Zacatecas Things to Do

Museo Rafael Coronel
The largest collection of masks I have ever seen. Be prepared. You begin slowly admiring the different exhibits, by the time youy finish you are walking through rooms in a daze. I was not prepared for the quantity and quality. Chief among the things I found interesting were the masks associated with the Dance of the Christians and the Moors.

Días de servicio: De jueves a martes. (Cierra los miércoles)
Horario: De 10:00 a 16:30 hrs.
Entrada General: $20.00

'Toma' means the taking or capture and in this case has to do with the epic 11-day battle in which the forces of Francisco Villa - decisively defeated federal forces - 12000 strong - of General Victoriano Huerta. The battle also brought about an open break between Villa and Venustiano Carranza, the other main warlord in the North fighting against Huerta's forces.

A brief synopsis of the Mexican Revolution to this point. The 34 years of the Porfiriato, the long reign of Porfirio Diaz culminated in the beginning of the Revolution, when Diaz went back on his word to not run for re-election. Francisco Madero began the rebellion, in late 1910, toppling the old dictator from power. Madero was a bit of a dreamer and trusted in people too much, not realizing that, while the Dictator was gone, most of the supporting cast was not. One of the army generals, Victoriano Huerta, arranged for the brutal murder of both Madero and his brother, and the Revolution was on in earnest. Strong forces gathered in the North and swept in the form of the Division del Norte, south from Ciudad Juarez through Chihuahua. Meanwhile, Morelos State erupted in the rebellion that evolved into Zapatismo, named after their leader, Emiliano Zapata. Here, at Zacatecas, Huerta was beaten and the road to Mexcio City was open. It was to be but the intermezzo for the Revolution, however, which would go on and on.

The museum atop the Cerro de la Bufa commemorates the epic battle and the revolutionary Division del Norte - 12-23 June 1914. Felip Angeles wrote at the battle's end, 'And finally, at the serene descent of evening, in the full certainty of victory that comes smiling and tender to caress the forehead of Francisco Villa, brave and glorious soldier of the people.' Villa's victories were like that of a meteor, however. His flame would go out following the battles of the Baijio in the following year. Facing the museum are grand equestrian statues of Villa and his lieutenants, Angeles and Panfilo Natera. Villa raises a rifle over his head defiantly.

Located just a block from the cathedral, Museo Pedro Coronel is a peaceful, pleasant stop on your tour of Zacatecas. Entrance is a total steal at 20 pesos ($2 USD/CAD), and your ticket gives you access to an eclectic collection of art, focusing on contemporary works but veering into everything from Yoruba masks to golden statues of Buddha. Amongst the contemporary artists on display are Picasso, Chagall, Dali and Miro, as well as the museum's namesake's own collection- works by Pedro Coronel Rivera himself. Collections are heavy on sketches and small paintings, don't expect too many sculptures or large works. I found the contemporary works most interesting, but it was also fun to take a wander through some of the other galleries.

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Basilica Fatima's pink spires tower above Zacatecas, and it's worth the short walk to see the beautiful pink church up close. Although the chuch is only a few decades old, the colors are magnificent and the stained glass windows are beautiful. It's a great place to take photos, so don't forget your camera!

Casa de la Moneda used to be Zacatecas' mint (the place where they make the money). Today, it is mainly administrative offices (and it was under construction when I visited), but the entrance staircase does feature a large mural by Antonio Pinto Rodríguez showing the history of money in Mexico. As it's free, you may just want to pop your head in as you're passing by.

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Zacatecas is already a million metres above sea level (okay, maybe only a hundred thousand...) , so what better way to spend a few hours than going even higher? Rising above the city to the east is Cerro de la Bufa, a hill that can be accessed by hike (it ain't no lovely stoll), vehicle or cable car (called the teleferico). On top you'll find the cute Capilla del Patronicinio, a little church, as well as statues honoring Pancho Villa, food and souvenir stalls, and "Northern Mexico's longest zipline" (which looked pretty unsafe to me, judging by the beer cans strewn all around). The views of the city from up here are fantastic, and there are cheap telescopes that you can use to zoom in on life below.

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Mina el Eden is located inside Cerro del Grillo, just to the west of Zacateca's city center. The easiest (and nicest) way to get there is to follow along the Alameda, then walk up the stairs of the hospital and around the building to the left. There, at the end of Calle de la Loma, you'll find the main entrance. Here, buy a ticket, take a hairnet, select a hardhat and take the adorable miniature train straight into the mine. You don't go too deep vertically in the mine, but you do go quite far inside from the entrance. Once inside, you'll have a few minutes to look at a geological museum and several gift shops (talk about a claustrophobic place to work!) before beginning a group tour of the interior of the mine. Tours are led only in Spanish, but someone with even the most basic command will be able to understand information about the age of the mine, the types of minerals found therein, the people who worked in the mine and some of the superstitions that still live on today (for example, touching the quartz running through the wall is said to bring good luck). Once you've finished the tour, you are actually left to explore the public areas of the mine at your own leisure, and can wander at your own pace. It's an enjoyable tour for people of all ages, though I noticed that they don't have any hard hats that fit children, resulting in kids losing their hats every couple of minutes. Entrance to the mine, including a trip on the train, costs about 60 pesos ($6 CAD/USD). It's well worth the money!

Don't forget to check out the disco located inside the mine, which is currently open from Thursday to Saturday. You need to take the train into the mine to reach the disco, and reservations are recommended.

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For the first two days that I spent in Zacatecas, the cable car was not running due to high winds. On my third and final day I woke up early and headed to the cable car immediately, knowing it was my last chance to take in the view that would surely be spectacular. I was not disappointed! I walked up to the lower entrance on Cerro del Grillo (which is conveniently close to the exit of Mina El Eden), paid my 25 pesos ($2.50 CAD/USD) for a one-way ticket, and got on the first cable car that was leaving. The views from the cable car truly are spectacular. You feel as though you are floating over the city (okay, because you kind of are), and you can see each and every little detail on the ground that is not that far below you. Although I got up to the top on the first cable car, the wait to get back was more than an hour. Entertainers keep kids in line from getting too bored by doing magic tricks and handing out balloons (tip them, please, if they do something special for your child!), but if you don't like waiting it might be worth your time to walk down (steep but not too far).