6 Mexican Towns that Offer Magical Experiences

*Travel is not advised at this time but we hope this will help you plan for future travels when we already can.*

We featured two Pueblos Magico, Sayulita and San Sebastian del Oeste, in one of my latest posts, "5 Day Trips You Ought to Do in Puerto Vallarta". A Pueblo Magico is a small Mexican town that gives you a magical experience “by reason of natural beauty, cultural richness, traditions, folklore, historical relevance, cuisine, arts & crafts, and hospitality.” This time, let me introduce you to four others that we have visited, completing our total of six out of the 121 that have been conferred such a designation by the Mexican Secretariat of Tourism.

Teotihuacan 

mural at the Jaguar Palace

Snake Palace

When we RVed through Mexico and reached the town of Teotihuacan 25 miles northeast of Mexico City, it was not yet a Pueblo Magico. I do not know why it was named only in 2015. Until today, it is the most magical experience I have had in the country. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is Mexico’s most visited archaeological site. Covering about 32 square miles of restored monuments, it gives more than four million visitors a year the chance to relive pre-Columbus America.

Teotihuacan is home to the most architecturally significant Mesoamerican pyramids. At its peak, its population is estimated to be at 125,000, making it the sixth-largest city in the world during its time. Apart from the pyramids—the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon—the town is also anthropologically significant for its complex multi-floor residential compounds, the Avenue of the Dead, and the well-preserved murals especially in the Palace of the Jaguars and the Quetzalpapalotl palace. Established around 100 BCE, the city continuously built monuments until about 250 CE but they were systematically burned around 550 CE.

Todos Santos

a small chapel at the fishing village in Todos Santos

It was when we went to Los Cabos when we heard of Mexico’s Pueblo Magico program and that there was one near where we were, just an hour by way of Highway 19. It is also an hour away from La Paz, the capital of Baja California Sur. Todos Santos is a small coastal town on the Pacific coast side of the Baja California Peninsula just on the foothills of the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains. It has a population of just more than 6.000.

the Plaza at Todos Santos

The town evokes a lot of history. The Misión Santa Rosa de las Palmas was founded by father Jaime Bravo in 1723 and is located across the street from the very lovely small town plaza. The last battle of the Mexican-American War was fought in the Skirmishes of Todos Santos in 1848. The town thrived as the Baja sugarcane capital with eight sugar mills at one time. But when the spring dried up in 1950, the last mill closed in 1965. In 1981, the spring came back to life and, when the Government built Highway 19 soon after, tourism activity increased, the rich farmlands were revived, and there was a boom in real estate development. The Hotel California is a favorite stop because of the name associated with the song made famous by the Eagles. The town was named a "Pueblo Mágico" in 2006.

El Rosario

the new Parish of the Virgen del Rosario

the Ruins

We discovered El Rosario when we started to stay in Mazatlan, Sinaloa for three months every winter. Because we drive down to Mazatlan, it was easy for us to explore the towns around it. This one lies only about 31 miles south of the city. The town was once the richest town in Southwest Mexico because of silver mining operations that began in 1655.

One of the main attractions of this town is the Parish of the Virgen del Rosario. The original eighteenth-century church suffered serious damage due to the mining operations close by. The inhabitants of the town built a new one and placed there the valuable original altarpiece made in gold leaf from the time El Rosario had the richest mining veins in the country. The stones of the destroyed old church building were also transferred, piece by piece, to a new site for the Ruins. The Museum of the famous Mexican singer, Lola Beltrán is just across the street. The original site of the church had been flooded and has become the Laguna del Iguanero where iguanas and turtles coexist. The town was named a Pueblo Magico in 2012.

Magdalena de Kino

Father Kino's Crypt

We discovered Magdalena de Kino driving back to Arizona from Mazatlan. We were just using it as a jump-off point to cross the border back into the US. But when we went for a walk, after an early dinner at our boutique hotel, we discovered a Plaza with great charm and history. It was an unexpected bonus.

the Plaza at Magdaleno de Kino

The following three edifices occupy the Plaza where there is a romantic horse-drawn carriage that can take you around. There is the Temple of Santa María Magdalena, with an image of San Francisco Xavier, an important historical figure for both Sonora and the neighboring U.S. state of Arizona. Then there is the Grave of Father Kino, who died in the year 1711 and is interred in a crypt near the mission he founded. The monument was constructed in 1966 after the discovery of his remains. Lastly, there is the Father Kino Museum where objects of the indigenous cultures of the region are exhibited.    

The six Pueblo Magicos gave us varied magical experiences. Actually, there are two other Pueblos Magico we were supposed to visit but which we had to forego because we had to hurry home at the peak of the coronavirus scare. One was Compostela on the road between Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan. The other, Cosala, is near Mazatlan.  We signed up for tours that we eventually had to cancel. There are also two near the El Cid Resorts of Cozumel and Cancun where we can also stay in winter: Tulum and Isla Mujeres. So soon there will be four additional Pueblos Magicos that I will write about.

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