Semana Santa procession in Guanajuato
Carnival celebrations are in full swing, today is Fat Tuesday and the last day of celebration before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. Easter Week, also known as Holy Week or Semana Santa, is just over a month away which means there’s still time to book flights to Mexico to observe the holiday celebrations. Mexico is a predominantly Catholic country and it isn’t surprising that religious traditions play an important role in Mexican culture. Semana Santa is celebrated each year in cities and towns throughout Mexico with dramatic processions and passion plays. Easter Week is the first week of April this year and Good Friday, or Viernes Santo, one of the most important days of the Holy Week celebrations, falls on April 6th. Here are four of the best destinations in central Mexico to celebrate Semana Santa, each with their own unique traditions. Read more
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and as much as I’d love to book a quick flight out to the coast, something tells me we’ll be spending the holiday a bit closer to home this year. Here are four weekend getaways near Mexico City.
Valle de Bravo
Often called the “Switzerland of Mexico,” the magic town of Valle de Bravo with its forests, mountains and lakefront views is a favorite weekend retreat from the capital. The lakefront resorts offer a variety of spa treatments, yoga, meditation, golf, hiking and watersports. Valle de Bravo is located just minutes from the nearby monarch butterfly sanctuary at Piedra Herrada and serves as a great jumping off point for visiting the reserve; the best time to visit is between November and February. Limited domestic and international flights arrive at the nearby airport in Toluca. Read more
The well-preserved Archaeological Monuments Zone of Xochicalco is one of central Mexico’s most important archaeological sites and served as a commercial, cultural and religious center representing the various ancient cultures of central Mexico. Xochicalco’s ancient ceremonial center is now a collection of white stone ruins, most notably the Piramide de Quetzalcoatl, or Pyramid of the Plumed Serpent, which is covered in intricate carvings. Xochicalco is located 15km southwest of the city of Cuernavaca and it is believed to have gained importance around the time Teotihuacán began to weaken. Xochicalco was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999.
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Each year in August the magic town of Huamantla, Tlaxcala hosts its annual feria.
The Feria Huamantla is a month long celebration of the Virgen de Caridad. La Noche Que Nadie Duerme, or the Night that No One Sleeps, is one of the highlights of the festival and takes place midway through the month. On this night colorful alfombras, or carpets made from dyed sawdust and flowers, cover the streets and a midnight procession in honor of the Virgin makes its way through the center of town. On the Saturday following La Noche Que Nadie Duerme, Huamantla hosts the main event of the festival; the town’s annual Huamantlada, or running of the bulls.
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Musicians in San Luis Potosí, SLP, Mexico.
