Aguascalientes (state)
Aguascalientes is a state in the Bajío region of Mexico. The state has several attractions to visit such as the capital city's colonial architecture, and the San Marcos Fair , and offers activities such as hiking, sport fishing and cycling in the Sierra Fría nature reserve. Some tourists explore the former mining towns in the north of the state (in the municipalities of Asientos and Tepezalá), which are now almost ghost cities. The haciendas, hot springs, and baths scattered around the state are also of historical and recreational relevance.
- Not to be confused with Aguas Calientes, next to Machu Picchu, Peru.
Cities
- 🌍 Aguascalientes — the city has many parks, gardens and parks you can also see different buildings and old churches. The San Marcos Fair is held in this city
- 🌍 Asientos — small colonial mining town with historic sites and gracious charm
- 🌍 Calvillo — small, scenic colonial city with abundant guava orchards
- 🌍 San José de Gracia — small town known for its resilience and its iconic "Broken Christ" statue
Understand
Most of Aguascalientes' population of 1.4 million inhabitants (2019) live in its capital city. Its name means "hot waters" and originated from the abundance of hot springs that were found in the area.
Aguascalientes is the smallest state in Mexico by area, and 27th of the 29 states by population.
Get in
Aguascalientes International Airport (Lic. Jesús Terán Peredo) is outside the capital city, it has daily flights from Mexico City, Tijuana, Dallas/Fort Worth, and Houston.
Get around
Buses are the best way to get between cities. The biggest bus station in the state is in the capital, Aguascalientes, where you'll find the main bus station (Central de Autobuses) on the south side of the city. Aguascalientes is served by major bus lines including Primera Plus, Omnibus de Mexico, and ETN. Smaller, local bus lines serve local routes and nearby towns. Because Aguascalientes is a very small state, a taxi to anywhere is affordable and often the most convenient way to get between destinations.
🌍 Central de Autobuses, Av de la Convención de 1914 Sur 408, Las Américas, Aguascalientes. The bus station, is on the south side of the first ring, 5 km (3 miles) from main square.
See
The state's capital city has gained the reputation as a great destination for its superb colonial architecture visible in the colonial center, as well as the modernity and dynamism in the outskirts.
El Cristo Roto ("the Broken Christ") is a sculpture that measures about 25 m and sits on an island of the Plutarco Elías Calles Dam in the municipality of San José de Gracia. There is also the Sanctuary of the Broken Christ where you can see the different types of Christs to scale that the different churches in the state have. Access to the sculpture is only by waterway by boat and when arriving at the island, you must climb a staircase to reach the sanctuary and the sculpture. (Daily 07:00-19:30, boat fare adult M$30, child M$20.
Do
- The San Marcos Fair is held in the city of Aguascalientes annually between April and May.
- The Festival de las Calaveras (Festival of Skulls) is held in the city of Aguascalientes in the last week of October and the first week of November. It includes the parade of the skulls, exhibition of crafts related to the day of the dead, traditional gastronomy pavilions, and the so-called "living altar".
- Boca de Túnel adventure park, about 15 km north of the city of San José de Gracia on the San José De Gracia-Tortugas Highway, is a system of canyons where you can do extreme sports such as climbing, going up one of the two zip lines that exist, passing over hanging bridges. The park also has a camping place and cabins
- The Sierra Fría Nature Reserve in the northeast of the state includes the municipalities of San José de Gracia, Calvillo, Rincón de Romos, Jesús María and Pabellón de Arteaga. You can do various activities such as camping, hiking, sport fishing, guided walks and cycling. Its oak and pine forests and wide ravines are home to pumas, lynxes, boar, white-tailed deer, wild turkey, raccoons and many other animals.
- Thermal spas are what gave the state its name. Soak in the mineral baths in the Aguascalientes, Calvillo or one of the smaller outlying towns.
Buy
There are various handicrafts and textiles that can be purchased in the state such as frayed, hook and majolica fabrics, and saddlery. In the municipality of Jesús María you can obtain wood carving and quarry.
Eat
The gastronomy of Aguascalientes was influenced by the foods of the neighboring states and varies depending on the city. The typical foods of the state are the menudo, the birria dish, the "chascas" and the enchiladas that are accompanied with pickled pork and vegetables. You can also enjoy chiqueadas gorditas in the municipality of Jesús María. In the city of Aguascalientes there are the flutes, golden tacos, and there is also the Mercado Juárez where you can find various dishes such as the best birrierías in the state and have the traditional Menudo for breakfast on Sundays. In San Francisco de los Romo they have the traditional elaboration ofcarnitas, in Pabellón de Arteaga are the traditional burritos.
The municipality of Calvillo is the largest producer of guavas in Mexico.
Stay safe
Aguascalientes is often regarded as the safest city in Mexico, and while crime can occur anywhere, the state has one of the country's lowest crime rates.