The Bad and The Ugly about Guanajuato City, Mexico, Contributed by @TangerineTravels
We've been in Guanajuato for just under a week, so we're by no means experts in this area. It's not a very big city so we've been able to explore quite a lot of it in this short amount of time. Through our explorations, we've found some things we love, some things we hate, and everything in between.
Admittedly, there are WAY more things we like about this city than dislike, but this blog post is going to focus on the things we dislike. Keep an eye out for part 2 where we'll go over the things we like and love.
Power lines
This city is so colorful and has a ton of pretty houses and buildings. However, they haven't learned how to hide their powerlines. These things are seriously all over the place! It would make the city look much better if they could find a way to make power/cable/internet lines less prominent.
Graffiti
You'll find quite a bit of graffiti here which detracts from the aesthetic of the city. I was just saying today that an artist could make a good living by doing graffiti cover-ups. Similar to tattoo artists that make a good living from tattoo cover-ups, where are the talented graffiti artists at? Holla!
Lack of services
It's not a large city by any means, but it's not tiny either. For a city of this size, where are all the services at? We've been to a lot of Mexican cities and have seen far more services in every single one! Even in the much smaller towns!
While this is a negative in our eyes, it offers business opportunities to the entrepreneurial kind. Want to start a business in Guanajuato? Consider opening a lavanderia (full-service laundromat). We've walked through this city for quite a few hours and have yet to see one, which is a stark contrast to the other cities we've visited.
Lack of stores
What to furnish your home in Guanajuato? Good luck! You'll need it.
While this city has quite a few people, it doesn't have very many options to buy household goods or furniture. For these things, you might need to take a several-hour trip to Guadalajara via some relatively-expensive toll roads.
Steep hills
The city of Guanajuato is essentially built into the sides of mountains. It makes for some interesting drives and walks through the streets. Most of the homes and apartments are located up in the hills/mountains, so if you live here, be prepared to get really good at hiking! You'll have to walk up and down a ton of steep hills and stairs.
Driving is a nightmare!
As I just mentioned, the hills are steep! Not only that, many are also extremely narrow! Most of this city was constructed well before cars were a thing, so I'm sure it never crossed anyone's mind that they might need to make more space in between the houses.
Not only is there very little space to drive a car, throughout most of the city, there are almost no parking spots! You'll find people parked in any tiny space where they might be able to fit their car.
If we lived here, we would not want a car. We would take some other form of transportation everywhere we went. We'd take the bus, a cab, Uber, or walk anywhere and everywhere. As long as we're staying here, our car will be left on the street right outside of our Airbnb.
Cars are parked anywhere and everywhere that they might be able to fit. This car's tires are barely touching the earth.
There are many more things that we love about this city than dislike, so stay tuned for our next blog where we cover all of the great things that this city has to offer!
That part of the World is a test, I found that when you move in line with their crazy approach you can see the funny side a whole lot more. I just think they don't take life that seriously, and although that can be frustrating (case in point parking) its actually quite endearing at the same time. Interesting lowdown and love the colors of the houses!
They have a sense of humor about a lot of things. For example, in Mazatlán, golf cart like taxis are prevalent. When riding in them, you'll be breathing in their fumes the whole time. They call them "Pulmonias" which translates to a specific lung disease.
There's way more we like about this city than dislike and the colorful homes are a big selling point!
i like the fact that mexico looks colourful
i am a nigerian and have always had this flare to want to travel to mexico for sight seeing. i love the culture of the people and the intonations in some names.
Holla amigos haha
Guanajuato is a gorgeous colorful city, probably the most colorful in all of Mexico! But, Mexico is often known for its vibrant colors!
wow...can't wait to be there someday tho
Its really nice that you've outlined some "not so pleasant" observations that you noticed during your tour in Guanajato City, because who know? , someone/some group of people who could help eradicate some of thses problems might be reading.
I would also love you to know that some of these problems stated above are also present in some pther parts of the world.
Yea these are also a major problem in some parts of Nigeria, where I'm from.
Even though there were some "Problems," there are many more things that we like about the city than dislike. I was actually struggling to come up with enough negatives to write a post about it.
It's a mountainous town built long before cars existed, so I suppose one should expect that there'd be a lack of space to park cars.
Where we are from (US) most of the power lines are underground. I don't know if that's even possible here in Guanajuato (considering it's built on a mountain), but it would sure make for even better photo opportunities in this gorgeous city.
Really its true line
(The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.)
Keep enjoy dear your life.
wow this was educational.
I love the simplicity but yes a lack of conveniences can be frustrating
Despite the lack of services and some other things, we still really like this city!
Beautiful pictures :)
Nice photos
I've seen your last post about your Guanajuato travels - more on the good side. While these may not be so bad, it would make a great different to get these things resolved. And just by basing on your experience, getting around the city might be better via a motorcycle. 😊
Welcome to Mexico. I have been living in Mexico for a while and it is very interesting. Thank you for the article.
me gusta mucho tu trabajo