What to see and do in Leon Guanajuato. We present you some of the points and activities that you can do in the city.
Touristically speaking, it is overshadowed by its neighboring Guanajuato city and San Miguel de Allende, but you have to know that León is a city worth visiting. Either because of its churches, its pleasant square, its people dancing salsa everywhere, and if none of these arguments convince you, you still can do some good shopping in the footwear and handbags market. In this article we will show the places to visit in the city of Leon Guanajuato.
Visiting Leon, Guanajuato
The Optibus and the pedestrian streets
I start the day by going around one of the city’s shopping centers, then I come across the main avenue where passes the optibus (which is like a subway with buses) also known as ‘la oruga‘ – the caterpillar. From there I go to the pedestrian streets where I find countless shops but something jumps out for me: a nun! with her habit and everything.
I was so impressed because until then I had only seen nuns dressed like this on television and this trip to Leon was one of my first trips in Mexico and in general so the impression was greater. After discreetly taking a photo of her, I continued on my way and one of the shops came into view 😀 how could I not, it had my name 😀
Churches for all tastes
Another attraction that should not be missed in Leon, Guanajuato are its churches, which are many, almost all in the Baroque style, although one that is rather Gothic in style stands out, the Expiatory Temple, which is huge and whose construction began in 1920. It is to a few blocks from the main square but it is worth the trek to visit it.
Heroes Causeway Arch
You have to walk and get away from the central part to reach this arch but it is not wasted time at all. I loved this arch that symbolizes “An Arch of Peace” and was built to commemorate the 83rd Anniversary of the Independence of Mexico, there I sat on a bench to observe the Bronze Lion that perfectly symbolizes the city that is precisely called Leon 😀
Get your flight to Mexico at the best price
Reading the history of the arch I realize with surprise that that lion was not always there, in fact it was added in 1943 (the one that was added this year is not the one that is now, the latter was put in 1958) 😮 and it seems that it has been always there.
Founder’s Square and Martyr’s Square
Two places to spend time are the Founder’s Square and Martyr’s Square, they are both toghether. On the various occasions that I passed by I ate some tacos, I talked to some children who were at the kiosk, I saw the families come and go. In the square there are some trees that are pruned in such a way that they look like mushrooms 😀
You can see some people dancing salsa when sun dissapears.
At the Founder’s square we can see the Cathedral an there is a large fountain of lions (indeed called the Fountain of the Lions).
The shoe city
Leon Guanajuato is known as the “shoe city”, since many of the shoes sold in Mexico are made here, but everything is much clearer when you are in the city and approach the huge market for shoes and leather products. There are all kinds of shoes, bags, etc. All at fairly affordable prices and they sell retail or wholesale. So here in addition to seeing, you will surely buy something during your visit to Leon Guanajuato.
Leon Market
A place where huge fruits and vegetables parade but we can also find moles, fresh waters, snacks, sweets, piñatas. In the market area I had the opportunity to eat some chips with a sauce very different from the one we are used to in the North, very rich too 😀 but I had to eat just a little since later the friend who hosted me and who knew the city took me to a tamale stand that was quite hidden but was worth going, what a delight.
In the vicinity of the market at nightfall several men dressed in mariachi costumes were seen and they were there ready to give their services to whoever needed to liven up a party. It seemed like an unwritten convention: if you want a mariachi for your party, go there and you will find a lot.
Walking a little further from the market we found an area of food stalls, there was everything and although I had already eaten a tamale, I couldn’t resist and grabbed a corn cocktail. I sadly saw the pile of buñuelos (fritters) – this is the Mexican variant, delicious but I couldn’t eat any more.
So now you know some of the nicest places to visit in Leon if you visit the state of Guanajuato.
Some of the links in this article include affiliate links. This means that if you buy a product listed here by following these links, we'll receive a commission. The use of this link does not increase the final price for you and thus helps us to keep our blog alive.
