Pénjamo

Street scene in Pénjamo

Pénjamo is a city of 40,000 people (2010) in Guanajuato. It is famous as the birthplace of Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, the "Father of the Mexican Nation".

Get in

By plane

Pénjamo is close to the Guanajuato International Airport (BJX).

By bus

Flecha Amarilla offers regular buses to Pénjamo from La Piedad and Irapuato.

See

Jardín Principal

Zona Arqueológica de Plazuelas

• 1 Jardín Principal (Central Plaza). 
• 2 Zona Arqueológica de Plazuelas (Plazuelas), ☏ +52 473 102 2700. Tu-Su 10:00-18:00. A pre-Columbian archaeological site in use from 600-900 CE. Remains include several pyramidal structures, a large ball court, and a boulder field with many carved glyphs. A small museum is also located on the site. It has a museum where the pieces found in the place show themselves. At the weekends, there are sales of typical food of the region, and all week there are vendors selling souvenirs and crafts. M$65 (pesos) (adults), M$10 (children 5-12). (updated Oct 2017)
• 3 Corralejo Ex Hacienda, Carretera 90 Pénjamo-Abasolo. Daily 10:00-16:00. This former hacienda was established in 1565, and was the birthplace of Mexican Independence hero Miguel Hidalgo in 1753. A modern monument stands in front of the hacienda.  
• Penjamo city: Penjamo has commercial stores, restaurants, coffee shops, parks, parish churches, and buildings that could be consider real architecture jewels, such as the market-place in the city's downtown, or Catholic temples such as the Parish of Saint Francis of Assisi (San Francisco de Asis), Parish of Our Lady of Los Remedios, Temple of San Antonio of Padua, Municipal Palace, House of the Culture. In addition large green areas can be found in the city's environs such as Magellan and Churipitzeo.

Do

• Canyon of the Bats (Cañon de los Murciélagos). Located in the nearby Sierra de Pénjamo, this rugged area has a number of waterfalls and good hiking trails. 
• Sierra de Pénjamo (Penjamo's mountains): a natural area in route to there be declared natural protected zone consisted of impressive cannons, mounts and hills. It is an excellent site for extreme sports and camping.
• La Feria de Mayo: better known as "Fiestas de Mayo", they are carried out last days of April up to the first third of May of every year, with the invitation of varied artists of national and international height, of free access to the fair and the majority of the spectacles of the artists who appear. Commercial and cattle exhibitions, “jaripeos”, “tardeadas”, spectacles in the “plaza de toros”, in the fence, and parallel feasts exist in the Urban Delegation Santa Ana and in Corralejo's Estate, where there realizes the principal event of the festivity, the commemoration of Don Michael Hidalgo's birthday on May 8, 1753, with presence of municipal, state and federal authorities, and the military.
• Festival Cultural de la Fundación (Cultural Week of the Foundation): from November 6 to 13 the city commemorates the foundation of the city. There are exhibitions of photos of the city, old vehicles, theatrical and musical works, a parade and fireworks on the 12th, motocross, artistic international presentations, Jaripeo, and other activities.

Eat

Budget

• Restaurant Yong You (永有), Calle Aldama 25 y Arteaga, ☏ +52 469 692 7071. Daily 10:00-21:00. 

Sleep