Pachuca
Pachuca (also known as Pachuca de Soto) is a city of almost 300,000 people (2020) in the state of Hidalgo, that draws visitors with its well-preserved historical center and mining heritage.
Understand
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The capital of Hidalgo State, its history is intrinsically entwined with mining since the Aztec days. After the conquista, the Spanish hired Cornish labor and innovation to help with further mining. But due to political instability and wild fluctuations in the price of precious metal values, Pachuca eventually diversified into other areas, including tourism.
The city occupies a small valley and is almost completely surrounded by large hills, which are also covered in colorful houses. The city centre has maintained most of its colonial-era structures, with narrow winding streets. Away from the centre is the modern part of Pachuca, with warehouses, factories, supermarkets and a large football stadium called El Huracán (The Hurricane).
In addition to its role as a regional center, Pachuca may be known to some as the site where much of Club of Crows, a Netflix series, was shot. It is also fortunate to be close to a mountainous natural getaway known as Parque Nacional El Chico.
Many of the descendants of the Cornish miners who immigrated here in the 19th century remain in Pachuca and nearby Real del Monte. Two heritages define the city: football and a dish called "pastes".
Get in
By plane
Pachuca is accessed by flights to Mexico City, Benito Juarez International Airport (MEX) has direct buses to Pachuca leaving every 30 minutes from Terminal 1; Santa Lucia Airport (NLU) is the closest major airport if you are driving. Depending on traffic conditions, it takes about 90 minutes to arrive at this town.
By carpooling
You can have a look on Blablacar for shared rides. From Mexico City it's around M$70 (Jan 2022) and from Puebla approx. M$130 (Jan 2022).
By bus
Pachuca is easy to reach by first class bus from several cities in the region, including from Mexico City's North station and Puebla's CAPU station (~2 hr, M$200). From the bus station, take a taxi or one of the combi minivans (M$7.5) to get to the old city center.
By car
Pachuca is about 90 km (56 miles) north of Mexico City. The road is flat with very few curves. Because it is a toll-highway, it's usually in good condition.
Get around
Pachuca is a good size city so you'll want to use the taxis or public transportation to get around. There is a local bus service operated by the city, but it doesn't go everywhere, so the most common way to get around is by combi (also called colectivo). Combis are small vans that drive along major roads, such as Blvrd. Felipe Angeles or Blvrd Marquez, and will pick up and drop off passengers anywhere along the route for a small fare (often M$10). Ask a local where the nearest combi route is and where it goes, or just look for a busy street and observe where the vans are stopping to pick up and drop off people. If you're not sure where the regular stops are, you can always just wave at an oncoming combi and the driver will stop (unless the van is already full, in which case he will pass you by). Combis have their destination (terminal point of their route) on a sign or painted on the front windshield.
Taxis are dependable and safe in Pachuca. Most hotels will call a radio taxi for you, if asked.
See
- 1 Reloj Monumental de Pachuca (Monumental Clock Tower). A clock tower built in 1910 to commemorate the centennial of the independence of Mexico. It is situated in Plaza Independencia.
- 2 Jardin de Arte, General Square, Calle Pedro Ma. Anaya 1, Centro. Urban sculpture garden provides a peaceful oasis next to the state capitol (Palacio de Gobierno Estatal). Lots of colorful murals. Tianguis are here on Saturday market days.
- 3 Parroquia de la Asuncion. Church from the 16th century with oil canvases from the same era inside, plus surrounding historical quarters around adjacent Plaza de la Constitucion.
- 4 Cristo Rey. Nice Jesus statue. Plus some fine views of the city if you walk around the terrace/stairwell.
- 5 Plaza Juárez. Main square (err, zocalo) of Pachuca with a Benito Juarez statue in the center and the state capital building and municipal theater fringing its borders.
- 6 Archivo Historico y Museo de Mineria, Asociación Civil, Javier Mina 110, ☏ +52 771 715 0976. 10ː00-18ː00 daily. History of mining in the area with mineral specimens and other mining exhibits like smelters and extractors on display.
- 7 El Cuartel del Arte (Art Barracks). A sampling of art.
- 8 SINAFO- Fototeca Nacional del INAH (Museo de la Fotografía). Photography museumː could be a little sleepy.
- 9 Parroquia de San Francisco. Colonial Catholic temple also from 16th century with the St. Francis of Asisi convent adjacent.
- 10 Interactive World Soccer Center/Pachuca Soccer Museum and Hall of Fame (Pachuca El Museo Del Futbol Salon De La Fama), ☏ +52 771 138 3040. Pachuca's soccer hall of fame and museum, for the soccer aficionado. Selfie-opportunity available in front of the gigantic soccer ball.
- 11 Pisal de Byron Gálvez (Parque David Ben Gurión). 08ː00-18ː00 daily. Outdoor plaza made up of pieced-together mosaics that you can walk upon.
- 12 Museo El Rehilete (Pinwheel Museum), Blvd Felipe Angeles km 84.5, ☏ +52 771 711 4722. More or less a children's museum but fairly interactive with a dino park, planetarium, and botanical garden.
- 13 Museo de Miniaturas Castillo de Dragones. Miniatures/toy museum inside a castle with dragons draped along the exteriors. Could be a bit kitschy.
- English Cemetery
- 14 Macromural of Pachuca (Mural de Palmitas), Guadalupe 204, Las Palmitas (behind Sam's Club). A whole neighborhood draped in pastel colors. If you feel like you're suddenly in an Easter egg land, you're probably in the right spot.
Do
- 1 Bioparque Convivencia Pachuca, Av Benito Juárez. 10ː00-17ː00 Tu-Su, closed M. Animal conservatory that is pretty dilapidated. Come here if you want to see a sad lion.
- 2 Tuzoofari, Camino Rural Rancho San Pablo (in Epazoyucan) (about 25 km southeast of Pachuca), ☏ +52 771 189 6600. 09ː00-17ː00 daily. A pretty dynamic safari experience with chances to feed the animals with supervision and tram car rides thru the park, etc.
- 3 Estadio Hidalgo, 2da B Juárez 102, Los Jales, ☏ +52 686 231 6595. Catch a pro soccer game almost any time of the year since the local team Club de Fútbol Pachuca (often known locally as Los Tuzos) plays in Mexico's top football league, the Liga MX which has two annual seasons. The stadium opened in 1993 and seats 30,000 fans. Pachuca is the oldest team in Mexico, tracing its roots to 1901 when it was founded by miners who had emigrated from Cornwall in southern England.
Buy
- 1 Mercado Primero de Mayo. 09ː00-19ː00 daily. This is the city's traditional main marketplace. A place to try local foods and look for local artisanal products.
- 2 Plaza Galerias Pachuca. Modern shopping mall with theater.
Eat
"Pastes". Derived from the Cornish pasty (but pronounced with a short "a" and "e",) this foodstuff is close to a baked empanada and was popularized by Cornish miners who took them as ready to eat treats for their lunch inside Hidalgo's silver mines. The original ones were filled with a mixture of leek, potatoes and ground meat, however the variety has now grown into a somewhat larger assortment. While there are literally hundreds of establishments selling pastes in Pachuca, "Kiko's" and "El Duque" are strongly recommended. Inquire about chile heat before tasting.
Budget
All these are in the city center:
Mid-range
Splurge
Drink
Sleep
Budget
- 1 Casa Alí - HOSTAL, Ingeniero Mineros 103, ☏ +52 771 747 0078. A friendly hostel option with breakfast. Also can arrange tours of nearby areas such as Parque Nacional Chico. M$487.
Mid-range
- 2 Privada 400 Casas & Suites, Dr Espinoza Arteaga 400, ☏ +52 771 713 7688. Kind of like staying in an apartment but without the lease. M$ 614.
- 3 Holiday Inn Express Pachuca, Blvd Luis Donaldo Colosio 220 Fracc, ☏ +52 771 273 0900. This is good if you want to stay in a concrete block franchise sort of place out in the suburbs that has a full breakfast and indoor pool. M$ 762.
- Hotel los Baños, Matamoros # 205 Colonia Centro. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Cheap and nice looking colonial style hotel. For luxury, you're probably better off in one of the other options nearby; while the rooms are clean, many things don't work well (windows, locks, internet), but it does come with TV access. Renovated in 2015. For the breakfast you have to pay additional M$60, which it probably is not worth it. Better option is to take breakfast in one of the many nice places nearby. M$ 400 for a single room.
Splurge
- 4 Hotel Emily, Calle Plaza de la Independencia, ☏ +52 771 715 0828. Here you can look out on the clock monument, and have a massage. M$ 847.
Stay safe
Connect
Cope
Go next
Mineral del Monte – 17 km
Parque Nacional (National Park) El Chico – 25 km. Not bad, monolithic escarpments rising up out of an alpine forest-type topography. Come prepared for some potentially cold weather while hiking though.
Mineral del Chico – 35 km. A pristine town that sort of functions as a service center or at least interesting respite before or after visiting Parque Nacional El Chico.
San Miguel Regla – 40 km
Santa Maria Regla – 40 km
Thermal baths, for example the Grutas Tolantongo – 120 km. Breathtaking hot springs. Featuring grottos, a water tunnel, river, bridge, waterfalls, pools and trekking. The admission is M$150 (Jan 2022), only payable in cash. The attractions in the park are open daily up to 20:00. You can also do camping there.
Xoxafi Caves – 50 km
Tolantongo Caves – 120 km
Prismas basalticos – 40 km