Linares

Palacio Municipal

Linares is a small city of about 70,000 inhabitants (2020) in the northern state of Nuevo León, Mexico. Linares is one of Mexico's Pueblos Mágicos.

Understand

The town of Linares was founded in 1712. It lies within a part of Nuevo León known for its citrus fruits, especially oranges. Many people think of sweet, nutty tasting Glorias caramel candies when they hear of Linares.

Get in

By car

Linares is 130 km from Monterrey, the largest city in Nuevo León. From Monterrey, drive southeast on federal highway MEX-85 (Carreterra Nacional). The drive will take about 1-1/2 hours.

By bus

Many bus lines, including Grupo Senda, Noreste, Futura, and Transportes Frontera operate several daily buses to Linares and points south. Frontera and Noreste both have hourly departures, other bus lines every 2 or 3 hours. Tickets from the Central de Autobuses in Monterrey to Linares will cost about M$200 to M$400 depending on bus class and departure time.

• 1 Central Camionera (Bus station), Alejandro Cano. Large, modern, clean bus station. Rest rooms and nearby vendors for food and drink. Frequent departures to Monterrey, Ciudad Victoria, San Luis Potosi, and Mexico City. Bus lines that don't use the main bus station probably have company-specific facilities within 2 blocks of the bus station. 

Get around

Taxis and Ubers will be your best bet, though if you're sticking to the downtown Centro area you can probably get around by foot just fine. Taxis are plentiful and there are a couple of sitios on Av. Corregidora, one near 16 de Septiembre and the other near Venustiano Carranza.

See

Inside the Museo de Linares in Nuevo León Mexico

• 1 Museo de Linares, José María Morelos 105 Poniente, Centro Historico, museolinaresac@gmail.com. Tu-Sa 09:00 - 19:00, Su 11:00 - 20:30, closed M. Small regional history museum with galleries on the lower level displaying art and galleries on the second floor displaying historical and cultural exhibits. M$20. 

• 2 Plaza Principal (Zocalo), Hidalgo 100, Centro. The town's main plaza is a beautifully landscaped oasis with paths, monuments, iron benches, lots of pigeons and the big colorful letters spelling out the town's name. Several colonial era buildings border the plaza, including the Museo de Linares, the Palacio Municipal, and the Basilica San Felipe. Thursday nights the plaza comes alive with light shows, music, entertainers, and lots of food vendors. 

• 3 Basilica San Felipe Apostol, José María Morelos 100, Centro. Beautiful clean-lined neoclassical church built by the Franciscans in 1715. Inside the main church, a series of spectacular fresco murals portray biblical scenes of Jesus, such as the last supper. 

Do

• Feria de Villaseca - The town's biggest celebration occurs in July and August. The fair comprises multiple events around the city with artesanal displays, commercial and industrial exhibitions, charro parades, charreadas, cockfights, and horse races. Regional musical and dance performances are held in the town's theatre. A fairgrounds hosts rides, games, sugary snacks and fireworks displays.

Eat

• 1 El Herradero, Pablo Salce Norte #615, Centro (entre Ninos Heroes y Independencia, near Oxxo), ☏ +52 821 212 3287. Daily 12:00 - 20:00. Inviting casual palapa style dining room serving grilled steaks, especially arracherra with all the fixings. For something lighter, try the gorditas de manteca. 

• 2 El Gavilan, Emiliano Carranza 360. Daily 09:00 - 22:00. Traditional Mexican restaurant focusing on grilled meats. Chicken, steaks, burgers, tacos. Casual atmosphere, large portions, moderate prices. 

• 3 Tabetai Sushi, J.Ma. Morelos 201, ☏ +52 821 212 7700. Tu-F 11:00 - 23:00, Sa-Su 11:00 - 00:00, closed M. Japanese sushi restaurant. Food is good but service can be slow. 

Drink

Linarense craft beer, made and sold in Linares

Beer is the preferred beverage everywhere in Nuevo León and like many small towns in Mexico, Linares has its own local craft brewery, Cerveza Linarense, whose beers are sold in many of the town's bars, restaurants, and retailers.

Sleep

• 1 Hacienda Real de Linares, Avenida Miguel Hidalgo 700, Centro, ☏ +52 821 212 7030. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Moderate hotel with large, clean rooms. Desk staff speak English. On-site restaurant and bar. 

• 2 Hotel El Angel, Avenida Miguel Hidalgo 202, Centro, ☏ +52 821 136 0333. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Cheap hotel that's dated with very basic rooms but a convenient central location. 

• 3 Raffaello Suites, Gral. Treviño 611, Centro. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 11:00. Moderate hotel with clean, comfortable rooms. Parking is across the street. No restaurant on-site. 

• 4 Garcia Suites, Venustiano Carranza 111, Oriente, ☏ +52 818 088 2877. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. Moderate hotel with friendly service and clean rooms with cold air conditioning. Small on-site parking lot. M$900 (Oct 2023). 

Connect

Cell coverage is good in Linares but is mostly 4G in town and on major highways. 5G becomes available near Santiago as you drive towards Monterrey on federal highway MEX-85.

Go next

• Santiago
• Montemorelos
• Monterrey
• Cumbres de Monterrey National Park