Saltillo
Saltillo is the capital of Coahuila state. Saltillo is a beautiful colonial city in Northern Mexico. It is a traditional city with a colorful history. Interior designers know Saltillo for its famous thick, lightly glazed, earthen ceramic floor tiles, and the brightly colored shawls known as sarapes are part of the city's colorful tradition.
Understand
A city that was an important point on the 19th-century Camino Real, yet a city with a diverse modern manufacturing economy. Today, Saltillo is a government center, a college town, and a manufacturing city with big factories outside the city limits producing chemicals, metals, auto parts, and trucks.
Get in
Plane, car, or bus are your basic options.
By plane
Convenient flight schedules are available to nearby Monterrey. There are direct buses from the airport to Saltillo. Senda has some daily departures for M$480 (March 2022). Otherwise take the Noreste bus from the airport to the central bus station of Monterrey for M$115 (March 2022). From there take one of the frequent intercity buses to Saltillo for about M$160 (March 2022).
By car
Saltillo is one hour west of Monterrey via Mexico Highway 40.
By bus
2 Terminal Central de Autobuses
The bus station is 4 km south of the city center. Many bus lines serve Saltillo, including Omnibus de Mexico, Transportes del Norte, Turistar, Futura (Estrella Blanca) and Senda. Trans-border buses to the U.S. are also available from Saltillo.
From Monterrey there are many bus companies departing frequently from the bus station. The price is about M$160 (March 2022). You can check the departure times and prices on CheckMyBus or ClickBus. The buses don't stop in the city center of Saltillo. If you want to exit the bus somewhere else than at the Saltillo bus terminal, ask if the bus makes additional stops inside the city. For most hotels, you'll want to drop off at the 3 Hospital del Niño bus stop, in the northern part of the city, and take a taxi there. In this same spot, across the avenue, you can take a bus back directly to the airport.
Get around
On foot
The centro historico can be explored on foot
By e-hailing
Didi serves the city. You can also try inDriver. Uber also serves the city (February 2023).
By bus
Between the bus station and the city center go the frequent buses marked "Pereferico". It costs M$13 (March 2022) and they operate until 9:30pm.
By taxi
Taxi service is widely available in Saltillo. Taxis are usually waiting at the various sitios around town, including the main plaza downtown and the bus station. You can also call for a radio taxi 24 hours a day. Be sure to ask what the fare will be in advance. Taxi operators includeː
- Taximetro Saltilloː +528444156101
- Radio Taxi Saltilloː +528444126760
- Radio Auto Taxiː +528444148972
- Mister Taxiː +528441039732
- Taxi 5 de Mayoː +528442766112
By sightseeing tour
You can explore downtown Saltillo with the TranVia trolley system. You can get on and off 4 times. TranVia does not operate on Mondays.
See
- 1 Museum of Birds of Mexico (Museo de las Aves de México), Miguel Hidalgo Y Costilla Norte 151, ☏ +52 844 414 0168. Large, modern museum showcasing more than 2,000 stuffed and mounted birds, representing nearly every species found in Mexico. For adults it's M$55 (March 2022).
- 2 Museo de la Katrina, Calle Ignacio Allende 720 A, Centro. Colorful nice-styled museum about Mexican traditions featuring skeletons! The entry is M$50 (March 2022).
- 3 Coahuila State Government Palace (Palacio de Gobierno de Saltillo). Attractive colonial era state house featuring bright open courtyards and a series of murals depicting Coahuila history, painted by Salvador Tarazona.
- 4 Saltillo Cathedral, Nicolás Bravo Norte 125, ☏ +52 844 414 0230. Stunning cathedral built in the mid 18th century, spectacular churrigueresque facade, 6-inch thick doors of carved mahogany and cedar featuring St. Paul and St. Peter, stunning silver-plated altar.
- 5 Cristo de las Galeras. A big statue of Christ and a nice view over city. It's more recommended to visit it during day-time. No entry fee.
- 6 Museum of the Desert (Museo del Desierto), Carlos Abedrop Dávila 3745, ☏ +52 844 986 9000. Large, modern museum organized as a series of pavilions, each exploring a particular aspect of desert life. The focus is on the enormous Chihuahua desert, and the museum's centerpiece is an enormous T-Rex skeleton, excavated in the nearby desert. Great for kids! Adults M$195 (March 2022).
- 7 Parque Alameda Zaragoza. Tranquil city park featuring towering cedars and long walkways through an immaculately landscaped garden. Playgrounds for kids, benches for strolling lovers on a Sunday afternoon.
- 8 Vito Alessio Cultural Center (Centro Cultural Vito Alessio Robles), Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla Nte. 2, ☏ +52 844 412 8458. Relatively small museum, located a block from the cathedral at the corner of Hidalgo and Aldama. Not a lot to see, but admission is free and it is the site of a fascinating series of murals depicting the history of Coahuila, and life of Vito Alessio, a revolution-era general born in the local area.
- 9 Residential Villa Bonita. Beautiful styled villas. The complex also includes a park. 12 km away from the center.
Do
- Saraperos de Saltillo, are the local Mexican League baseball team. Between March and August, catch a game at the Parque Francisco Madero.
Out of town trips
- You can do a trip into the mountains. At 10am a regional bus leaves the central bus station in the direction of El Tunal and Los Lirios.
Buy
ATMs with low withdrawal fees in the center are:
• 1 Banco del Bienestar ATM for just M$12 (March 2022).
• 2 BanCoppel ATM inside the Coppel store
• Banco Azteca inside the electra stores
• citibanamex
• Santander
Next to the bus station in the Soriana are Santander and BanCoppel ATMs.
For buying groceries in the center there are Oxxo, 7-eleven and minimarkets (tiendas) around. A bigger variety has the 3 Merco supermarket. Right next to the main bus station is the large supermarket Soriana.
- Galerias Saltillo, Blvd. Nazario Ortiz Garza #2345 Col. Tanque de Peña (Just a couple of blocks off 40), ☏ +52 844 412 8458. 11:00-21:00. This is the local upscale shopping mall. It features several popular chain stores and also a number of small boutiques. The prices are comparable to the United States (no good deals here), but the products are interesting. Many things are made in Mexico. There is good access to ATMs here. Parking costs M$5 for two hours.
Eat
Some unique regional dishes that are specialties of Saltillo include:
- Pan de pulque - a sweet delightfully airy bread that owes its texture to the use of fermented agave juice in its batter. Widely available throughout the city. For example the 1 Panadería La Reyna has it. You can also grab a loaf to go from the shops across the street from the bus station.
Street Food
There is a few street food in Saltillo.
Budget
in the city center:
- 4 La Penumbra. Simple traditional restaurant with main dishes for M$90 (March 2022). It's behind the long hallway.
off downtown:
- Los Pioneros - The best place to go for tacos.
Mid-range
- Nikkori, Blvd. Venustiano Carranza 2665-7, ☏ +52 844 416 7997. Japanese cuisine.
- Terrazo Romana, Purcell across from Alameda Zaragoza, ☏ +52 844 414 9743. Wood-fired pizza is the star of this casual restaurant.
- Galpao du Brasil, 25204 Saltillo ☏ +52 844 432 1257. Brazilian meat, waiters walk around with skewers of meat.
- La Casa del Caballo, ☏ +52 844 432-4729. Boulevard Venustiano Carranza S/N. Col. Saltillo Centro. Saltillo Coah. Expect big slabs of meat.
Splurge
- El Mesón Principal, Blvd Venustiano Carranza y Ave. Egipto, ☏ +52 844 415 0015. Traditional Northern Mexico cooking, as the racks of kid goat slow-roasting over hot coals prove beyond any doubt.
Drink
- Boss, Blvd. Venustiano Carranza 2665-7.
- Carlos’n Charlie’s, Blvd. Venustiano Carranza No. 3070, ☏ +52 844 416 4842.
- Faisanes, Carretera Los González between Blvd. Colosio y Moctezuma, ☏ +52 844 439 8008.
- Joy Bar, Blvd. Cuahutémoc, Col. Los Pinos, ☏ +52 844 485 0251. Discotech.
- El Olmo Disco Bar, Blvd. Valdés Sánchez, Col. Jardines del Valle, ☏ +52 844 415 6838.
- 1 Polanquito, Calle Allende Sur 225, ☏ +52 844 414 4339. Push back a Modelo with some appetizers.
- 2 Cerveceria Huérfana, Plaza Galeria Local 9 Blvd. Venustiano Carranza (Carr. Monterrey - Saltillo), ☏ +52 844 432 0254. M-Sa 15:00 - 00:00, Su 14:00 - 21:00. Craft brewery with a gastropub serving innovative pizzas, burgers and more. A typical range of ales is served including an American wheat, a golden ale, a brown ale and a stout.
Sleep
Budget
in the center
- 1 Hotel Premier, Calle Ignacio Allende 508, Cd Satélite Norte, ☏ +528444121050. Check-in: 15ː00, check-out: 12ː00. Basic hotel on a busy street. Dated facilities but good location and low prices. M$520 (Feb 2023).
- 2 Hotel Saade. For M$600 (March 2022) for one person.
- 3 Hotel Bristol. If your budget is low, check this basic hotel out. It's for M$350 for one and M$400 for two persons (March 2022).
around the bus station
Mid-range
- 6 Holiday Inn Eurotel, Blvd. Venustiano Carranza 4100, ☏ +52 844 438 8888. Pleasant moderate hotel on outskirts of Saltillo. Off-street parking makes it a good bet for motorists. TranVia trolley stop.
- 7 Hotel Urdiñola, Calle Guadalupe Victoria 211, Centro, ☏ +528444140940. Check-in: 15ː00, check-out: 12ː00. Authentic old-style colonial hotel in the heart of downtown. Rooms are small with dated decor, but that's part of the charm. Very inexpensive with good service. Safe area. M$570 (January 2023).
Splurge
- 8 Quinta Real Saltillo, José Sarmiento 1385, ☏ +52 844 438 8450. A luxury hotel about 10 minutes north of downtown.
Connect
- Art.net & Cibercafé, Xicotencatl 182 Sur - Centro, ☏ +52 8 412 0652, [dead link]. Around M$25 per hour for internet use. 10:00-03:00.
Stay safe
Like the rest of Northern Mexico, Saltillo is prone to occasional violence. Avoid being out alone at night, a good guideline is to avoid bars, casinos, and bad neighborhoods, and be in by dark. Travel with another person when possible, even in the daytime. Don't drive unless you are accustomed to Mexican driving and roads.
Cope
- Saltillo international church. A nondenominational Christian church. The pastor and his family are American, from Oklahoma. The messages are preached in English with Spanish translation.
Go next
Your next destination for staying can be...
in the north-east
- Monterrey – 85 km
- Laredo (Texas, USA) – 220 km. From there to San Antonio.
in the west
- Parras de la Fuente – 150 km
in the north-west
- Cuatro Ciénegas – 280 km
in the south
- Real de Catorce – 290 km. A ghost town, which still has several open hotels.
- Matehuala – 250 km. On the way to San Luis Potosí.
- San Luis Potosí – 450 km. The first-class bus company Apolo Platinum goes to San Luis Potosí for just M$400 (March 2022). It departs daily at 11:45am. Ask the bus company in whatsapp (+525565788344) if the 11:45am departure is not shown on the website. The 1 Apolo Platinum bus station is near the main bus station of Saltillo.
- Zacatecas – 380 km
in the east
by air
Nearby Monterrey has many direct low cost flights, for example to Puerto Vallarta, Cancún, Mexico City, San José del Cabo, Oaxaca and Tuxtla in Chiapas (from the Tuxtla airport to San Cristobal de las Casas)