Taxco, Guerrero

See our Travel Guide at the end of this page for recommendations on visiting Taxco.

I’m the opposite of a shopaholic. In fact the prospect of a day of shopping makes me uncomfortable as hell. But I’m glad that I overcame my shopping prejudice long enough to revisit this famous silver-selling town. Taxco is one of the prettiest and most unique towns in Mexico. It looks Mediterranean: an inland sea of whitewashed buildings staggering uphill, topped with mossy red tile roofs and drenched in purple and pink and red bougainvillea. If a picture is worth 1,000 words, I captured enough in an overnight stay to write the book on Taxco.

In addition to its physical beauty, Taxco is the perfect aerobic vacation destination. It reminded me of Guanajuato on steroids, but with all of the buildings painted white. Most of its streets are very steep. My travel companion and I often walked bent at the waist, head tilted toward our destination, legs driving piston-like up the decorataive flagstone streets. To complement its earthy-Mediterranean-style glamour, Taxco’s downtown streets are mosaics of flat black and white stones---as opposed to the ankle-breaking streets of rounded cobblestones in downtown Puerto Vallarta and San Miguel de Allende.

Taking my SUV into Taxco on our recent trip felt like driving into Disneyland. Doors open right onto narrow streets crowded with shoppers, vendors, and dogs. Proceeding uphill around lots of sharp turns, I was frantic to ditch the car as soon as possible. The tourism department seems to encourage this: The city map provided at their kiosk lists not area hotels or restaurants, but the location of parking garages throughout town.

If you’re not into an aerobic vacation, combis (van-buses) negotiate the serpentine streets. We took one up to Cerro de Atachi (“Atachi Hill”) and the giant Jesus statue overlooking town. But even after exiting at the closest bus stop, we still had a heart-pumping climb to the mirador.

Another way to get a bird’s-eye view of this beautiful colonial city is by teleférico. The aerial tram departs from the bottom of the gorge, near the main tourist office on Avenida de los Plateros. You can ride the tram back to the station or walk down the hill, enjoying the views and getting to know some of the residential neighborhoods.

But for most people, Taxco is about shopping for silver. Wholesale and resale shops crowd the compact town. This tradition of silver smithing began in the 1930s, when American architect William Spratling nearly single-handedly launched the town’s passionate production of the art form. The Mexicophile combined traditional and art deco designs in his Las Delicias workshop; soon his acoyles were setting up their own shops. Learn about Spratling’s life and work at the namesake museum.

Spratling revived Taxco’s interest in silver, but the town had a history of mining that predated the Spanish conquest. The indigenous population paid yearly tribute in precious metals to their Aztec overlords. Hungry for gold especially, Cortés and cronies quickly established one of their very first New World mines near today’s Taxco. Several centuries later, French-born mining tycoon José de la Borda upped the ante substantially, extracting huge caches of silver (along with other precious metals). He made several fortunes through his Mexico mining ventures and gave away most of his money. A good portion of his wealth went to finance Taxco’s magnificent parish church, el Templo de Santa Prisca, an over-the-top expression of neo-Hispanic style.

In addition to its main altar, Santa Prisca’s dozen side altarpieces represent a dizzying excess of religious artistry in the form of carved, painted, and gilded saints, angels, flowers, and curlicues. Although everyone calls it Santa Prisca, the church is dedicated to two 12th-century Roman saints: Saint Prisca, thought to protect against lightning and thunderstorms, and Saint Sebastian, the patron saint of recent converts, among other things. The entire left-side chapel was originally reserved for Taxco’s indigenous population.

You can see some of the town’s overflow religious paintings and sculpture in the nearby Museo de Arte Virreinal (“Museum of Vice-Regal Art”). My friend and I, still overwhelmed by Taxco’s magnificent church, headed instead for the municipal market, which, like the rest of Taxco, cascades abruptly downhill from the side of the church.

TAXCO TRAVEL GUIDE

Places to Stay in Taxco - Click here for price key

For budget lodgings, try Departamentos Casa Grande ($--$$, Calle Ojeda #10, tels. 762/622-5227 or 762/622-5415). Not pristine, but far from unbearable, with a kitchenette with microwave and refrigerator in most of the small apartments. It’s located off a small side street uphill from Plaza Borda, off Calle del Nogal and 2da Calle de Raul Kaufman. Rent by the day, week, or month.

We were very pleased with the room and grounds of Hotel Posada Javier ($$, Calle Estacadas 32, tels. 762/622-3177, www.hotelposadasanjavier.com), and would have enjoyed a longer stay. Included in the room price, our Continental breakfast came with an excellent view of the city from the rooftop café. There’s a smallish swimming pool and Wi-Fi from some of the rooms and shared balconies.

A warren of rooms on various floors, Hotel Real de Minas de Taxco ($$, Plazuela de los Gallos #2, tel. 762/627-4442, www.realdeminasdetaxco.com) offers clean and pleasant (if dark) rooms, some with a view of the cathedral.

Places to Eat in Taxco - Click here for price key

Within the William Spratling Museum, Caffecito ($$--$$$, Delicias #23, tel. 762/627-6177), is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9AM to 3PM and serves coffee, snacks, and Italian dishes.

We didn’t try the food at Aladinos ($$--$$$, Av. Benito Juárez #7, Altos, tel. 762/627-6170), across from the Municipal Palace. But the place is recommended for its live music (often rock or jazz), presented most nights, and serves soups, spaghetti, meat dishes and burgers, and salads as well as Mexican snacks.

For a quick snack try the super yummy pastries and savory pies at Pastelería Angelical ($, Calle Matanzas near City Hall). They sell delicious individual Mexican cakes, pies, cheesecake, and cookies at reasonable prices.

Things to Do & See in Taxco

Museo William Spratling (Porfirio Delgado #1, tel. 762/627-6177, closed Monday) has displays (some labeled in Spanish only, others in English also) of Spratling’s jewelry designs as well as pre-Hispanic pieces that the Mexicophile collected over the years. There’s a café (see above) as well.

Museo de Arte Virreinal (Juan Ruiz de Alarcón #12, tel. 762/622-5501, closed Monday) has religious art and artifacts and changing exhibits in a beautifully restored 17th-century building.

Among the most extensive cave systems in Mexico that can be visited by tourists, Las Cavernas de Cacahuamilpa (Pilcaya, tel. 721/104-0155, http://cacahuamilpa.conanp.gob.mx) is located at the intersection of Hwys 166 and 55, near the border of Mexico state. It’s about 45 minutes outside Taxco. In addition to exploring the caves (a two-km walk along an illuminated path), visitors can rappel and visit a subterranean river, one of several sinkholes, and a swimming pool. There are picnic areas, cabins, and camping. On weekends, buses make the round trip from Mexico City’s La Taxqueña bus station; minibuses leave from Taxco’s Estrella Blanca bus station several times a day. Or catch any bus marked Ixtapan de la Sal, ask the driver to set you down at the closest stop, and walk about half a kilometer to the caves.

Shopping in Taxco

Taxco = silver shopping. Wander around on your own and find the shops that you like the best. (Sorry I can’t be more help; read about my Fear of Shopping, above.)

Taxco’s municipal market, which dives down a side street on the right-hand side of the parish church, sells bags, flowers, fruits, veggies, hot food, and the usual brick-a-brack. It’s an unusually narrow and steep warren of shops well worth visiting.

On Saturdays there’s a massive wholesale and retail silver market at the south side of town near Avenida de los Plateros and the Estrella Blanca bus station.

How to Get There & Away

By Bus

Although it’s in Guerrero state and often visited as a side trip from Acapulco (4 to 5 hours away), Taxco is actually closer to Mexico City, only 3 hours away. Catch a bus from Mexico City’s southern bus station, La Tasqueña.

In Taxco, Estrella de Oro (tels. 762/485-8705 or 762/622-0648) buses leave from the southwest bus station at Avenida de los Plateros near the PEMEX station en route to Taxco el Viejo and Acapulco. Estrella Blanca buses (tel. 762/622-0131) leave from a different station at Avenida de los Plateros near Avenida Montes de Oca en route to Mexico City.

For more info on buses, go to www.mexicoguru.com/buses-in-mexico.php.

By Car

From the center of Mexico City the drive to Taxco is approximately 190 km (120 miles); first follow directions to Cuernavaca and then continue along the toll road to Acapulco. From Acapulco, take toll Highway 95. It’s approximately 237 km (148 miles).

For more info on driving to Taxco, go to www.mexicoguru.com/mexico-driving-distance.php

More Info

The main Tourism Office is at Avenida de los Plateros #1, tel. 762/622-2274. This is on the highway at the northern entrance to town, just before Avenida Juárez, which snakes up into the town proper. There’s a tourism kiosk on Plaza Borda where you can pick up a map and get answers to your questions.