Saturday, October 10, 2020

A Day Trip to Dolores Hidalgo, a Pueblo Mágico in the State of Guanajuato

 A Nice Self-Guided Walking Tour and Trolley Tour

Parroquia Nuestra Señora de Los Dolores

     The famous city of Dolores Hidalgo is about thirty miles from San Miguel de Allende in the state of Guanajuato. Since we were spending two months in San Miguel, we couldn’t resist taking a day trip to explore this Pueblo Mágico, one of only 121 Magic Towns in México. Our Uber driver dropped us at the Italian restaurant, Da Monica where we had a delicious lunch and then started walking around centro.

Parroquia de la Asunción

     We wore masks during our walk, though we noticed many people in town did not so we stayed at least 1.5 meters away from others, as is recommended to avoid spreading the coronavirus. We made a point of visiting on a weekday which is less crowded than weekends in tourist towns.

A Street in Dolores Hidalgo Centro

     The city is best known for Father Miguel Hidalgo who was a Spanish Roman Catholic priest, a leader of the Mexican War of Independence, and recognized as the Father of the Nation. In the small town known simply as Dolores, Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla uttered his famous cry for the independence of Mexico (the Grito de Dolores) there in the early hours of September 16, 1810, in front of Parroquia Nuestra Señora de Los Dolores, the parish church. After Mexico achieved independence, the town was renamed Dolores Hidalgo in his honor. 

Jon and Bella Resting in the Plaza Principal

Ice Cream Time at Jardin del Grande Hidalgo

     The large principal city park, Plaza Principal, Jardin del Grande Hidalgo, across from the Parroquia Nuestra Señora de los Dolores was open, but not crowded. We had a rest and a bowl of ice cream while people watching, then a stroll around the park. The manicured plants, statues, and pretty park benches were as nice as the ones in San Miguel de Allende.

Monument to Miguel Hidalgo in El Jardin

     Our last adventure was to take the hour-long trolley tour. The trolley was open-air with only five tourists riding, including Jon and me—six if you count Bella, so we were well separated and all wearing masks, as required. The highlight of that tour was a stop at the panteón, the cemetery. We were grateful that we had taken this day trip to Dolores Hidalgo.

Cowboy Hat Sculpture Inside the Panteón


Jon with the Panteón Sculpture

Thank you for reading my articles and books. For more Healthy Living and Traveling in Mexico adventures, see my four-book series available on Amazon. I appreciate it if you leave a review on Amazon so others may find my books as well.

     I invite you to SIGN UP for my Healthy Living and Traveling in Mexico Monthly Newsletter, with stories about our latest adventures, my recent blog articles, and news about my books. Follow me on Facebook at Healthy Living and Traveling in Mexico.

Terry L Turrell, Author

2 comments:

  1. You said you had an Uber driver who dropped you off. I assume that means you used Uber from San Miguel to Dolores Hidalgo. Is Uber also available in Dolores Hidalgo for the return? Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for reading my article and for your question. No, Uber was not available in Dolores Hidalgo. We took a taxi on the return trip and it cost about 100 pesos more than Uber on the way there. Sorry for the delay in my reply to your question.
      Terry

      Delete