Although I love to relax in Cabo and on the Riviera Maya as much as anyone,
Mexico’s cool central highlands have provided some of my most memorable experiences of the country. The area sheltered advanced civilizations for centuries before the arrival of the conquistadors, and ancient local traditions inspire Mexican culture to this day. Of course, the Spanish influence is even clearer, especially in the many atmospheric colonial cities that retain historic cores dating to the 16th and 17th centuries.
On this occasion, we bypassed Mexico City by flying directly into Guadalajara and out of Morelia, visiting Guanajuato and Lake Pátzcuaro in between. On such a trip, I recommend that you engage a driver/guide to eliminate the stress of navigating roads that can be poorly marked.
Colonial treasures aside, what I’ll most remember about the city is the unforced friendliness and hospitality of the inhabitants.
Guadalajara makes an excellent place to begin an exploration of colonial Mexico. Much of the city is modern, but the historic center has leafy plazas, intriguing museums and ornate churches. I especially liked the Museo de Arte Sacro de Guadalajara for its luminous José de Ibarra paintings and roof terrace overlooking the Plaza de Armas. Colonial treasures aside, what I’ll most remember about the city is the unforced friendliness and hospitality of the inhabitants. People in the stylish restaurants, shops and cafés seemed pleased to see American visitors, and often took time to chat with us. Guadalajara is also a good base for day trips to nearby tequila distilleries and picturesque Lake Chapala, a magnet for expatriate artists.
We began our journey with a stay at my longtime recommendation, the Quinta Real Guadalajara. This 76-room hacienda-like property dates only to 1986, but our Gran Clase Suite had great character. Two wooden Corinthian columns demarcated a separate living area with a gold-hued velvet brocade love seat. Marble-topped nightstands flanked the king bed, at the foot of which stood a wrought-iron glass-topped dining table. The travertine and pink marble bath was pretty, if not especially large. However, the smoked mirror paneling on the walls behind the writing desk and the brownish wall-to-wall carpeting were clear reminders of the decade in which the hotel was built.
The 1980s were nowhere to be found in the splendidly renovated indoor/outdoor restaurant and bar, which featured parquet floors, exposed stone walls, chic Provençal-style furnishings and vibrant handpainted ceilings that could have adorned a palace in Pompeii. The dishes we tried were excellent, notably some crunchy duck taquitos served with four dipping salsas, and a pork chop with a tamarind-tequila glaze and a side of flavorful mashed chayote. The restaurant’s professional service regrettably didn’t extend to the small pool. A waiter greeted us as we passed by on our way to the loungers, but neither he nor any of his colleagues walked up the steps to ask whether we might care for a drink. Thereafter, we took to relaxing in the canopied daybeds dotting the mature courtyard gardens adjacent to the restaurant and bar.
AT A GLANCE
LIKE: The restaurant’s spectacular design and excellent food; the well-kept gardens.
DISLIKE: The dated decorative accents; the extra charge for Wi-Fi.
GOOD TO KNOW: Request a room on an upper floor for more privacy.
Quinta Real Guadalajara 90 Master Suite, $240; Gran Clase Suite, $290. Av. México 2727, Col. Vallarta Norte, Guadalajara. Tel. (52) 333-669-0600.
The three-hour drive from Guadalajara to Guanajuato was along a well-maintained highway through rolling countryside punctuated by mesquite and acacia trees. As it was summertime, brief afternoon showers kept the air fresh and the landscape green. Because of the altitude, daytime temperatures never rose above the low 80s during our trip, and nights sometimes required a sweater or light jacket. It proved a very comfortable time of year for a visit.
The center of Guanajuato is the wedge-shaped Jardín de la Unión, surrounded by restaurant patios and a wide ring of perfectly trimmed Indian laurel trees.
The center of Guanajuato is the wedge-shaped Jardín de la Unión, surrounded by restaurant patios and a wide ring of perfectly trimmed Indian laurel trees. These form an immense living umbrella sheltering the park benches beneath. Many of the colorful adjacent streets are too narrow for vehicles, making them ideal for leisurely strolls. The cobbled lanes occasionally open onto broad plazas fronted by grand colonial churches and mansions adorned with wrought-iron balconies, dating from the period when wealth from nearby silver mines flooded Guanajuato.
Nowadays home to an important university, the brightly painted city has expanded from its original valley setting up the surrounding slopes. This has created a spectacular urban landscape best seen from the hillside El Pípila monument. To relieve traffic congestion, the civic authorities have dug dozens of tunnels through the hills, forming a complicated underground road network that is all but incomprehensible to drivers from elsewhere. Fortunately, the city is a great deal easier to navigate on foot. We had a grand time simply ambling around Guanajuato and visiting museums such as the Casa Diego Rivera, the birthplace of the famous 20th-century artist; the wonderful Museo Iconográfico del Quijote, dedicated to art inspired by Cervantes’ great novel; and the macabre Museo de las Momias, the final resting place of dozens of Guanajuato citizens mummified in the warm, dry climate.
Though it is a 15-minute walk from the center, I greatly enjoyed my stay at the Villa María Cristina, which comprises turn-of-the-century buildings connected by a graceful series of loggias and patios. The reception and jewel box of a restaurant occupy a 19th-century townhouse fronting the street. The original section of the property has 13 rooms, complemented by a mountainview roof terrace with a Jacuzzi and sun loungers, and a spa containing an indoor pool. A new annex in back opened just weeks ago, adding 23 more accommodations facing a large outdoor pool, plus two restaurants and 10 spa treatment rooms.
Some of the best suites are to be found in the new annex, notably “Pía,” “Nat,” “Greta” and “Isabella,” all of which have terraces or balconies overlooking the pool and the mountain beyond. In the older section, “Luisa” also has a balcony with a memorable view. Our Master Suite, “Mariana,” was located just below, giving it a similar outlook but less privacy, since our accommodations were level with a large public patio.
Inside, our suite featured ornate plaster molding, wood-laminate flooring, butter-hued walls and traditional wood furnishings upholstered in olive and cream. I particularly liked the bath, which had a separate tub and spacious shower stall, as well as Spanish-style painted floor tiles. Suites in the new wing come with similarly attractive traditional décor. Only the restaurant proved slightly disappointing. The spiciness of my octopus appetizer crowded out all other flavors, and though my arrachera (flank steak) was quite flavorful, it wasn’t as tender as I had hoped. Aside from those quibbles, I found the Villa María Cristina to be a gracious hideaway, and the new annex will add to its appeal as a city resort.
AT A GLANCE
LIKE: The graceful 19th-century architecture; our spacious bath; the mountain views; the chic spa.
DISLIKE: The pretty but inconsistent restaurant; the slow Wi-Fi.
GOOD TO KNOW: Accommodations in the new wing come with the same attractive traditional style as those in the original buildings.
Villa María Cristina 94 Junior Suite, $390; Master Suite, $450. Paseo de la Presa de la Olla 76, Guanajuato. Tel. (52) 473-731-2182.
I also checked in on the Quinta Las Acacias, a five-minute walk away and similarly housed within a converted 19th-century mansion and several modern buildings. When I first stayed at this 16-room property, it had no competitors in the city. Now, with the Villa María Cristina nearby, it needs to step up its game. The dark lounge behind reception felt oppressive with its Mexican-Victorian furnishings and décor, and the Mezcalería bar Atalaya drove us away with a loud television and harsh lighting.
Our suite, “La China Poblana,” proved comfortable, with a mountainview balcony, canopied king bed, cavernous shower stall, onyx sinks and a huge sunken Jacuzzi tub. But the layout was odd, and some decorative touches such as the headless mannequin clad in traditional costume were not to my taste. We had a pleasant enough stay at the Quinta Las Acacias, but we never stopped wishing we were back at the Villa María Cristina.
AT A GLANCE
LIKE: The gorgeous cactus garden; the mountain views from our balcony; the helpful staff.
DISLIKE: The oppressive atmosphere of the public spaces; the lack of ambience in the bar.
GOOD TO KNOW: The restaurant may feel old-fashioned, but it serves flavorful and homey regional classics.
Quinta Las Acacias 89 Suite, $290; Master Suite, $315. Paseo de la Presa 168, Guanajuato. Tel. (52) 473-731-1517.
Colonial-era churches glitter with lavish decoration — the interior of the Santuario de Guadalupe looks like a Fabergé egg.
Since we had recently visited the popular city of San Miguel de Allende, which lies 90 minutes east of Guanajuato, we turned south instead, driving three hours through undulating green countryside to Morelia, a city of around a million inhabitants. There, the grid of the colonial center occupies a broad hilltop. Some of Morelia’s low-rise buildings are brightly painted, but most of the façades are hewn from the local pink-hued cantera limestone. Colonial-era churches glitter with lavish decoration — the interior of the Santuario de Guadalupe looks like a Fabergé egg — and museums such as the Palacio Clavijero host well-curated art exhibitions. The arcaded palaces of Morelia’s former nobility ring the heart of the city, a grand rectangle formed by the Plaza de Armas, the cathedral and the Plaza Melchor Ocampo. Nowadays, these arcades overflow with restaurant and café tables, ideal for people-watching, and several of the palaces have been converted into atmospheric hotels.
Casa Grande occupies an early 18th-century mansion, which remained a private residence until 2008. The building underwent a thoughtful and thorough restoration before emerging as a 12-room hotel. Though all the wood beams supporting the ceilings had to be replaced, the property retains many period details, including painted neoclassical friezes uncovered during the prolonged renovations. Owner Fernando Santiago Rodríguez takes justifiable pride in the result.
We encountered him in the bar one evening, where he politely inquired whether we were enjoying our stay. Having chatted with us about the creation of the hotel, he escorted us up to the roof terrace — used, alas, only for special events — which affords a spectacular panorama of the Morelia skyline. There, we had an unobstructed view of fireworks bursting above the cathedral, a display held every Saturday and made even more memorable on this occasion by a radiant full moon. I recommend collecting glasses of wine from the bar before enjoying the 8:45 p.m. show. Directly beneath the roof terrace, with fine views of the Plaza de Armas and the cathedral, the chic La Aldaba restaurant serves excellent international cuisine with Mediterranean and Mexican inflections.
None of the rooms at Casa Grande has a view of the square. Nos. 8 through 12 are on the second floor overlooking Calle Allende, while others face the back courtyard, one side of which is covered with a thriving wall garden. Rooms 1 through 3 are on the ground floor, which makes them darker and more subject to noise than the accommodations above. We occupied Master Suite 6 surveying the courtyard, which came with a beamed double-height ceiling and a massive stone arch dividing the living and sleeping areas. Armchairs and a headboard done in dark green leather stood out against the black doors of the built-in closets and hardwood floors. Acid-green and silver wallpaper dramatically accented the shower-only bath. The design succeeded in being stylishly contemporary while leaving no doubt that we were staying in a colonial-era palace. Nor did the unfailingly professional service disappoint. In particular, the bellman Jorge spoke excellent English and proved consistently helpful.
AT A GLANCE
LIKE: The stylish renovation; the fashionable restaurant; the immaculate housekeeping; the location on the main square.
DISLIKE: Though the roof terrace has spectacular views, it has no seating or service except for private events.
GOOD TO KNOW: The table with the most striking view is on the far right of the restaurant.
Casa Grande 93 Junior Suite, $180; Master Suite, $225. Portal Matamoros 98, Centro Histórico, Morelia. Tel. (52) 443-313-2000.
A fine restaurant is important for a property so far from the center, and I relished my fresh mixed-seafood ceviche, as well as perfectly cooked beef tenderloin in a hibiscus glaze with squash blossoms and chopped cactus.
If memorable views, an outdoor pool and a smartly appointed spa are more important than a central location, the Villa Montaña is a better choice than the Casa Grande. This atmospheric property stands on a hillside with sweeping vistas of central Morelia, a 10-minute drive from most sights of interest. A fine restaurant is important for a property so far from the center, and I relished my fresh mixed-seafood ceviche, as well as perfectly cooked beef tenderloin in a hibiscus glaze with squash blossoms and chopped cactus.
Amid landscaped grounds, two-story casitas contain the 36 accommodations, the best of which have broad terraces with city views (request a suite on the second floor). Our suite, 107, afforded a compelling panorama of Morelia and the hotel grounds from the small dining area on its terrace, as well as from an indoor breakfast nook. Saltillo tile floors and traditional tejamanil ceilings, covered with thin, hand-hewn pine shingles, gave the suite character, as did copper vases from nearby Santa Clara del Cobre, framed etchings of birds, lamps made from painted milk cans, an antique wood trunk and an Oriental rug. After dinner each night, we would relax with our books as a fire crackled in the fireplace, and the distant stone towers of the cathedral glowed golden against the night sky.
AT A GLANCE
LIKE: The sweeping vistas of Morelia; the beautiful gardens; the large spa; the bar/restaurant’s panoramic terrace; the sophisticated contemporary Mexican menu; our woodburning fireplace.
DISLIKE: Our dated brown Ultrasuede sofa; the bath’s dim lighting; the small shower-tub combination.
GOOD TO KNOW: There is no air conditioning, but cool evenings and screened windows make it unnecessary.
Villa Montaña 91 Junior Suite, $150; Master Suite, $195. Patzimba 201, Col. Vista Bella, Morelia. Tel. (52) 443-314-0231.
This article appeared in the November 2014 print edition of Andrew Harper’s Hideaway Report under the headline “Colonial Cities of Mexico's Central Highlands.”
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