Things To Do
About
Taxco & Mexico City are filled with activities that will captivate you. Here are a few we recommend.
Mexico City
You certainly won’t be bored in Mexico City as there are a seemingly endless number of things to see and do in this vibrant megapolis.
Mexico City, known as
CDMX to locals, is home to over 150 museums, which range from classical history museums to more unique ones such as the Tequila and Mezcal Museum!
A must-visit is the National Museum of Anthropology, an enormous complex that shows off stunning
artefacts from Mexico’s fascinating history. For art lovers there is the Frida Kahlo Museum, a beautiful blue house where Mexico’s most famous artist lived and worked. In the Historic Centre you will find beautiful colonial-era buildings like the Metropolitan Cathedral as well as the ancient Aztec ruins of Temple Mayor.
And while there is a lot of sightseeing and culture to absorb, the main reason for many people visiting Mexico is the food! Sure, you can find Mexican food everywhere these days, but you need to visit Mexico to experience the real deal. There are so many different dishes and local specialities to try, some of which I’d never heard of until I got
there. Mexico City has some fantastic street food along with some of the world’s finest restaurants such as Pujol. Don’t forget nightlife either, with many amazing bars to be found in neighbourhoods like Roma Norte for some delicious Mezcal-based cocktails.
Santa Prisca Church
Expore Plaza Borda and Santa Prisca - No magical town would be complete without a charming plaza and an ornate church, and Taxco has both.
The plaza is named after José de la Borda, a wealthy Spaniard who made a fortune as the owner of Taxco silver mines. Evidently, he ordered the Santa Prisca Church to be built between 1751 and 1758 and nearly went bankrupt in the process. It was constructed in a baroque style and ironically, in a town famous for silver, its interior is covered in gold leaf. The Santa Prisca church stood for nearly 50 years as the tallest building in Mexico. It’s best to view and photograph it at sunset when the warm light illuminates the pink sandstone.
Take in the Views at Mirador de Cristo Taxqueño
Perched high above Taxco on a hill this statue of Jesus may not compare to Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, but it still comes with a nice panoramic view. This is one of the best places in town to watch
the sunset! You can walk up if you’re looking for a very strenuous two-three-hour hike. Otherwise, it’s 50 -100 pesos for a hair-raising ride in a VW beetle taxi. This ride is once-in-a-lifetime experience as the cobble stone one-way streets are also incredibly inclined.
National Park “Grutas de Cacahuamilpa”
-The caves at Cacahuamilpa National Park make up the largest cave system in Mexico and one of the largest cave systems anywhere in the world. Formations inside the cave are still growing which means it’s ALIIIVE!!
Inside the cavern system are up to 90 large “rooms”, of which only 20 have been explored and are open to the public. Pottery found inside the cave has led people to believe that Olmecs and other indigenous groups used the caves for ceremonial rituals. You’re only able to enter the caves as part of a guided tour that leaves once every hour. Entry is about 80 pesos per person.
It can get humid down there so keep that in mind and bring bug spray. Sneakers are a must! Rappelling, rafting, and ziplining are also available. You can reach it by driving yourself or catching a bus from the Estrella de Oro station in Taxco. If going by bus, look for the company called Flecha Roja. The 20-minute ride will cost you about 42 pesos per person and you’ll get off at Crucero de Grutas. After that, you’ll take another taxi for about 15 pesos to the entrance.
Pozas Azules de Atzala
A perfect day trip from Taxco if you like the outdoors. These bright turquoise pools come from crystalline mountain water flowing over limestone. Pozas Azules is in the town of Atzala just a short drive from Taxco (see map). If you don’t have your own rental car you can find a cheap ride for around 27 pesos in a combi (shared van taxi). You can find the combis in front of the large department store named Coppel on the main road coming into town. Type Coppel into your phone for navigation and when you arrive you’ll see them waiting out front. Look for the vans with signs that say “Pozas Azules” or “Atzala”.
At the present time, it costs 30 pesos to enter Pozas Azules. Talk about cheap entertainment! You can rent a table for 30 pesos and buy a michelada for 45 pesos. This trip costs very little and offers a ton of fun.T here are six open pools, with depths between 1-11 meters (3-36ft).
Thus, the water is frigid, but once you start swimming you’ll warm up, if not your body becomes numb so you can’t tell the difference anyway.The first thing to remember is to not wear sunscreen or bug spray before entering the pools to avoid contaminating it. Pozas Azules is in control of the local community and they do a great job maintaining it. Even though it’s rather quiet for now, we can totally see it blowing up someday.
Teleférico de Taxco (Gondola)
If you’re looking for another beautiful view over Taxco and you’re not deathly afraid of heights, check out the teleférico. It’s a ten or
fifteen-minute gondola ride up to Hotel Montetaxco overlooking the surrounding valley. Once you arrive head to the hotel to have dinner or a glass of wine (or both). The cost of the teleférico is 95 pesos roundtrip and 65 pesos one way. You can take the cable car up to the top and then get a taxi back to the main plaza or your accommodation to save
time and money of you stay past their hours.
Eat Pozole @ Pozolería Tía Calla
While visiting Guerrero State you need to try pozole! What is pozole you ask? It’s a traditional hominy stew with meat (chicken or pork) and plenty of fresh condiments including radish, onion, peppers, avocado, lettuce, lime, and oregano. It comes in three varieties red (rojo), green (verde), or white (blanco).
Basically, it’s heaven in a bowl!
Pozolería Tía Calla
This restaurant is famous in Taxco for its pozole. Pozole Blanco is available every day of the week, and the red and green varieties are available on Thursdays. Try a bowl (or three) while you’re in town.
We recommend going around 2pm, because it tends to sell out fast. If you’re not into pozole, the tacos dorados are muy rico tambien!
You can also find inexpensive bowls of pozole in the Mercado.
Sip on a Classic Cocktail or Craft Beer
Bar Berta - If you like to drink, why not visit the oldest bar in Taxco? This bar is famous for the Berta cocktail a creation from the 1930s. It consists of tequila blanca, honey, lime juice, and mineral water poured over ice. Sit out on the patio to people-watch and admire the views of Santa Prisca Church at sunset.
Yolotl Cerveza Artesanal - Stop by this subterranean craft brewery near the ex-convent and sip a cold one. Have a chat with Victor, the owner and an awesome guy who speaks great English and has some stories to tell.
Yolotl translates to heart in Nahuatl (the Aztec language). Try the Black IPA if you’re looking for something strong (9.7% ABV). However, it’s only open Thurs-Sun during the evenings.