outfit a wardrobe.
