What is a beautiful, culturally rich Mexican town/city to visit?

Question

My criteria is:

1) Low elevation (below 5000')

2) A colonial/historical/cultural location rather than a touristy beach location (cities like San Luis Potosi or San Miguel de Allende)

3) Inexpensive to fly from Houston, TX (I'm working with ~$500 - $600 budget for air and hotel)

4) Preferably Central or Southern Mexico.

Answer 1

- Oaxaca, Oax.

- Puebla, Pue.

- Morelia, Mich.

- Guanajuato, Gto.

Answer 2

Even though Guadalajara is a very nice city, it's the second or third biggest city in Mexico (before or after Monterrey, aguably), and not cheap.

I would suggest you to consider Oaxaca, in the south which has a very rich culture and traditions, and is very cheap. It was declared human heritage by UNESCO.

Depending on how long you want your trip to be you can go to the beach, there still are some "virgin" beaches as mazunte and chacagua where the turtles hatch and with amazing landscapes. (Eco-turism)

Flights to Oaxaca might be a bit more expensive than to Guadalajara, but in the end all your trip will be a lot cheaper because of the money you'll save in accomodation, food and going out.

Here are two links to Oaxaca and mazunte, hope this helps!

Continental has a regular flight from Houston to Oaxaca.

(Oh and obviously you don't have to worry about the elevation)

Answer 3

Guadalajara - except I'm not sure about the elevation.  Beautiful city, wonderful central square.

Answer 4

Partly I agree with all of them.

In central Mexico:

1. Guanajuato.

2. Zacatecas

3. Morelia

Southern Mexico

1. San Cristobal de las Casas

2. Oaxaca

All of them are colonial cities, small and you can walk them. Prices range from very cheap to very expensive depending on what you want.

The only is that I'm not sure about how high San Cristobal is.

You can go to that cities from Mexico City in busses from cheap to luxury. (except San Cristobal which is very far from Mexico City)

Answer 5

I would have to second what the first poster suggested and strongly recommend that you go to Guadalajara despite its somewhat high elevation. This city would certainly meet all of the other qualifications you are looking for in a city to visit. I like to say that Guadalajara has the best of both worlds: the size and modernity to offer you all of the entertainment and amenities that you could find in a large United States or Canadian city, and yet the cultural richness that lets you experience authentic Mexico in all of its beauty. The downtown area is beatiful, with much colonial architecture to be seen in the National Palace, Metropolitan Cathedral, and other buildings located in the same vicinity. There is a very pleasant Plaza Tapatia that is a great place for pedestrians to stroll through, and if you want there are even places close to downtown where you can take a ride in a horse-drawn carriage. I very much identify with your desire to avoid the oh-so-typical beach resort scene that is invaded by tourists and denies you the opportunity to see real Mexico for what it really is--that is precisely why I have loved the times I have spent in Guadalajara. I have visited a few cities in Mexico including Mexico City, Cuernavaca, Oaxaca, and Guadalajara, and I would have to say that I have loved Guadalajara the most. Mexico City does indeed have a lot of cultural venues to see, but quite frankly Guadalajara is a much less stressful city to visit because it does not seem as massive, dangerous, or chaotic. Guadalajara seems just right. For airfare, try checking out what Continental charges to go from Houston to Guadalajara: given that Houston is this airline's hub and that Guadalajara is one of the major Mexican airports, you may very well be able to get a good price. So, vaya con Dios, and you will love this city...

Answer 6

You mention San Luis Potosi, a small town called Aquismon is where I am from and it is amazing. Close by are Tamul and the Huazteca region. I do not know how much the flight would be from TX but it is only $531 exactly from TN. Also Cuidad Valles is close by and has some amazing sites. Please visit La Puerte de Dios. If you are planning on going any time soon, let it be for Easter. That is when the towns are most beautiful in my opinion, and the fruit is plentiful. Plus if you are a christian you might be interested in seeing the reenactment of the crucifying of Jesus, which is played out by the towns people.