THINGS TO DO IN AND AROUND TAXCO

IN TOWN
Churches, churches, churches.

Ex Convento or Convento de San Bernardino lies along side Calle Benito Juarez the main street entering the town. It is our personal favorite and probably best seen from upabove the zocolo. Also just off this street is Chavarietta church.

Iglesia de Santa Prisca y San Sebastian is the most famous church in town and it dominates the small zocolo. Guadalupe church is up above the town and is most remarkable for the view from its small plaza. Tiny and charming, Ojeda church is a steep walk up Calle Ojeda. Vera Cruz church is just down the road from Plaza Bernal on Calle Juan Ruiz de Alarcon. There is a very old church in Plaza Parque Guerrero and San Miguel church is on the right on the road from Parque Guerrero leading down to Avenue Kennedy.

Casa Borda on the zocolo is the very old former private home of Don Jose de la Borda, the man who built Santa Prisca and many of the fountains you will see in your walks around town.

Casa Humboldt, now home to the Museo de Arte Sacro Virreinal, is on Calle Juan Ruiz de Alarcon. This was built as a private home for the Villanueva family, but became known as Casa Humboldt when Alexander Von Humboldt visited Taxco and stayed there overnight in 1803.

Museo William Spratling sits behind Santa Prisca. It was built and funded by the town after Spratling's death and houses much of his collection of Pre-Columbian art replicas.

Silver, silver, silver.

Visit any or all of the hundreds of silver shops in this small town. On Saturday there is a market just off Avenue Kennedy devoted entirely to silver. It's huge and crowded and lots of fun.

NEARBY

Acamistla--Visit this small town to shop for hand woven cotton textiles. The fabric makes great curtins and pillow covers. One man to ask for is Jorge Jimenez Gutierrez.

Cacolotenango--Take a combi to this small town off the highway toward Iguala and walk back to the main road.There's a beautiful centuries old church in the town of Cacolotenango, rivers, hacienda ruins, and an old mine to see along the way.

Hacienda San Francisco de la Cuadra--This is a very old hacienda just 15 minutes from Taxco. Any taxi will take you there and wait for your return trip. Once an exclusive hotel, it is now rented as a site for weddings and other special occasions. Don't miss the gigantic pool which is fed by an aqueduct leading down the mountain side.

A LITTLE FARTHER AWAY

Cuernavaca: The city of roses, Cuernavaca is a big town with a small town feel. By bus it is about 1 1/2 hours away and it offers lots of things to see. Don't miss having a coffee on the busy zocolo.

Cacahuamilpa Caves: Just 24 miles from Taxco, this cave system is truly wondrous and should not be missed. You will walk about a mile into caverns hundreds of feet high where stalagmites and stalagtites have developed over eons into something truly magical. Cacahuamilpa means Cacao Fields in the Aztec language, Najuatl.

Iguala: Just twenty miles and a world away, Iguala is 4000 feet lower in altitude than Taxco; it is a hot, dry place. It is a bustling small Mexican town with absolutely nothing devoted to tourism, but you may have a lovely time wandering around this lively small town where Mexican life is very real.

Ixcateopan: About an hour from Taxco, this is a lovely small village known for its white marble and for furniture making. There is a marvelous 16th century church housing the remains of the Aztec leader, Cuauhtemoc, and closeby are the 80 meters high waterfalls known as Cascadas de Cacalotenango.

Zoofari: Once a very non-commerical operation, this is a private zoo with over a 1000 animals representing more than 150 species. You can drive through an open area where animals roam freely, but there is now an elephant enclosure and more restrictive quarters for many of the animals. It is open every day from 9 to 5 PM. It is a little less than 16 miles away in Teacalco, Morelos. Tel: 01-7-320-9794 Fax: 01-7-321-3650
Web:http:// www.zoofari.com.mx

Photos & Text ©copyright K O'Donnell 2000