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Travel Guide
This Lesser Known Vibrant City In Mexico Wants More Tourists To Visit In 2025
02
Jan
Jan
Last Updated
Before you book your tickets out to Cancun for another year, ask yourself: when was the last time you truly got your mind blown on a trip?
We’re not talking about getting pampered as you lounge by the poolside doing nothing.
That’s undoubtedly nice, sure, but how about immersing yourself in a different culture, trying the actual local cuisine, not a gringo-friendly version of it, and just taking chances?
Mexico is so much more than the glamorous Caribbean, and if you’ve been craving more than just all-inclusive resorts and beach bars, this lesser-known gem is both a vibrant city break, and one of the country’s most welcoming destinations.
By welcoming, we mean it is actually eager to host you in 2025:
Saltillo Is One Of Mexico’s Many Unsung Cultural Hotspots
Serving as the capital of the Mexican state of Coahuila, Saltillo may be best known in Mexico for its high concentration of industries, with big names like General Motors, Tesla, and Magna all having set up plants there, but it shouldn’t be so quickly dismissed as a mere business hub.
As Governor Manolo Jiménez Salinas affirmed, there is plenty to be seen and experienced in the state, and Saltillo specifically, and 2025 is the year they’ll actively promote the state and its attractions through the ‘Surprise yourself with Coahuila!’ campaign.
In other words, they want more tourists to come and check it out for themselves, as for years now, Saltillo and other Coahuilan gems have mostly flown under the radar of international visitors, in particular Americans, landing in Mexico.
This might change next year, as a growing number of U.S. tourists are actively looking for more unique experiences when planning a trip abroad.
Well, they’re in luck, as Saltillo is not only one of the top hotspots for experiencing the ‘deep’ Mexico firsthand, without all the fluff, it is a centuries-old metropolis established as early as the Spanish Empire, back in the 16th century.
Needless to say, it’s accumulated a great deal of architectural marvels as its relevance grew and the centuries passed:
A Colonial Treasure Yet To Be Discovered By The Masses
Despite the city’s modern makeover, the downtown area, or what they call centro histórico, has retained much of its colonial-era charm.
It is centered around a cathedral-flanked Plaza de Armas, where a beautiful fountain still stands, and the religious monument itself, the Cathedral of St James the Apostle, is a stucco-carved wonder blending Baroque and ultra Baroque elements (or how they call it in Mexico, churrigueresque).
With its ornate facade and the iconic Altar of San José, which is silver-made, and so stunning, it toured the United States in a traveling exhibition for years before returning home, this cathedral is a must-see if you’re in Saltillo.
It’s easy to understate how diverse Mexico actually is and to reduce the country’s cultural fabric to its native, pre-Columbian civilizations and the Spaniards that colonized it, but in reality, similarly to the United States, this is a nation made up of numerous ethnic groups.
Irish Palaces, Gothic Churches, Spanish Plazas, You Name It
If you want to see something truly unique for any Mexican city, make sure you swing by Casa Purcell: it was built back in the 19th century in resemblance to a traditional Irish manor, and other than its architectural value, it now houses contemporary art exhibits.
Other opulent landmarks include the grandiose Casino, with a chandelier-lit hall that would give Monte Carlo’s a run for its money, the Fernando Soler City Theater, distinguished by its neoclassical exterior––it quite literally looks like a Greek temple!––and a 17th-century house belonging to…
The Purcells!
Yes, the same ones behind the naming of the Saltillo’s unusual Irish dwelling, and in case you’re wondering, they did not hail from the Emerald Isle themselves: they were, in fact, British, but hey, close enough to home.
This house is now Saltillo University’s Cultural Heritage Site, and it’s great for browsing through the city’s heritage in art.
There’s plenty more to be seen, from the Parish of San Esteban, built all the way back in 1592, at a time when the native Tlaxcaltecs still inhabited the area, to the Gothic-style Sanctuary of Guadalupe, famous for its flying buttresses and clock tower.
As wondrous as they may be and would justify a visit to Saltillo on their basis alone, these amalgamation of stones are not the city’s only pride and joy:
Check Out All This Amazing Food
Dive headfirst into the local food scene at the buzzing Mercado Nuevo, a large public market crisscrossed with rows upon rows of stalls selling fresh produce, clothing, and even handicraft items, and make sure you try some of the local empanadas and tortas.
Prices range from 10 to 20 Mexican pesos (in other words, you’ll be spending a couple of dollars eating local).
Saltillo is widely known nationwide for its cuisine, and you truly haven’t been to Coahuila until you’ve sampled cabrito al horno, a slow-roasted kid (as in young goat, before you panic), served with tortillas, salsa, and occasionally with beans on the side.
The best cabrito in all of Saltillo has to be El Meson Principal‘s, a no-frills restaurant and steakhouse hosting live Mariachi performances every Friday, and moderately-priced menus: for instance, a cabrito main will cost you roughly $17, while tacos are $9-13.
For machaca, the other signature Saltillan dish, a.k.a rehydrated shredded beef cooked with eggs and presented with tortillas, head straight to Los Compadres, just one block from Blvd. Eulalio Gutiérrez.
Pro tip? Get the rancho soup for a starter!
If you’re looking for a place to stay within short distance of the main landmarks and all the best restaurants, a privately managed three-bedroom villa will set you back by only $46, in line with the cheaper prices observed for Saltillo as a whole.
Discover other incredible, inexpensive hidden gems of Mexico here.
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
