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Northern Mexico
Northern Mexico has wide plains with an arid climate, spanned by two
mountain ranges, the Sierra Madre Occidental and the Sierra Madre Oriental, with
the great Chihuahua Desert in between, are the distinctive features of this
territory. Inhabited since time immemorial by hunter-gatherers, the Tarahumara
in Chihuahua, the Yaquis in Sonora and the Huicholes in Zacatecas, the north of
Mexico has attracted both missionaries and travelers since the 16th century. The
architecture and ceramics of the Paquimé culture are strikingly original and of
excellent quality. Examples of both can be seen in the archaeological zone of
Paquimé and the on-site museum. Other distinctive features of the northern
region include the El Pinacate Biosphere Region, the Copper Canyon, famous for
its spectacular waterfall and microclimates, the Sierra de Durango, the Cuatro
Ciénagas Nature Reserve in Coahuila, the mining and farming villages in the
south of Chihuahua, the city of Álamos in Sonora, the fertile Valle del Fuerte
in Sinaloa and the city of Zacatecas. Another noteworthy city is Monterrey in
Nuevo León, a thriving, modern city that in many ways exemplifies the culture of
the north.
Chihuahua is the largest state in Mexico and is located in the north of
the country. It borders on Durango and Sinaloa to the south, Sonora to the west,
Coahuila to the east and Texas and New Mexico to the north. It was inhabited by
several Indian groups, although it is best known today for the Rarámuri that
inhabit the Sierra Tarahumara. One site worth visiting is the pre-Hispanic zone
of Paquimé in Casas Grandes. Other interesting sites include Hidalgo del Parral,
the former capital of Nueva Vizcaya and mining towns such as San Francisco del
Oro, Santa Bárbara and Valle de Allende. The state is divided into three main
regions: the central tableland, with plains and mining areas, the Sierra Madre
Occidental, consisting of canyons and ravines, and the desert zone. The state
has everything from cold mountain to hot desert climates, including the tropical
humidity found in the depths of its ravines.
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Barrancas del Cobre in the Sierra Tarahumara
is undoubtedly one of the most exciting and spectacular excursions that can
be taken in Mexico. Before the arrival of the Spaniards, this area was
inhabited by several Indian groups, of which only the Tepehuas, Pimas
Guarijos and Tarahumaras (the main existent group) remain. One of the
largest group of canyons and ravines in the world, Barrancas del Cobre, can
be found on the steepest part of the Western range of the Sierra Madre.
Sierra Tarahumara is about 600 km long and 250 km wide and has an average
height of 2,275 meters above sea level. It is one of the most impressive
mountains in the Sierra Madre and has many different micro-climates.
The Grand Canyon is bigger than the Barrancas del Cobre (Copper Canyons),
but not as deep. The deepest part of the Barrancas Del Cobre is at Urique,
where the distance between mountain path at the top and the river flowing
through the bottom of the canyon is 1,879 meters. The Pacific-Chihuahua
railway runs through this marvel of nature from Los Mochis, on the Sea of
Cortes, to the interior and makes several stops. It goes through 86 tunnels
and crosses 39 bridges in the middle of the canyons that are full of the
cultural riches of its dwellers. This train journey allows one to explore
the canyons and towns, and there are some amazing, unforgettable views of
this section of northern Mexico to be seen.
Make sure your trip plans include an overnight stop at Cerocahui , another
in Posada Barrancas or Divisadero, and make sure you take the time to enjoy
Creel, a town prepared to receive tourists right in the middle of the
territory of the proud Tarahumara Indians. The numbers of tourists increases
at Christmas and Easter time because those are the times of the long
rarámuri ritual festivals, especially Holy Week. During the festivities,
there are inter-town contests, such as races that last for several days.
This race is by men who push a wooden ball along a pre-agreed course of some
160 km. The winners’ prize is general recognition among the residents of the
various towns. If you like the idea of breathing fresh air (warm or cold),
of enjoying some spectacular, natural scenery and a wealth of culture, and
of living the excitement of an unforgettable journey, Barrancas del Cobre is
the place for you.
Coahuila, a border state whose name in Nahuatl means "flying serpent"
witnessed the evangelization and colonization of the north of Mexico. Its has
had a rich history, since it was the site of events that influenced the
country’s development from pre-historic times through Independence to the
revolutionary era. Its capital, founded in 1577, was originally named Villa de
Santiago de Saltillo. The region was inhabited by Indians brought in from
Tlaxcala during colonization. The state has several attractive features, such as
its forests, springs, deserts, large cities and small villages. However, its
main attraction is undoubtedly its open, friendly people. The state is divided
into four distinct areas; the southeast, an area of valleys and mountains, as
well as historical and paleontological sites and fascinating museums, the
center, with the industrious city of Monclova as its focal point; the border,
Piedras Negras being the most important city in the area, and La Laguna, a
semi-desert area where the Coahuilans overcame adverse conditions.
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Saltillo’s buildings reflect the various
periods in its history. Those brightly-colored blankets that have become an
unmistakable symbol of Mexico are produced in this city, the oldest in the
north-east of Mexico. The most important of these is the Cathedral of
Santiago, built in a baroque, churrigueresque style, whose altarpieces have
toured the world. Nearby stands the Recinto Juárez, formerly the seat of
Juárez’ government and now a museum displaying documents and objects of the
time. Other major constructions include the Teatro Fernando Soler and the
Teléfonos building. When you visit the city, you will be able to try the
excellent meat produced here, tour unusual museums, get a glimpse of the
desert and choose one of the famous blankets that are named after the city
and symbolize the whole country.
Santiago del Saltillo del Ojo de Agua was founded in 1577 and fourteen years
later, San Esteban de Nueva Tlaxcla was established next to it with 71
Tlaxcalan families sent there to pacify the region. Thereafter, farming
spread and a textile industry developed that is still famous to this day.
Saltillo was one of the first major towns to be captured by the insurgents
led by Hidalgo, who entered the city in 1811. After independence, the state
was forced to cope with the war against Texas and it experienced problems
with the state of Nuevo León that were only solved by Juárez when he
established his residence here during the French invasion. In 1913,
Venustiano Carranza, who was governor of Coahuila, refused to recognize the
government formed after the assassination of Madero and began the
Constitutionalist Revolution. Nowadays, although Saltillo is one of the
country’s most dynamic industrial centers, it has managed to preserve its
friendly, provincial atmosphere. Saltillo, 1590 m above sea level, is set in
a fertile valley surrounded by mountains separating it from the desert that
stretches out towards the four corners of the globe. To the north lie the
hills of Las Valles, to the south the Sierra Encantada, to the east Arteaga
and to the west the Sierra Colorada. In the south of the valley lies the
tableland of Arzipe at the bottom of which stands the city with its mild,
semi-arid climate.
The state of Durango, nestling in the Sierra Madre Occidental, is
surrounded by Sinaloa, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Zacatecas, Jalisco and Nayarit. Its
surroundings are full of spectacularly beautiful natural formations that have
served as the setting for several films on the Wild West. Its landscape includes
forests, canyons, valleys, rivers, lagoons, deserts, orchards and vineyards.
Durango has managed to preserve nearly virgin sites, meaning that its ecosystems
are extremely fragile. Temperatures are extreme, ranging from 14ºC below zero in
winter at altitudes of over 3000 m, to over 41ºC in the desert in summer. The
August rains in the valleys and mountain ranges provide a wonderful spectacle.
Durango’s attractions are many and varied: it has two biosphere reserves, with
abundant fauna, while over 250 species of migratory and endemic birds have been
recorded in the state. It has archaeological sites with cave paintings and
architectural jewels left by the missionaries and colonizers. The outskirts of
the city contain spas with thermal and mineral springs, as well as reservoirs
that are ideal for sports such as fishing.
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In the City of Durango the landscape
surrounding the consists of semi-arid desert with a rich variety of
flora and fauna. A large part of this land has been made into a Biosphere
Reserve, where the vegetation, cacti, reptiles, mammals and birds can be
admired in the spectacular tones of the sunset that highlight the colors of
the rocks and mountains. Capital of the city of the same name, the city of
Durango was founded on July 8 1563 by Captain Francisco de Ibarra in the
former mining town of Cerro del Mercado, named in memory of its discoverer,
Captain Ginés Vázquez del Mercado. The town of Durango was declared a city
on October 2 1620 by order of Pope Paul V.
The city of Durango serves as a major link between Mazatlán on the Pacific
Coast and inland cities such as Monterrey and Saltillo. Durango owes its
charm to its excellent climate and the excellent state of conservations of
its historic 17th and 18th century buildings. It is an excellent city for
walkin, since most of the sights are only a few blocks from the two main
squares, the Plaza de Armas and the Plaza del Centenario. The Plaza de Armas
comes into its own on Sundays, when the musicians play in a band or stage
local parades. It is also the site of the Lesser Basilica Cathedral, with
its imposing baroque facade. A few streets away lies the elegant Ricardo
Castro theater has housed both a cinema and a boxing ring during its hundred
years of existence.
The Ganot-Peschard Museum of Archaeology contains the archaeological records
of the indigenous cultures of the region, from pre-Historic times until the
Conquest. Outstanding features include a photographic exhibition of cave
paintings as well as an intriguing section on the methods used in
archaeological research. The historic center of the city of Durango was
declared a Zone of Historical Monuments in 1982. During the 1950s, the city
and its surroundings were used as locations for "Westerns", with a total of
116 movies being filmed. Some of the sets have been preserved and are open
to the public.
Nuevo Leon, located in the northeast of Mexico, borders on the states of
Coahuila, Zacatecas, San Luis Potosí and Tamaulipas: to the north, it borders on
Texas. Its climate is extreme: cold most of the year and cool and rainy in the
summer in the highlands, cool in the south with extreme temperatures in the
desert. It was occupied by nomadic groups of hunter-gatherers, whose testimony
has been reduced to cave paintings in Boca de Potrerillos. During the last third
of the 16th century, the Spaniards ventured into the region and built a number
of constructions. The territory is dotted with fascinating natural sites such as
waterfalls, grottoes, ravines and mountains, ideal for adventure tourism.
Nowadays its capital, Monterrey, is one of Mexico’s major cities. It is a center
of cultural activity, due to its magnificent museums and other places of
interest.
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Monterrey is the thriving, industrious
sultana of the north, as Monterrey, the capital of the state of Monterrey,
is fondly known, is a modern city with an intricate urban lay-out,
characteristic of today’s metropolises, with numerous attractions. Culture,
history and entertainment are harmoniously blended in the shadow of the
imposing Cerro de la Silla, the city’s distinctive symbol. The city has
beautiful surroundings, meaning that the state provides several
opportunities for ecotourism and adventure tourism. Grottoes, cascades,
dams, canyons, mountains and fascinating villages are just some of the
attractions that visitors will discover in the outskirts of Monterrey.
Monterrey was founded in 1596 by Diego de Montemayor with the name of the
Metropolitan City of our Lady of Monterrey, in honor of Gaspar de Zúñiga y
Acevedo, the count of Monterrey and viceroy of New Spain at the time. The
city then became the capital of the New Kingdom of León. Monterrey is the
result of a long history of progress and work, particularly from the end of
the 19th century onwards, when it spearheaded the country’s development.
This cosmopolitan city has combined colonial architecture with modern
buildings, creating daring and unusual contrasts. Its main attractions are
concentrated in the metropolitan area, particularly in the Macroplaza and
its surroundings. This area boasts civil and religious buildings, as well as
a variety of interesting museums, that bear witness to four centuries of
history. Its industrial nature, together with the fact that it is a border
state, have made Monterrey a wonderful shopping center, as well as a major
business center, since it has modern, functional malls, and hotels equipped
with conference halls. It is also the site of the largest business and
convention center in Latin America.
Sonora is the large, prosperous state located in the northeast of the
country. It is bounded by Chihuahua and Sinaloa and in the far northeast, it
joins Baja California. It borders on Arizona to the north and is washed by the
Gulf of California in the west. Its unusual landscape ranges from beaches to
valleys and from plains to mountains and deserts, with the Sierra Madre
Occidental stretching right across it.
It is inhabited by Yaquis, Mayos, Primas, Pápagos, Opatos, Seris and Guarijíos
that still preserve the customs and traditions of their ancestors. Spanish
presence is limited to the remains of Jesuit missions and towns that sprang up
around the mines. Sonora provides attractions for every taste: cave paintings,
spectacular natural scenery, ideal for adventure and ecotourism, regulated
hunting parks; an extensive shoreline with beautiful beaches and bays ideal for
water sports and sport fishing. Another of its attractions is its superb
cuisine, which combines seafood with the fruits of the land.
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Hermosillo, a silhouette reflected on the
desert and dunes, is a beautiful city illuminated by shafts of light dancing
in the streets and plazas, built on the tenacity and eloquence of its
inhabitants, who have learnt to deal with the explosive force of nature that
continuously interrupts everyday life. Yet they have also managed to tame
their natural environment, converting it into a synthesis of life, culture
and wealth. This wonderful spirit is what its inhabitants offer visitors.
The city of Hermosillo, located in the north of a semi-arid zone and just
107 km away from the Sea of Cortés, contains a variety of landscapes. A
blazing sun suspended in a blue sky, a desert that disappears on the
horizon, a vast, jagged sierra that bears traces of the passage of time,
powerful rivers with crystalline waters and wide, productive valleys
stretching as far as the sea. Its strategic position on the map, together
with its extensive railroad and road links, make it ideally located for
commercial development. It also has one of the most efficient education
systems in the country, which has enabled it to produce skilled technicians,
a fact reflected in its high level of industrial and agricultural
development, the pride of its inhabitants.
Hermosillo city, the capital of the state of Sonora, was founded in 1700,
under the name of Villa del Pitic, at the point where the Sonora and San
Miguel Horcasitas rivers meet. Sonora’s history is undoubtedly marked by
Father Eusebio Kino, whose work was not restricted to evangelization since
he collaborated in the teaching of agricultural techniques that allowed the
natives to construct cultural forms of survival. The bloody episodes
resulting from the Indian rebellions and the strike in Cananea, also left an
indelible imprint on the past of this fascinating place. Nowadays,
Hermosillo is a modern, attractive city offering a variety of activities.
Its broad avenues flanked by the beautiful architecture of its monuments and
plazas lets visitors explore the Historic Center, tour museums, sample
delicious, traditional food, admire the local craftwork. From here they can
take a short trip to the surrounding nature reserves and enjoy one of the
best tourist infrastructures in the country.
Tamaulipas is located In the extreme northeast of Mexico, bounded by
Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Veracruz, the Gulf of Mexico and Texas. The name is
derived from the Huastec Tamaholipa, "place where people pray a lot," referring
to the mission churches. However, neither the Conquest nor the subsequent
evangelization was to have any significant effect on these regions. Located
midway between the tropics and the cool steppes, this state has contrasting
scenery: high mountainous areas, fertile plains and coastlines with miles of
beaches, some almost unspoiled and others virtually unknown. Tamaulipas also
offers biosphere reserves, paths with springs, grottoes, limestone sinkholes and
even desert. One of Tamaulipas’ main activities is cattle raising, while its
artisans produce superb leather goods. Its fiestas and dances are famous and its
cuisine extremely distinctive.
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Tampico is a warm, friendly and including,
the people from Tampico know how to treat visitors, be they immigrants,
tourists or just passing through. It is the city where one thousand
languages have ceased to exist and where one thousand voices have stuttered
their first words in Spanish. It is also a happy, fun-loving city that was
built by hard labor and with the richness of the land and the sea, and it
has an extraordinary history. Tampico looks especially attractive today, as
it has been looked after and rejuvenated by its inhabitants, who are very
proud of their city. The archetypal wooden houses and big elegant buildings
combine together to form a most unusual Mexican urban landscape. Walking
through the Historic Center of Tampico is like walking towards the
beginnings of the modern age. But Tampico is not only tradition. Its urban
development took spaces for recreation and amusement into consideration, and
visitors can fill the hours doing a lot of really fun things: parks, lakes,
archeological sites, modern bridges and the space reserved for the
conservation of nature is limited only by the warm sea of the Gulf of
Mexico.
 The
origins of the city of Tampico date back to the first years of the colonies
when Brother Andrés de Olmos founded the town of San Luis de Tampico north
of its current location on April 26, 1554. The richness of its salt mines
and the need to find a location more in accordance with its vocation brought
about the founding of modern Tampico on April 12, 1823. Its name at that
time was Santa Anna de Tampico. During its peak years, silver from San Luis
Potosí left its docks and imported goods, clothes and prefabricated wooden
houses that would set the style of the city’s architecture landed there.
Towards the end of the 19th century, facilities were built to receive coal
from Europe, and when the coal industry went into crisis, the port became
the biggest throat to exhale oil. The arrival of thousands of immigrants
from all over the world helped the city flourish. The city of Tampico is
linked with two other towns that together form the metropolitan area: Almira
to the north and Ciudad Madero to the south. Located on the left hand side
of the Panuco River that arrives here almost dried up from its furiously
flowing journey down the Eastern Sierra Madre, Tampico is currently the
second most important port in Mexico and it could not have a better
geographical location from the point of view of international trade.
Zacatecas, the name comes from the Nahuatl, zacatl meaning grass and co
meaning place: "place where the grass is plentiful." It is located in the
northern central region of Mexico and is bounded by Coahuila, San Luis Potosí,
Aguascalientes, Jalisco and Durango. The region was originally inhabited by
sedentary communities yet by the time the Spaniards arrived, it was inhabited by
nomadic groups. Remains of the former can be found in La Quemada and Altavista
that constituted part of the Chalchihuites culture. The discovery of silver
deposits led to the foundation of what is now the city of Zacatecas. The Church
encouraged the construction of magnificent religious and civil buildings, which
eventually led to the city’s being declared a World Heritage site. The state of
Zacatecas offers culture in the form of fascinating museums, cable-car ri of the
mines, villages where one can admire the work of Zacatecas’ silversmiths, and
elegant cities such as Jerez, Fresnillo des to the La Bufa hill, tours and
Sombrerete.
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Zacatecas City is an example of the splendor
of the colonial era; the pink stone filigree used in its cathedral and
monasteries dates from this period. The late 19th century also saw the
creation of a number of enduring works such as the wrought ironwork adorning
its balconies and the Teatro Calderón. At the same time, the city boasts
traditions such as its traditional Mexican cowboys and silver and
leatherwork and some of the most important museums in the country, including
one with masks from every region and another with sculpture and painting
ranging from the Greeks to Picasso, the nearby archaeological zone of La
Quemada and the Viceregal Museum of Guadalupe.
 Zacatecas:
you can go down a mine or soar above the city in a cable car; stroll through
its cobbled streets that take you into the past and explore the museums that
keep objects frozen in time; discover its traditions and take part in its
celebrations. Accustomed since its foundation to being a border, in the
past, Zacatecas was a center of Mesoamerican culture and the bastion of the
Conquest in its progress towards the north. Nowadays, the city shares the
industrial vigor of the other northern states, the attachment to tradition
of the south and is proud of its contribution to Mexico as a World Heritage
site.
Founded in 1546 by the soldier Juan de Tolosa who swore he had found silver,
despite his companions’ mockery, the city soon proved him right and made him
a wealthy man. Zacatecas was one of the most important capitals of New
Spain: the Franciscans alone controlled 58 monasteries from there, their
influence reaching as far as the south of the United States. In 1715, it had
40,000 inhabitants, a figure which, as a result of the wars that began with
Independence, it was not to recover until the late 1960’s. It entered the
modern age in 1857 with the establishment of a photographic workshop and its
inhabitants were astonished to see the city’s first car in 1902. On June 23
1914, it was seized by Francisco Villa in one of the decisive battles of the
Revolution.
With its three hundred thousand inhabitants, Zacatecas is located in the
north of the tableland, at an altitude of 2,500 m above sea level in an
irregular gully which causes it to rise and fall among the hills of El Cerro
and La Bufa, its unmistakable symbol. It has a mild, dry climate, with an
average temperature of 16º C although temperatures can fall to below zero in
winter.
Northern Mexico
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