Mineral de Pozos

A Near Ghost Town In The Semi Desert Of Guanajuato Whose Silver And Mercury Mines Made It Prosperous In The Early 1900s, With Crumbling Stone Chimneys And Haciendas Left When The Mines Flooded And Closed. Now A Pueblo Magico With Artists' Studios, Ruin Walks And A Quiet Plaza. A Day From San Miguel De Allende · Pozos, Guanajuato

Mineral de Pozos is a near-ghost town in the semi-desert of Guanajuato, a Pueblo Magico whose silver and mercury mines made it rich in the early 1900s, before floods and falling prices emptied it. Today stone chimneys, roofless haciendas and mine buildings such as Santa Brigida and the Cinco Senores complex stand among cactus, while a quiet plaza, small art studios, ceramic workshops and mezcal tastings have given the town new life. It sits about 55 km from San Miguel de Allende and close to Dolores Hidalgo, so it is an easy day trip. It suits walkers, photographers and people who like quiet places with a ghost-town feel. It is worth the detour on a weekend for open galleries and a slow lunch; it is not worth it on a weekday, when many shops are closed, or in the midday heat. Wear sun protection, sturdy shoes and carry water, and keep to the main ruins and never enter open shafts or tunnels.

Mineral de Pozos, a Pueblo Magico and former mining town about 55 km north-east of San Miguel de Allende and 50 km from Guanajuato; coordinates approximate, Pozos, Guanajuato, Mexico

The town is open at all hours, and the ruins and streets can be walked freely in daylight, which is FREE. Shops, galleries, mezcal rooms and restaurants follow weekend patterns, usually open from late morning to late afternoon on Saturday and Sunday, with many CLOSED on Monday to Wednesday and some on Thursday. Mine sites on private land may be CLOSED to visitors or charge a small fee, and tours often leave in the morning. Daylight is best for the ruins, because the tracks are rough and unlit at night. Hours vary by business, so confirm before you make the trip.

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