 | Guanajuato Off the Beaten Path | Tips 1 - 5 of 5 |  |
Popular Off the Beaten Path | Other Off the Beaten Path Tips | All Tips (5) IF you do check out the Institute Falcon, don't forget to go next door to JR's mini-mart! The guy who owns it is seen in this pic, and is name is JR (say it in Spanish, though)...he's always cheerful, remembers your face (or at least pretends he does!!!), and will teach you spanish whenever you want!!! Now thats a deal!! Leave a Comment
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This is the school that my girlfriend and I spent 5 weeks at studying Spanish. At first I was a little nervous because mySpanish was so bad I couldn't understand my host family (best host family ever!!!), and the other students had been there longer and were interacting in Spanish alot better...however, within a week, I was morphing into someone who could understand the conversations, and after 5 weeks, I could carry one on myself! It was an amazing school, and was worth it just to see the architecture (renovated), and the cooking classes, conversation evening classes and salsa lessons were a favorite among tourists from all over the world... Leave a Comment
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A few km out of the city center, you find the Ex-Hacienda of San Gabriel de Barrera. It is a former place for refining silver ores. Now it is a museum with an outstanding XVII Century art and furniture collection. Although famous for the wonderful gardens, the museum's jewel is the gilded open chapel. More info comes later.
Visit for more info and pictures my Hacienda travelogue please…
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Ever since the early years of the Spanish colonization, Guanajuato has been an area of silver mines. A valuable choice for a couple of hours getaway from the city is visiting one of the few mines, some dismissed other still in operation (though largely worked out), opened to tourists.
Of the four or five mines in the area, the top two worth mentioning are the Valenciana Mine (Mina de Valenciana) and the Rayas Mine (Mina Rayas), either one still in operation. The former has been for centuries the most profitable mine in the New World, providing at a certain time up to two third of all silver mined in Guanajuato, the latter is the oldest mine in the area, dating operation back to XVI century. I visited instead the dismissed El Nopal Mine (Mina El Nopal), a kind of "educational mine" which also provides guided tours. The visit takes no longer than half an hour, is limited to the first tranche of the mine, but I assure you that that is enough to realize how harsh working conditions for mine workers must have been in the centuries and likely still are.
All mines are out of town and you will need transportation to get there. You may hire a taxi and ask the driver to wait for your visit.
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Just a walk is what will provide you with a greatest satisfaction and personal retreat. This is how you will truly meet the city, all of its secrets. Leave a Comment
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