Between UNESCO Cities and Natural Wonders- San Luis Potosi
You could mistake the Mexican countryside north of Queretaro for Central Arizona. The drive to San Luis Potosi displays the same iron-rich mountains and cactus-studded landscape. San Luis Potosi is located a few hours away from UNESCO World Heritage Site cities, natural wonders in the Sierra Gorda mountains, and about halfway between the US border and Mexico City. This makes it the perfect stopover city on your travels around Mexico.
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Where is San Luis Potosi Located?
San Luis Potosi is located in the northeast central part of Mexico. It is the largest city in the state with the same name. It’s just over a 9-hour drive from the Texas border town of Laredo, making it a perfect stopover town if you drive your own car down through Mexico. It’s one of the 55 cities comprising the UNESCO World Heritage Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, the Silver Route extending from Mexico City to Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Here is a list of other cities nearby that you can add to your itinerary when visiting San Luis Potosi:
- Zacatecas 2:30 hours
- Aguacalientes (AGU Airport) 2:20 hours
- San Miguel de Allende 2:50 hours
- Leon (BJX airport) 2:25 hours
- Queretaro (QRO airport) 2:53 hours
- Cuidad Valles 3:33 hours
- Tampico (coast) 5:36 hours
How to get to San Luis Potosi
Flights:
San Luis Potosi (SLP) has its own airport but with limited connections. You can fly direct to/from Mexico City (MEX), Monterrey (MTY), Tijuana (TIJ), Puerta Vallarta (PVR), and Cancun (CUN).
Dallas (DFW) and Houston (IAH) are the only international airport connections to San Luis Potosi.
By Bus:
The bus system in Mexico is a great way to travel, but you will have to connect through other cities on your way to San Luis Potosi.
By Car:
The easiest way to reach SLP is by driving a car. You can spend a few days in SLP before or after visiting some of the other cities and towns in the region.
Is San Luis Potosi Worth Visiting?
If you want to visit lesser-known areas of Mexico not overcrowded with tourists and “influencers”, then San Luis Potosi should be on your list. It’s a clean city with well-preserved Baroque architecture in the historical center.
Short History of San Luis Potosi
Founded as a Franciscan mission in 1583, it quickly grew into a prosperous city from its silver and gold mining operations. During the French Intervention in 1863, the city became the capital of Mexico under President Benito Juárez for a short time.
During the 1910 presidential elections, Francisco I. Madero challenged the current President Porfirio Diaz. When it became clear he would win, President Diaz had him thrown in jail, but he later escaped. Madero drafted the Plan of San Luis Potosi that called for an armed rebellion, nullification of the 1910 elections and the end to Diaz’s dictatorship, and himself being named the president. This was one of the pivotal acts that led to the Mexican Revolution in 1910.
What to See in San Luis Potosi
Architectural enthusiasts will love the beautifully maintained historical center filled with churches, museums, and beautiful plazas. The historical center is only 19 blocks, so it’s easy to walk around and see everything in a day or two.
San Luis Potosi Cathedral
Start at the Catedral Metropolitana de San Luis Potosí. Completed in 1730 in Baroque style, the interior was redesigned with neoclassical elements in the 19th century. Carrara marble (typical of Tuscany) is used throughout the cathedral.
Plaza de Armas
In front of the cathedral is Plaza de Armas. This square is surrounded by historical buildings, restaurants, and stores. Walk around the outside of the square to marvel at the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Government Palace, the House of the Vicereina with its unique balcony, the Municipal Palace, and the Royal Bank.
In front of the Municipal Palace is a bronze sculpture “The Lord of the Pigeons.” A miner named José Moreno Díaz visited Plaza de Armas daily to feed the pigeons in the 1980s. He because somewhat of a fixture in everyday life in SLP.
When he died in 1987, the sculptor Mario Cuevas, commemorated the old man in bronze with pigeons on his arms. It is said that if you rub the pigeons’ wings, your wish will come true.
Plaza de Carmen
Plaza del Carmen is another large square with a bronze fountain surrounded by colonial buildings, museums, and cafes. If you get a chance, visit the Temple of San Carmen for its detailed Baroque artistry outside and inside. Check the worship service schedule before you enter the church.
Other notable buildings around Plaza de Carmen include Museo Regional Potosino, the Teatro de la Paz (Theater of Peace, pictures above), and the Museo Nacional de la Mascara (National Museum of Masks). I will say the building and rooms are much more impressive than the masks.
In the evenings, you’ll find locals eating ice cream, listening to musicians, or watching street performers.
Jardin de San Francisco
Jardin de San Francisco is a small, tree-shaded park a few blocks from the other two plazas mentioned. Bordered on one side by the Templo San Francisco de Asís and an odd-looking Presbyterian Church de Sion, this lovely park has a fountain and benches to enjoy people-watching. Around the corner is the Regional Museum Potosino.
Where to Eat in San Luis Potosi
Everyone can find something they will enjoy in San Luis Potosi. From Mexican to Vegetarian, no one will go hungry! Several cafes are scattered around the Centro area, and you might find little ethnic restaurants as well.
- La Posada del Virrey Restaurante serves Mexican cuisine in an old hacienda on the Plaza de Armas.
- Bruselas – Restaurante Bar serves international cuisine with an extensive beer collection on a covered terrace with a view.
- Casa Ceiba San Luis is a vegetarian restaurant.
- Umi Kumo Omakase and Michiko Restaurant Japonés are the top-rated sushi restaurants in San Luis Potosi. Both of these restaurants are outside the historical center.
What to See Outside San Luis Potosi Centro
Outside the historic area, San Luis Potosi is a modern city with all the conveniences you can imagine. Large shopping malls, international restaurants, and universities.
The Alameda Juan Sarabia is a large park with walking paths that lead to a lighthouse in the center. Museo del Ferrocarril “Jesús García Corona”, a train museum is a few blocks north of the Alameda.
Driving southwest away from Centro, you’ll find one of the largest urban parks in Mexico, Parque Tangamanga. It spans over 1,000 acres with two lakes, a Japanese garden and zoo. It is a favorite for runners, dog lovers, and weekend festivities. Just south of the Tangamanga is the Museo Laberinto de las Ciencias y las Artes, a modern, interactive science museum.
What to do around San Luis Potosi
Pozo de Luna Winery
Did you know that San Luis Potosi is a burgeoning wine region? Wine tourism in San Luis Potosi is still in its infant stage, but you can visit Bodega Pozo de Luna on the weekends for a tour and tasting. Try their wines and Cava Quintanilla at local restaurants.
For over a decade, San Luis Potosi has hosted one of the largest wine festivals in the country, Festival Internacional del Vino. Winemakers and chefs from all over the world participate. And this year (2024), SLP will host the CMB (Concours Mondial de Bruxelles) in August.
Mezcal Route
The state of San Luis Potosi is one of a handful of states in Mexico with a Designation of Origin status for mezcal. The agave or maguey used in the production of mezcal must come from the specific territory to receive the D.O. status. This tour will take you into the mountain towns where families will show you how they make mezcal.
Magic Towns (Pueblos magicos) in San Luis Potosi
The state of San Luis Potosi has a total of six pueblos magicos: Santa María del Río, Real de Catorce, Aquismón, Xilitla, Tierra Nueva, and Ciudad del Maíz. Each town offers the visitor something unique about its history, crafts, or natural wonders. Here are the top three pueblos magicos:
Santa María del Río
Santa María del Río, the closest pueblo magico 40-minutes southeast of SLP, is known as the “cradle of the Rebozo”, the beautiful, colorful shawls the ladies wear. You can visit some of the workshops to see artisans applying the ikat technique of resist dyeing and the looms.
Real de Catorce
Once a thriving silver mining town, Real de Catorce lost its luster and most of its population when the price of silver fell in the 1900s. Nowadays, tourism is its main economic resource with people flocking to the town for pilgrimages, spiritual energy, and as a film location for movies such as Bandidas featuring Salma Hayek and Penelope Cruz, and The Mexican with Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts. The only way in or out of Real de Catorce is through the Ogarrio Tunnel. I recommend visiting Real de Catorce on a tour during the weekday.
Xilitla and the Surrealist Gardens
Xilitla lies on the eastern slopes of the Sierra Gorda mountains surrounded by jungle, natural springs, and caves. Parrot Cave is just on the outskirts of town where you can watch hundreds of little green parrots fly in and out of the cave at dawn and dusk. Coffee is grown in this region, and a Coffee Fair is held in town every August. Nearby is the fairyland of Las Pozas, the British surrealist Edward James’ sculpture garden.
Cuidad Valles- Gateway to Waterfalls and the Sierra Gorda Mountains
The most popular things to do outside of San Luis Potosi are adventure tours to the waterfalls in Huasteca Potosina. Four hours east of San Luis Potosi is the small town of Ciudad Valles, the gateway to the natural wonders in the Sierra Gorda.
Day-long tours will take you into the rugged mountains for different types of water adventures. Adrenaline junkies will love the class III rafting tour down the Tampaon River, or waterfall-jumping at Puente de Dios. Several waterfalls are located in this area of the Sierra Gorda, but Micos and Tamul are the most popular.
Micos waterfall is the closest waterfall to Ciudad Valles, just 18km away. Waterfall jumping, zip-lining, and sky-biking are just some of the activities surrounding this natural phenomenon.
Tamul waterfall is the biggest waterfall in the state at 105 meters. To see it, you need to kayak or take a guided boat ride up the river for an hour.
Where to Stay in San Luis Potosi
One of the best things about San Luis Potosi is that you won’t break the bank on accommodations. You’ll find excellent hotels in the historical center for $150 USD or less! We recommend these hotels based on our research. Our filters included a king-size bed, air-conditioning, and a central location:
- Gran Hotel Concordia San Luis Potosi is located in the heart of San Luis Potosi 100 meters from Plaza Fundadores Square, and features a rooftop terrace and on-site restaurant. Parking is available.
- Use or accumulate more Marriott points at the City Centro by Marriott. This converted hacienda offers modern rooms, a rooftop terrace, and free bikes.
- Hotel Museo Palacio de San Agustin exudes Mexican Baroque charm but with modern bathrooms. This 17th-century building has been renovated with modern conveniences but retains its former glory with arched stone walls, antique furniture, and chandeliers. Take a horse-drawn carriage ride from the hotel, take a guided tour of the on-premise museum, or curl up with a good book in the library. The restaurant serves French and international cuisine and there is free parking.
Where to Stay in Ciudad Valles
If you plan on visiting the waterfalls, kayaking, or doing any of the other nature adventures in the area, it’s best to stay in Ciudad Valles. It will be a much shorter drive whether you have your own car or take a tour. Here are two recommendations:
- Hotel Valles has air-conditioning, a large pool, and is surrounded by gardens. Its two restaurants offer a la carte, international cuisine, and seafood.
- Hotel Casa Ortiz has a pool and air-conditioning, and some rooms have a kitchenette.
Is San Luis Potosi on Your Vacation Itinerary?
San Luis Potosi is a great place to stopover for a visit before continuing to other cities or into the Sierra Gorda mountains. Combine San Luis Potosi into your Central Mexico vacation itinerary for a place steeped in history, close to natural wonders, and not plagued by overtourism. Other UNESCO World Heritage Site cities are within a few hours such as Queretaro, San Miguel de Allende, Zacatecas, and Aguacalientes.
Suggested 5-Day Itinerary if You Drive Your Own Car:
- Arrive in Queretaro.
- Drive to San Luis Potosi, stay 2 nights
- Drive to Cuidad Valles to visit the waterfalls, and stay 2 nights
- Drive to Xilitla to visit the caves and Surrealist gardens, and stay 1 night
- Return to Queretaro where you can hike Bernal, explore the wine region, or just relax within 204 blocks of the historical Centro.
