Barrio de Pastita

La Presa lies southeast of the Old Town, along the Paseo de la Presa, leading up to the Presa de la Olla reservoir. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, country houses of wealthy families were built here in the style of Italian villas or Swiss chalets; many now serve as schools, offices, or hotels. The district is greener and quieter than the center; at its upper end lie the reservoir and Parque Florencio Antillón.

Guanajuato stretches at over 2,000 m altitude through a narrow gorge in the central highlands, approximately 340 road kilometers northwest of Mexico City. You come for the colorful Old Town from the silver mining era, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1988, with steep stair-alleys, Baroque churches, and squares bustling with students. In the 18th century, the La Valenciana mine at times supplied around two-thirds of the world's silver production, making the city rich. Colorful houses cling to the slopes, and most traffic runs through tunnels beneath the Old Town.

San Miguel de Allende sits at roughly 1,900 meters in Guanajuato state, about four bus hours north of Mexico City. Its old town, with steep cobblestone streets, ochre houses and the pink Parroquia, has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2008, along with the Sanctuary of Atotonilco. For decades, many foreigners have lived here, especially from the USA and Canada.

Santiago de Querétaro was founded in 1531 and lies approximately 220 km northwest of Mexico City at about 1,820 m elevation. Its Old Town, with its squares, Baroque churches, and a 74-arch aqueduct, has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1996.In 1810, the conspiracy that triggered the War of Independence began here, and in 1917, Mexico's current constitution was proclaimed in the Teatro de la República.

Morelia, the capital of Michoacán, is located at approximately 1,920 meters in the western highlands, a three to four-hour drive west of Mexico City. Its historic city center, featuring over 200 buildings of pink cantera stone, has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1991, characterized by its cathedral, the arcades surrounding the Plaza de Armas, and the aqueduct with 253 arches.The city is an excellent base for exploring Lake Pátzcuaro, the surrounding Purépecha villages, and from November to March, the monarch butterfly overwintering grounds.