Chihuahua City Guide
As the setting for complex historical figures and their transformative actions from Mexico’s independence figure Miguel Hidalgo to the revolutionary Pancho Villa, Chihuahua has emerged as an integral part of the popular consciousness about Mexico abroad. But beyond those basics, there is so much more than meets the eye when exploring the modern namesake capital city of Mexico’s largest state. Today, la Ciudad de Chihuahua is an overlooked destination for travelers to Mexico and this needs to change. Let yourself become enchanted by the warmth of its citizens, expression of its cultural heritage, and its modern vibrancy.
Northern Temple
The Plaza de Armas is the historic tree-shaded social center of the capital city anchored by a baroque masterpiece, the Metropolitan Cathedral of Chihuahua. The lofty bell towers cannot be missed for miles for their stature and sculpture. Be sure to enter the church to awe at its expansiveness, view el Cristo de Mapimí retablo, and the 18th-century organ piece. Serving as a compass for travelers and locals alike, the centrality of the temple’s location and of the power of the municipality is expressed by the sculpted pointed hand of the founder of the city, Antonio Deza y Ulloa. Commemorated in bronze facing the church, Deza y Ulloa served as the governor of Nueva Vizcaya and founded the Real de Minas de San Francisco de Cuéllar in 1709, today’s Chihuahua City.
Stunning Sculpture
At first glance, there is a marked contrast between the burgeoning, labyrinthine capital and the serene Chihuahuan Desert landscape enveloping it. Enhancing this duality is the monumental Puerta de Chihuahua by Sebastián arising at the city’s southeastern edges. The eye-catching sunset red sculpture is the renowned sculptor's homage to his home state and its distinctive imagery, and scale, communicate the contrasts of not only the land but of its history and people.
Teatro Chihuahuense
Teatro Bárbaro is one of those magical places of art where creativity and dedication to the craft shine as brightly as the northern sun. Here, there is an intimacy to the skill and emotions of the actors in the theater, such as in the raw La fe de los cerdos. On warm evenings, the post-theater socializing spills into the street, offering a rare chance to mingle with and learn about the city directly from its citizens, actors, and patrons of local arts.
Evening Essentials
La Sotolería is the place to be introduced to the state’s home spirit called sotol. The name also refers to the plant from which it derives, not agave but rather a Chihuahuan Desert plant in the lily family. Adventure takers should take on the sotol de víbora, a rattlesnake spiked white lightning. On warm evenings the block in front of the bar is equipped with standing tables and the appetizer platter with the flavorful local requesón (ricotta) is paired with fresh pico de gallo for taco making. Just a few blocks over is Elotes Alex, a local’s favorite for late-night munchies of corn in a panoply of preparations to be enjoyed on the hood of your vehicle.
The Puff Pastry
El Hojaldre beckons you in with its interior open-air patio in the style of the traditional dwellings of Chihuahua. Known for its on-site bakery and brunch options, its central location makes it a delicious springboard to start your day exploring the historic city center.
Sustainable Shopping
From the wide deserts to the forested Sierra Madre mountain range, the Rarámuri and other indigenous peoples have lived here for time immemorial and civilizations like Paquimé flourished. Later, Spanish explorers and missionaries traversed the region as early as the sixteenth century with many opting to stay on the northern frontier to pursue mines or missions. Despite the social contrasts and constraints, peoples and traditions merged over time forming a mestizaje that would come to integrate later emigrants such as the Mennonites and Mormons, molding the distinctive cultural identity of Chihuahua.
The legacies of this collective heritage are on display at Arte Popular, an outlet of Chihuahua’s Promotion and Craft Development (FODARCH). Located directly on the Plaza de Armas, it is a place to shop for the handmade crafts of the state’s Indigenous people and traditional regional products like sotol, and machaca that expresses the melding of cultures and their traditions. Another and larger sister store, Casa de las Artesanías del Estado de Chihuahua is located just adjacent to the historic center.
A Dungeon and National Shrine
There is no better place to gain an understanding of this heritage than inside the historic center’s Casa Chihuahua. The state museum interprets the region’s heritage and serves as an exhibition space where the art of its people and beyond can be shared. Its architecture alone is worth the visit, an example of the building style during Mexico’s Porfirato. A visit to Chihuahua would not be complete without knowing a national shrine of Mexico located inside, a preserved dungeon cell, el calabozo de Hidalgo where a captured independence instigator awaited his execution by the Spanish. Just next door is the imposing three-level state governmental palace, el Palacio de Gobierno, where you can reflect on its marvelous murals of Chihuahuan history.
A Pueblan Oasis
Nestled a couple of blocks away from the city’s plaza on the second story of a nondescript building is Macuilli. A tribute to the cuisine of Puebla, the restaurant’s complimentary marrow bone broths with roasted corn, smoked chile, and fresh limes brought out at arrival sets the tone for a meal where both detail and care are tasted. Try the cemita, a sandwich as baroque as the nearby cathedral with its symphony of flavors and textures in this welcoming space in the historic city center to enjoy Mexico’s main meal, la comida.
Walking on Liberty
La Liber as it is colloquially known, or Calle Libertad is the historic center’s principal pedestrian commercial street linking the Palacio de Gobierno to the Plaza de Armas. While most of the historic architecture has been bulldozed away for the functionality of department stores and fast food options, the stretch is equipped with misters, a refreshing amenity on a hot day. Locals have a nostalgic tradition of eating banderillas or corn dogs as sustenance for shopping. There are still several buildings dating from Mexico’s Porfiriato with character worth appreciating, among them Casa Creel, Francia Marítima, and the Municipal Government building.
Cortez Breakfast
Café Cortez is an inviting and unpretentious coffeehouse where you can pick up local culture zines and start the day with coffee and a classic of Mexican breakfast tradition, molletes. Think of it as an open-face sandwich with distinct textures and tastes like crispy bacon, creamy refried beans, and a fresh pico de gallo.
A Provisional Capital
Just a block over on Calle Juárez and of national significance is Casa Juárez. Now a museum, it is where the provisional government of the Mexican Republic under president Benito Juárez functioned in exile from the French occupation in Mexico City, making Chihuahua City the national capital over the course of 2 years. The adobe and stone building presents a rare place to experience Chihuahua as it was centuries prior, conveying a powerful minimalist character with its earthen bulk of walls oriented around a peaceful inner courtyard.
Caroline’s Country Estate
Slowly becoming enveloped by the growing city, Quinta Carolina is a place worth knowing for both its beauty and history which come to life at sunset. The hacienda is the astounding country house of the wife of one of the most influential businessmen in Mexican history, Luis Terrazas. As a part of the inner circle of the Porfirio Díaz dictatorship, an often repeated maxim attributed to Terrazas is when he was asked if he was from Chihuahua. His response reportedly was: “I am not from Chihuahua, Chihuahua is mine.”
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