Zacatecas (state)

• 🌍 Zacatecas — a colonial silver-mining city nestled in a gorge, the capital of the state
• 🌍 Fresnillo — the center of a rich mining area known especially for silver
• 🌍 Guadalupe — one of the Mexico's Pueblos Mágicos due to its architectural wealth
• 🌍 Jalpa — a colonial-style city, modeled by the French in the 19th century
• 🌍 Jerez de García Salinas — a provincial colonial town situated on a basin
• 🌍 Nochistlán — known for the beautiful architecture of its town square and as a city where music always plays
• 🌍 Pinos — like all the mining towns, its filled with spectacular churches and plazas, but Pinos diferentiates itself with its celebrations of popular culture, like the dances of Matachines and Feathers
• 🌍 Sombrerete — a quiet town that gives a real sense of "old Mexico"
• 🌍 Teúl — charming colonial style town where mezcal is made and loved, one of Mexico's Pueblos Mágicos

• 🌍 Sierra de Organos National Park — scenic park with hundreds of unusual rock formations, on the border with the state of Durango

The name Zacatecas is derived from Nahuatl and means "where there is abundant zacate (grass)".

The state has three main geographical regions, the Sierra Madre Occidental in the west, the Mexican Plateau and the Sierra Madre Oriental. Most of it is in the Sierra Madre Occidental with highly rugged peaks of over 2,500 meters above sea level. The mountains of the southeast and northeast are lower but there are large valleys such as the Juchipila and Tlaltenango. Most of the territory has only small mesas and other areas of flat land. In the center of the state there is a small mountain chain called the Sierra de Fresnillo, from which much of the state's mineral wealth comes. In the extreme northwest there is another important mountain chain called the Sierra de Sombrerete, marked by a mountain called Sombreretillo, which is an important source of mineral wealth. Near this chain is another called the Sierra de Órganos.

Tourism includes the capital along with the designation of "Pueblos Mágicos" such as Jerez, Teul de Gonzalez Ortega and Sombrerete, along with the shrine of the Santo Niño de Atocha, which is visited by thousands every year. It also includes archeological sites such as Alta Vista and La Quemada along with thermal springs such as Paraíso Caxcan.

There is an international airport in the capital, which has national and international service with national flights to Tijuana and international flights to Chicago-Midway. and Los Angeles.

The main routes that cross the state are: Federal Highway 23 Fresnillo - Chapala; Federal Highway 25 Aguascalientes - Loreto; Federal Highway 44 Fresnillo - Valparaíso; and Federal Highway 54 Saltillo - Zacatecas.

Because of the security situation, foreigners should consider staying in the capital and not driving around the countryside.

The state of Zacatecas has six Magic Towns: Jerez de García Salinas, Teúl de González Ortega, Sombrerete, Pinos, Nochistlán de Mejía, and Guadalupe.

Sierra de Órganos National Park has several steep elevations and capricious rock formations originated by various climatic and geological factors, with a shape similar to that of cacti or that of the pipes of those musical instruments from which it takes its name. It is a refuge for some endemic animal species in the region and others in danger of extinction. It is a popular place for the practice of extreme sports such as cycling, hiking and also for the scenic beauty of its landscapes

Traditional favorite foods include gorditas and panecillos, both made from corn and can be sweet or savory, depending on the filling. Wheat breads include panochas and semitas. Condoches are gorditas made with fresh corn cooked in corn husks. Gorditas de cuajada are representative of food on ranches. Meat is most typically prepared as part of a stew to which vegetables such as corn, chickpeas, squash, rice and more are added. One well-known meat preparation is asado de boda, which is pork in a sauce made with mild red chili peppers.

Traditional beverages include pulque, aguamiel, aguardiente and mezcal as well as a purely local beverage called colonche, made by fermenting a cactus fruit.

Small artesanal mezcal distilleries operate in parts of Zacatecas, mostly near the border with Jalisco. Some make varietal mezcals from a single type of agave, while others are blended spirits. Mezcal varietals in Zacatecas include the Masparillo, Tepemete, and Azul produced by the Bañuelos distillery, as well as others. There are about 10 mezcal distilleries in the state: in addition to Bañuelos, look for Huitzla, Don Ramon, El Zacatecano, Kimo Sabe, Mala Noche, Luminar and Mexicat. Some of these produce young blanco mezcals only while others have a darker añejo.

Zacatecas is a state where people drink beer, mezcal or tequila. There are few wine drinkers, although two intrepid vintners have established wineries in the state and (mostly red) grapes are grown in three municipalities. The two vineyards are Tierra Adentro and Vinicola el Consuelo. Seek these out if you've got a curious tongue and want to support local craft wineries.

Plan only daytime activities, preferably staying within a single urban area, rather than traveling around the state.

• Durango is a state near Zacatecas.
• Aguascalientes
• San Luis Potosi