TAXCO – MEXICO’S SILVER CITY

Visit Mexico’s Beautiful Silver City

Updated Apr 2022

Taxco is a city in the mountains of central Mexico in the state of Guerrero. It is spread over the side of a mountain, about a three-hour drive southwest of Mexico City. Nevertheless, it is effortless to get to Taxco from Mexico City by bus.

Silver

Taxco is Mexico’s Silver City. It is famous for its silver mines and the production of all things made of silver. As a result, the city has hundreds of small stores selling everything from key chains to dishes and jewellery made of silver.

Taxco Streets

Aside from the silver, the city is a lovely place, spread out with narrow streets, obviously made before the use of automobiles. The cobblestone streets are lined with old but well-maintained buildings with lots of flowers on windowsills and balconies. Consequently, it is very picturesque but dangerous for pedestrians as there are no sidewalks except on the main street at the bottom of the mountain.

The silver mine in Taxco recently closed as the resource is depleted. However, silver mines still operate in other nearby towns. In Taxco, tourism has replaced mining as the primary source of income. People come from all over the world to see the beautiful city and purchase some silver at bargain prices.

Santa Prisca Church

In the centre of the city is the beautiful Santa Prisca church.   Built between 1751 and 1758, it is the city’s focal point.   Opposite the plaza (called the zocalo) from the church are a couple of excellent restaurants where, if you are lucky, you can get a table on the balcony with a view of the church and the plaza.   Most of all, it is a great place to stop for a meal or just a drink.

Beetle Invasion

Beetles have invaded Taxco. No, I don’t mean it is infested with insects, and I am not talking about impersonators of the British singing group. These beetles are of the German variety. Taxco is swarming with Volkswagen beetles and vans. They vastly outnumber all other vehicles, and you will see about eight of them at any given time anywhere in the city. Volkswagen vans serve as a fleet of city buses, and you can see dozens of them in a row.

Click here for a short YouTube video of beetles in Taxco.

https://youtu.be/vNf73zPi_34[/

These photos and the video were taken a few years ago. Therefore, I don’t know if the beetles are still common there.

Things to do in Taxco.

• City Tour.   No guide or vehicle is needed. So, just walk around and explore. In the centre of town, the church of Santa Prisca is a must be included in your tour. Elaborate carvings cover most of the inside,
• Silver. Explore the many silver shops, and if you leave without buying some silver, you will be a rare person indeed.
• Masks. Check around for people selling Aztec masks made of stone. They are unique and beautiful souvenirs or gifts and are very inexpensive here. You would pay many times the Taxco price in Mexico City.
• Hotel Monte Taxco. Accessible by car or gondola, it is the best hotel in the city. It has a swimming pool with a magnificent view. An excellent place to spend a day but far from town and the cost of a taxi or the gondola, added to the cost of the hotel and fancy restaurant, make it expensive. Expensive by Mexican standards means it costs about the same as an average hotel in Canada and other countries. Nevertheless, it would be nice to spend one night there as your last night after a couple of nights in town.
• Birds. If you are a birder, there are not many to see in town but lots on the mountaintop near Hotel Monte Taxco.
• Take a ride in a Volkswagen beetle taxi.

The pool at the Monte Taxco Hotel. Probably one of the top five views anywhere in the world from a swimming pool.

Silver key chains and stone Aztec masks make great souvenirs or gifts from Taxco.

A tour of Mexico is not complete with a visit to Taxco. It is the prettiest city I have seen so far in Mexico (and I have been all over the country).