Mexico's Colonial Heartland

It’s no coincidence that some of Mexico’s oldest and most beautiful colonial cities are in its mountainous heartland. Built during the booming “silver rush” period of the 1500s, Guanajuato, the capital of the state of Guanajuato, and neighboring San Miguel de Allende have been called the crown jewels of the colonial cities.

Guanajuato is a photogenic maze of twisted alleys and narrow cobblestone streets. Its elaborate mansions and baroque churches give the city a decidedly European feeling. Named a United Nations World Heritage Site, all restoration and new construction in the historic district must conform to the 500-year-old architectural style. Lined with colonial buildings, often perched literally on top of each other, some of the 3,000 alleyways are packed so tightly that balconies almost form a canopy. The best way to explore these fascinating hillside byways is on foot. We meander through this graphic labyrinth, shooting colorful street scenes, zesty marketplaces and exquisite architectural details juxtaposed against vibrantly-painted stucco walls. Now and then we stop at one of the tree-shaded plazas with their gardens, fountains and cafés, to relax and enjoy local color.

San Miguel de Allende is another “must-shoot” location. It is, arguably, the prettiest of the colonial cities, and is well known as Mexico's most artistic community. This seductive little city with its clear nights and spring-like days is beautifully situated on the slopes of a hill facing the Laja River and the distant Guanajuato Mountains. San Miguel was declared a national monument in 1956, and retains much of its old-world flavor. Steep, cobbled streets are lined with bougainvillea-covered colonial mansions, brightly-colored cantinas and grand villas decked with colorful, sun-washed doorways, intricate stonework, wrought iron balconies and hanging lanterns. It’s not often that you’ll find your hotel to be photographically appealing, but the high-ceilinged stone walls and patio gardens accented with lovely fountains provide a charming “photography oasis” at the end of the day.

We’ve timed our visit to coincide with the colorful preparations for the Day of the Dead in San Miguel. This family celebration, invoking the spirits of the departed, includes wonderfully-decorated skulls, skeletons and amazingly intricate and cartoonish candy animal sculptures—constructed from colored sugar as children’s treats—displayed in vendors’ stalls throughout the city, along with lengthy garlands and bouquets of golden marigolds, the traditional flower of the dead.

During the light-hearted part of the celebration, a humor-filled parade of women and men dressed in Catrina and Catrin skeleton costumes struts through the city square tossing candies and coins to little children. In the square, public buildings and hotel lobbies, intricate and elaborate altars depicting the dead are adorned with their favorite food and drink, toys, photos, tools and flowers. The following day local people head to the cemeteries to bring flowers and tributes to the graves of the departed.

We may also explore some of the photogenic surrounding communities, such as the Talavera pottery town of Dolores Hidalgo, colonial Bernal village and the old mining area of Mineral de Pozos.

Beautiful architecture, mild climate, colonial romance, friendly people and great photography—it is difficult to choose the region’s best feature. Each day we find time to break away from these pleasures to glimpse some of our images on our laptops to get a sense of the day’s shoot. We not only capture an architectural wonderland with our cameras, but also learn how to improve those images in the digital world.