Book Affordable Bus Tickets to Zacatecas

Founded in 1546 after the discovery of one of the richest silver veins in the Americas, Zacatecas became a linchpin of Spain's colonial economy, its mines bankrolling the empire for generations. That wealth built a city of remarkable density and quality: the cathedral, completed in the 18th century, is encrusted with carved saints and flora across a facade that experts rank among the great achievements of New World baroque. Nearby stand the Templo de Santo Domingo and a clutch of fine museums, including two of Mexico's best regional art collections, the Pedro Coronel and Rafael Coronel museums, the latter housing thousands of traditional masks in a romantically ruined convent.

What sets Zacatecas apart is how close the mining past still feels. You can descend into the El Edén mine on foot, riding a small train into tunnels that once produced the silver, and even visit a club that operates inside the workings. Above ground, the teleférico swings over the city to Cerro de la Bufa, the dramatic peak that hosts a sanctuary, a mausoleum of regional heroes and sweeping views across the highlands — it was here that Pancho Villa won a decisive Revolution-era battle in 1914. Evenings belong to the callejoneadas, raucous walking parties that wind through the alleys behind a band and the famous mezcal-bearing donkey, a tradition locals throw themselves into with real enthusiasm.