Coahuila: Route of the Royal Road and the Estates

This guide contains information about the tourist attractions, history, and cultural patrimony of the state of Coahuila, which stands out its Historical Center, the industrial city of Monclova, and the region of Cuatrociénegas, among others. Also, stands out the Route of the Royal Road of Texas that will take you through the world of the farms and the colonial missions, which were indispensable for the development of important cities like Ramos Arizpe and Sabinas; even for cities like San Antonio and Louisiana Texas.

Saltillo

The Saltillo Valley was inhabited by various indigenous groups for thousands of years. When the Spaniards arrived they found ethnic groups such as the Guachichiles and Coahuiltecos. The village of Santiago del Saltillo was founded in 1577.

Capital of the state, the origin of the name has not been determined with full certainty since there are several versions. One of them suggests that it is a Chichimec word, corrupted and Spanish, which means "high land of many waters". Another version relates it to a small waterfall that fell from an elevation of the land on whose summit is the main water eye of the place that survives to this day and at the foot of which the village was founded. A ditch was built in this spring to supply the population with the vital liquid. At the top of the hill where the spring rises, a parish was built to house a crucified Christ known as the Santo Cristo del Ojo de Agua.

On your trip to Saltillo, we suggest you visit the following sites of cultural and historical value.

Cultural and tourist attractions

Cathedral of Santiago Apóstol and the Chapel of Santo Cristo

Built between 1745 and 1800. In the architecture of its main skeleton, the baroque and neoclassical styles coexist, in the door is perceptible the shield of the papacy carved in wood. The tower finished in 1897 reinforces the symbol of the cathedral, an imposing iron cross. It houses a remarkable artistic collection consisting of 45 oil paintings from the viceregal era. Inside you can admire the silver front of the altar of San José, a piece that is part of the collection " Mexico Splendor of Thirty Centuries". This monument is considered the most relevant religious symbol in the entire state. It also served as a hospital during the battle of La Angostura, in 1847, against the North American invaders.

Temple of San Esteban

Of great historical value, it symbolizes the meeting point between the Spanish Village of Saltillo and the town of San Esteban de la Nueva Tlaxcala.

Plaza de Armas

This square and surrounding streets are home to splendid vice-royal buildings and cultural centers such as the Cathedral of Santiago, the Coahuilense Institute of Culture, the Government Palace, the Telephone Building of Mexico, the Casino of Saltillo, and the Juárez Campus, among others, in addition to the beautiful Purcell House built of pressed partition walls and traditional ironwork balconies.

Plaza de la Nueva Tlaxcala

Its main monument is a sculptural group that symbolizes the colonization of Coahuila. This site marks the place that divided the two sections of the old population: the east, inhabited by the Spaniards, and the west, by the Tlaxcalan indigenous people.

Alameda Zaragoza

It is the most relevant urban ecological park in the city, where you can find the Public Library of the state, the equestrian statue of Ignacio Zaragoza, the Column of Independence, the Bust of Carranza, and the statue of Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla. You can also appreciate an artificial lake known as El Lago de la República, whose silhouette has the shape of the country.

Government Palace

Built in 1808. In 1856 it suffered a fire that almost completely destroyed it. Later it was renovated and finished in 1875. The building has three floors and is covered with a pink quarry. Inside there are two murals that are the attractions of this site, one of the painter Salvador Almaraz, which chronologically shows the leading role of distinguished Coahuilenses in national life, as well as the mixture of races, and productive life of the state. The other mural was made by Salvador Tarazona, where the aspects of the representative festivities of the city are shown.

Coahuila Institute of Culture

This institute is located in a building that belonged to important families of the 19th century. It has two galleries, facilities for painting and engraving workshops, an auditorium, a bookstore, and a cafeteria.

Vito Alessio Robles Cultural Center

It is located in a building whose construction dates from the 18th century and is a clear example of what the austere Coahuila vernacular architecture represents. It has two galleries and an auditorium where cultural events are held such as exhibitions, book presentations, regional dances, poetry, theater, and conferences, among other cultural events.

Garcia Carrillo Theater

In 1906 he began the construction of the neoclassical style theater that bears the surname of former state governor Antonio Garcia Carrillo. For its construction, a quarry from San Luis Potosi was used and it was inaugurated in 1910. In 1920 a fire destroyed the stage, the seats, and a great part of the theater, causing the roof and the back walls to collapse. It currently functions as a cultural center.

Fernando Soler City Theater

It is built in what were the patios of the old train station of Saltillo, its architecture is of neoclassic style with Greek and Roman elements, its facade is of pink quarry and six columns of Ionic style support the pediment that is dedicated to Ceres, goddess of the agriculture, surrounded by angels, grapes, and apples to highlight that the southeastern region of the state is a producer of both fruits, five doors lead to the courtyard, where there is a fountain of carved quarry and the paintings of the nine muses of Greek mythology made by the artist Pablo Valero Herrera.

Museum of the Birds

The seat of the museum is the old Colegio de San Juan Nepomuceno, which was founded by the Jesuits at the end of the 19th century. It currently hosts the largest permanent exhibition of Mexican birds in the world, with more than 2, 000 specimens representing approximately 73% of the national bird population. The museum has five rooms distributed by theme, allowing visitors to easily appreciate various aspects related to the life of birds.

Museum of the Desert

It was inaugurated on November 25, 1999. It has four pavilions, a conference room, a cafeteria, and educational services, as well as a temporary exhibition hall with more than 580 square meters. Its greenhouse has more than 300 different species of cactus, which in total add up to around 3, 000 specimens. It has interactive laboratories for paleontology and cactus reproduction, where specialists in both branches provide explanations to the visitor.

Museum of the Gyroscope

Gyroscope is a space for children of all ages, where they can find out how science and technology influence their daily lives. It currently has an exhibition of educational toys with the themes of microbiology, microscopy, anatomy, light refraction, optical phenomena, alternative energies, water, ecosystems, electric and mechanical motors, inertia, the telegraph, and new technologies. It also provides the services of the video library, library, video projection, computer center, and workshops, as well as conferences and special events.

Handicrafts

In Saltillo, they make the famous sarapes, blankets, leather articles, and lechuguilla brushes. The meaning of the sarape comes from the Nahuatl word tzalanpepechtl, which refers to a thick, padded blanket; its beauty lies in the impact it produces with its geometric designs and colorful rhombuses that create a three-dimensional effect.

They began to be woven on rustic wooden looms with accessories made of sisal, reed, and otate fibers, which were dyed with vegetable colors obtained from the cochineal, the pomegranate shell, and the ground pod of the huisache tree. Its coloring is based on the decrease of tones that go from the strongest color to the lightest, shaded colors that when combined resemble the rainbow.

Besides its usefulness to protect from the cold and as a bedspread, its use is closely linked to one of the most deeply rooted Mexican traditions, the charrería, since it occupies a preferential place in the riders' saddle.

Gastronomy

Traditional are flour tortillas, fried kid, roasted and sauced kid al pastor, chilaquiles, roasted pork, tamales, empanadas, and stews prepared with guajillo bell pepper, cascabel, and pasilla. Also, the famous bread of pulque is elaborated, in which the mass goes mixed with the drink, with which varieties of confectionery like the semitas and chorreadas are prepared, including empanadas stuffed with nuts.

Festivals and traditions

Among the main festivities and celebrations stand out:

The Festival Viva Saltillo (July 25th).

The feast of the Santo Cristo de la Capilla (August 6).

The festival of Ojo de Agua (first Sunday of September).

The Annual Fair (in the month of July).

Among their traditions, the matachines are distinguished, dancers who participate in a Christian ritual based on Tlaxcala customs and always do it in front of a church. The representative dance is that of the Ojo de Agua.

Mirador Plaza México

Plaza Mexico or Mirador is known as the Fort of the Americans. This site was the famous camp where the American troops established themselves to lead the Battle of La Angostura in February 1847.

Juarez Campus

This magnificent building is located very close to the Plaza de Armas and the Cathedral of Santiago. The construction was known as "la Vieja Casona" (the old house); currently, due to the historical importance it holds in its entrails, it is the state's College of Historical Research.

Casa Purcell Cultural Center

The Purcell House was built in 1906 under the order of Mr. William Purcell. The architect Alfredo Gilles was responsible for the construction of this admirable building. It is considered unique in Saltillo because of its architectural style, which is a mixture of French and English Victorian styles. The facade is made of quarry and has Tiffany-style windows with a very small glass. The house has a music room, living room, library, and six bedrooms, each with its own fireplace.

Las Maravillas Park

It has large green areas, plazas, fountains, children's areas, and recreational areas. Within its facilities, the Museum of the Desert and the center of massive spectacles stands out, the Auditorium Las Maravillas.

Rincón Colorado

This place is located 45 km west of Saltillo in the municipality of General Cepeda; in this area evidence of prehistoric fossils has been discovered that probably lived in the region around the Cretaceous period. Among the different pieces are bones of very large animals, perhaps of Tyrannosaurs or hadrosaurs. In the museum of the place are exhibited fragments of dinosaur's jaw, vertebrae, flows of a "duck's beak", skulls of an edmontosaurus, shark's teeth, as well as coprolites and gastropods (fossil mollusks).

Weather

The climate in this municipality is dry to semi-warm, with rain in the months of April to October. During the winter the frequency of frost lasts from 20 to 40 days in the northeast and southeast. The average annual temperature is 14 to 18°C.

How to get there

Saltillo's geographical location has made it a point of concurrence of communication routes. The municipality is crossed by Federal Highway 57, which connects Mexico City to Piedras Negras; as well as Federal Highway 54, which links Saltillo to cities such as Aguascalientes and Zacatecas, among others. Saltillo is connected to the cities of Torreón and Monterrey by Federal Highway 40. It has a network of rural roads that link it to all its locations.

Airport

The state is also reached by plane at the Plan de Guadalupe airport, which stands out for its daily schedule of domestic and international flights.

The route of the Royal Road and Texas

The route from Saltillo to San Antonio de Béjar in Texas ran from the second half of the 17th century until the arrival of the railroad in 1880. This route was known as Camino Real, since it was the main communication route that, from south to north along 400 km, joined the main towns of Coahuila such as Saltillo and Monclova with the Franciscan missions of the Rio Bravo or the Rio Grande and San Antonio de Béjar.

The ranches located along the route are a fundamental part of the architectural and cultural heritage of Coahuila and the northeast of Mexico. This route had not only economic but also cultural transcendence, since it contributed to integrating the province of Coahuila and communicating New Spain with Texas.

During the 19th century, some towns or villages were created such as Santa Rosa María del Sacramento (today Múzquiz), San Pedro Gigedo (Villa Unión), Cuatrociénegas, and San Andrés de Nava. Within these, haciendas were built that were obligatory places for travelers, as they supplied water and food or rested the horses.

Hacienda Los Bosques

The first hacienda located on the Camino Real route was Los Bosques, also known as San Joseph. It was built at the end of the 16th century. Currently, only a small chapel and part of the barns remain. It is located 10 km from Saltillo and is surrounded by an industrial complex and a hotel area.

How to get there: When you leave the city of Saltillo, we suggest you take Venustiano Carranza Blvd. and then Saltillo-Monterrey Highway 57 and turn left on the limits between the municipality of Saltillo and Ramos Arizpe.

Hacienda de Santa María del Rosario

Located 20 km from Saltillo, it was built at the beginning of the 18th century. Currently, it is within the limits of the municipality of Ramos Arizpe. It stood out until the 20th century as a producer of wheat and had one of the largest mills in the Saltillo Valley. Currently, only the chapel and the large house of the hacienda are preserved.

How to get there: You can take Highway 57 Saltillo Monterrey and turn left at km 25, behind the industrial corridor of Ramos Arizpe.

Hacienda of San José de Anhelo

Located 90 km from Saltillo within the municipality of Ramos Arizpe. It was part of the Marquisate of Aguayo until 1823. It was dedicated to agriculture and sheep breeding, the main product of this region. Currently, the chapel stands out for its conservation and the worship of the Lord of the Refuge.

How to get there: Take Highway 57 to Monclova and turn right at the junction to the Paredón station; then, at the Señor del Amparo sign turn left to take the dirt road.

Hacienda of Santa Cecilia del Castaño

It was built by the conqueror Gaspar Castaños de Sosa at the end of the 16th century. For more than a century it was the last bastion on the border of New Spain. Currently, it only has the 19th-century parish where they worship Our Lady of Good Success, an image also venerated in the city of Quito, Ecuador since the 17th century. There are no references about how the cult came to Castaños, only that it was promoted by the Franciscan friars.

How to get there: We suggest you take Highway 57 to Monclova and turn left at the sign for Castaños.

Hacienda de San Juan de Sabinas

The route continues to the municipality of San Juan de Sabinas, where the hacienda of the same name was located, as well as the hacienda of Nuestra Señora de los Dolores which, it seems, was the oldest in the area of the Sabinas River. It was dedicated to the cultivation of sugarcane. Currently, the mining town of Palau is located on the lands of this hacienda. These haciendas constituted the obligatory estancias on the Camino Real de los Texas.

How to get there: Take Highway 57 to Nueva Rosita and turn left on the road to Ciudad Melchor Múzquiz.

Franciscan Missions

Another alternative of the trip that is integrated to this route, is the one that leads to the Franciscan missionary area of the Grande River passing by the Peyotes hill; this route crossed by the present municipalities of Progreso, Juárez, and Villa Union. Currently, only the Alamo is standing.

Most of the missions don't exist because they were built with adobe. However, in the current town of Villa Union, it is possible to appreciate the old fortress built in the XVIII century. Located next to the mission area, it is a sample of the military architecture in Coahuila.

How to get there: Leave towards the municipality of Allende on highway 57 and turn right towards Villa Union.

Haciendas de Encinas and El Álamo

Both buildings were built by the Vazquez Borrego family in the mid-18th century. The first one stood out in the 19th century as a cotton producer. It is currently located within the municipality of Progreso and near the Venustiano Carranza dam popularly known as Don Martín.

How to get there: Take Highway 57 and turn right to the municipality of Progreso and continue on the road that leads to the Venustiano Carranza dam.

San Francisco Solano Mission

The route ends with this mission. In 1749 it was renamed San Fernando de Austria. Only the parish remains. It currently covers the municipality of Zaragoza and is known as Cinco Manantiales.

How to get there: Take Highway 57 to the municipality of Allende and turn right. After 15 kilometers you will find the municipality of Zaragoza.

San Juan Bautista Mission

It is located in the municipality of Guerrero. This mission was built around the year 1700.

How to get there: Take Highway 57 to Allende and turn right to the municipal seat of Guerrerro.

Parras de la fuente

With more than 400 years of history and tradition, Parras is known as the "Oasis of Coahuila" and "Cradle of Democracy", a place to rest and soak up history, color, and flavor. It is the birthplace of Francisco I. Madero, a key character of the Mexican Revolution. Declared as a Historic Monuments Zone in 1998 and selected by the Ministry of Tourism in the "Magical Towns" program.

Its monumental corners tell us about an agricultural development that places it in the first places of the production of wines, liquors, and diverse spirits, as famous and appreciated as its textile industry specialized in denim, considered of great quality in the whole world.

Tourist and cultural attractions

Santo Madero Church

The architectural symbol of the city, it is very popular with many parishioners who attribute supposed miracles to it.

Church and School of San Ignacio de Loyola

Built in 1607, the church has a beautiful altarpiece covered with gold dust. The attached school houses paintings from the 17th century, as well as the Matheo archive with historical documents.

Sanctuary of Our Lady of Guadalupe

A work of the mid-sixteenth century, which presents a simple facade in which the side tower of a body topped by pinnacles and four images in the tile of the Virgin of Guadalupe flanking the entrance stands out.

Former Hacienda of Perote

It offers the tourist the benefits of witnessing not only the elaboration of its exquisite wines, but also the natural spectacle of the departure of the bats.

Madero House

The first wine producer in America, recognized worldwide for the quality of its table wines and the traditional harvest festivals in August.

Lumbreras

Also known as "fuques", they are natural caves with subway rivers where the visitor can experience the properties of the mud and refresh himself in its therapeutic waters.

Gastronomy and Crafts

The "asado de boda" stands out with three different types of soups, in addition to the exquisite sweets of nut, milk, fig, and the famous campechanas, and do not forget the recognized denim.

Festivals

Grape and Wine Fair in August

Anniversary of the city on February 18

Weather

Its average temperature is between 18 and 20°C, with rain in the months of August and September.

How to get there

It is located in the southern region of the state of Coahuila, 157 km west of Saltillo, on Highway 40, taking the left turn at km 130, in the town of La Paila. The tourist can also arrive by the state highway of General Cepeda or by commercial transport lines.

Monclova

The official foundation of the city took place in 1689 with the name of Santiago de la Monclova. Its origin was tied to the exploitation of the mines, but also it was an important point from which the Spanish troops and the evangelizing friars left to found presidios and missions in the extensive territory of which they are today Coahuila and Texas, of whose zone it was capital by many years until the separation of this territory.

The mining industry promoted the development of technology, education, and the flourishing of architectural works such as churches, palaces, universities, farms, and residences, among others. Today Monclova, "the capital of the steel", has become an industrial city, that continued growing and formed little by little its own cultural and social identity.

Tourist and cultural attractions

The Wall of the Purisima

Of what was the oldest temple of Monclova, erected in 1675, only remains a stone wall known as the Wall of the Purisima.

Temple of San Francisco de Asis

Its construction dates from the early 18th century. In contrast to the simple elements of its adobe facade, the interior of the temple has a magnificent baroque altarpiece bathed in gold dust. It was precisely from this enclosure where the Franciscans left to evangelize and found the missions in Coahuila and Texas.

Coahuila-Texas Museum

Formerly the building that today houses this museum was the Royal Hospital of the Province of Coahuila. This museum has a wide diversity of topics, such as paleontology, desert plants, crafts and utensils of the first settlers of the region; the colonization and the first founders of the province of New Extremadura, the prisons, the missions, the Independence of Mexico and the counterrevolution in Texas; the last room is dedicated, among other topics, to the North American Invasion, the Porfiriato, and the Mexican Revolution.

Polvorín Museum

Another of the colonial monuments of great relief is the old Polvorín, a building that dates from 1781, and that was constructed in ashlar stone on a hill to the south of Monclova; it served as a fort, powder magazine, and prison of the Spanish troops. It currently houses the museum of the same name, which shows the different historical periods of the region. It exhibits marine fossils, Chichimeca utensils, maps, colonial plans, photographs, and documents of the Mexican Revolution.

Pape Museum and Library

Dedicated to Harold Pape, founder of Altos Hornos de México. It is a center of great prestige that represents the contemporary history of Monclova. It has a collection of numismatics, old books, maps, and reproductions of universal art. It also presents temporary exhibitions of ceramics, painting, and sculpture. The building next to the building works as the Cultural Center Mini Pape, where workshops are made focused to wake up and to develop the artistic and cultural inclinations of the children.

Xochipilli Parks I and II

The extensive recreational area composed of two parks that are part of the concept of development of the Pape spouses. It has large green areas, sports areas, a great diversity of vegetation, an artificial waterfall, and a small lake. The artist Juan Soriano decorated this important green area of the city with some sculptures.

Gastronomy

The dishes of this town are distinguished mainly by having as a main ingredient roasted meat.

Festivals

Walnut Fair. This fair is commercial, livestock, and industrial;

La Virgen de Zapopan (December 18) and whose church is a replica of the one in the building.

Cuatrocienegas

Located on the shores of El Bolsón de Mapimí, it is part of the Chihuahua desert; it is the place where six mountain ranges converge: de la Madera, Menchaca, San Vicente, La Purísima, San Marcos y Pinos and La Fragua.

Also known as the "gateway to the desert", it is a region of great fertility and abundant springs; it is characterized by being a geographical basin with no exit, which has allowed it to be the only place in the world where animals from remote times have been preserved, such as the hinged turtle and other species of fish from thousands of years ago, so currently scientists from different countries arrive at this region to study its strange ecological phenomena. Due to the unique characteristics of its flora and fauna, it has been considered by many biologists as one of the most important natural areas in the western hemisphere.

The name Cuatrociénegas de Carranza refers to the marshes that form the abundant springs that are in the four cardinal points and for having been the cradle of Venustiano Carranza. Since 2004, it has remained on the World Heritage Tentative List under the category of mixed property.

Tourist and Cultural Attractions

San José Church

Built in 1806. The temple is an example of the regional architecture that prevailed during that time.

Municipal Presidency

Building constructed by the order of Venustiano Carranza in 1899. Inside you can see interesting historical murals.

House of Culture

This house houses collections of objects made by the indigenous people who inhabited the region and a photographic exhibition of the Cuatrociénegas Valley.

Venustiano Carranza House Museum

The house that lodges this museum was constructed in the first years of century XIX, is inherited by Don Jesús Carranza, father of Don Venustiano Carranza, and is here where the man of Cuatrociénegas was born on the 29 of December of 1859. This collection shows interesting photographs and diverse objects of the time, which reflect the life of the family and the time when he occupied the Presidency of the Republic.

Ferriño Wine Cellars

In 1860, Don Miguel Ferriño Lander, originally from the town of Padua in southern Italy and recently arrived in Cuatrociénegas, founded the winery that is now known as Bodegas Ferriño. It started modestly mainly with the distillation of brandy and grape brandy. This is one of the oldest wineries in Mexico, producing red and fortified wines from local and regional grapes, as well as pomegranate liquor.

Vitali Winery

House founded in 1948 by Colonel Nicolás Ferriño Ramos. Currently, the fourth generation of the Ferriño Vitali family is in charge of wine production. It has five products: semi-dry red wine, generous port type, generous muscatel, sweet red wine, and cream of liquor.

Handicrafts

In this municipality, cups are made with images of Cuatrociénegas, sculptures in wicker and mesquite wood, hand painting on slabs, tiles, and rebozos.

Gastronomy

Dishes are cooked such as barbecue head, red menudo, and meat with chile, flour tortillas. They also prepare fritters, leaves, candies covered with biznaga, pumpkin, milk with nuts, and fig. In addition, they make fortified wines, sangria, and grenadine.

Festivals

San José (March 19). He is the patron saint of the town.

Grape Festival (in the month of July)

The Cuatrociénegas Valley

The area is extremely desert-like and includes mountains and canyons, it is salty and flat, with some low hills and important space of gypsum dunes. It also has mountains up to 1,900 meters above sea level. The hydrological complex is interconnected and constituted by around 200 springs, forming lagoons, pools, rivers, streams, and swamps of different extensions up to 600 meters in diameter. The total number of animal and plant species is estimated at a little over a thousand, of which 77 are endemic.

The fauna is made up of fish, turtles, snails, reptiles, and crustaceans, isolated for millions of years. Sixty-one species of birds have been documented, the great majority of which are migratory; the most outstanding mammal species are the puma, deer, lynx, coyote, fox, black bear, and even small rodents and rabbits.

Information Center

In addition to providing ecotourism orientation, it has a souvenir store and specialized guides to visit the Poza Azul area. On one side is a sanctuary of turtles and fish endemic to the region, where you can see the hinged turtle.

Poza Azul

The clearest prototype of aquatic beauty in the area is this crystalline lake glass. The warmth of its water, the turquoise color, and the transparency of the liquid, make this site a fascinating wonder of nature. This place has a depth of five meters and like other bodies of water in the area, it usually maintains a temperature of 32 Celsius where endemic fish species and stromatolites live, a combination of unicellular algae and bacteria that are millions of years old and that as part of their functions produce oxygen. Therefore, in this place, access for swimming is not allowed.

La Becerra Pond

It has services of palapas, tables, benches, toilets, dressing rooms, showers, grills, sports courts, children's games, and food sales. On this site, it is allowed to enter the water, swim, and practice swimming with a snorkel. You can also contemplate the beautiful scenery formed by the Sierra San Marcos and Pinos.

Gypsum Dunes

The spectacular plaster dunes are another natural treasure found in the Cuatrociénegas Valley. The landscape of fine white sands of calcium sulfate, which covers about 800 hectares, is the second-largest gypsum desert in America; this type of ecosystem is only seen in New Mexico, Texas, and Tunisia.

Los Mezquites River Spa

Located 8 km from Cuatrociénegas. The tranquility and transparency of this site stands out. It has an approximate extension of 4 km and is ideal for enjoying canoeing and swimming.

San Jose del Anteojo

It is located 5 km from the municipal capital, taking the road to Sierra Mojada. This place has a swimming pool and services such as toilets, palapas, grills, dressing rooms, interpretative trails, and beautiful natural shadows.

How to arrive: The way to Cuatrociénegas from the city of Monclova is by the highway heading to the city of Torreón, with a route of 80 km and it is covered in an approximate time of 45 minutes.

Sabinas

It is to the north of Monclova. It is a city that still conserves the house in which Francisco Villa signed his armistice. The municipality is located within the so-called Carboniferous Region. Here is the National Museum of the Coal, which offers an ample panorama of this activity. Sabinas is located 115 km from Monclova on highway 57. To visit the Coal Museum, it is necessary to go to Palau, on the way to Múzquiz.

Sabinas River

An important aquifer that crosses the Carboniferous Region and flows into the Don Martín dam, where the Sabinenses spend unforgettable moments with their families.

Benito Ortegón Park

It is a splendid place that offers the visitor all the services and facilities for those who like alternative tourism and outdoor activities.

Don Martin Dam

Located only 35 minutes from Sabinas (in the municipality of Juárez). Tourists can practice water sports, fishing, sunbathing during the vacation season, and participate in tournaments in the months of May and October.

The Devil's Cave

It is located in the Cerro del Burro. In this place, you can admire cave paintings, a legacy of the natives of the region.

Paleontology Exhibition (PASAC)

This original scientific and cultural space exhibits thousands of pieces found in the region that show the paleontological and archeological richness of the state. The Carboniferous Region, for the Cretaceous era, is considered among the 10 most important paleontological sites in the world, for its diversity of fossils such as ammonites, fish, mollusks, corals, sharks, and dinosaurs.

Ethnobotanical Garden

Unique in Mexico, a space for exhibition, preservation, culture, and fun. The garden invites visitors to the challenge of walking through the labyrinths; getting to know the traditional health alternative that is herbalism and the applications of the plants of this region, besides appreciating some endemic plants.

Weather

The average annual temperature is 20 to 22°C. The rainfall regime is between the months of May to October and scarce in November.

Piedras Negras

On June 15, 1850, a group of 34 men commanded by Andres Zapata, Gaspar Salazar, and Antonio Ramirez appeared before Colonel Juan Manuel Maldonado to show him that they had formed a point in the Piedras Negras pass, on the right side of the Rio Bravo in front of Fort Duncan, Texas, naming it New Villa de Herrera, later called Villa de Piedras Negras. It was given this name because in this place there are rich carboniferous metals. 20 minutes away is the municipality of Guerrero, where you can admire the Mission of San Bernardo, declared Historical Heritage.

Tourist and Cultural Attractions

Square of the cultures

The main attraction of the city that welcomes national and foreign visitors. The pyramid hall, the planetarium, and the water ballet fountain make it a real attraction that enchants by its phenomenal view. This plaza has a replica of Chichen Itza.

Sanctuary of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Built in 1859 with ashlar and wood, it resisted a cristero attack and an explosion.

Macro square

A recreational and cultural area where you can also practice sports activities; its style is modernist and stands out for its cleanliness and comfort.

Weather

The average annual temperature is 20°C to 22°C with rain from April to October.

Festivals

Nacho Festival, in the month of October

Expo Feria, with livestock, industrial and craft exhibitions, the second week of August.

Gastronomy

The city of Piedras Negras is the cradle of the famous "nacho"; chicken and pork tamales are also typical.

City of Acuña

It was founded on December 27, 1877, when General Hipólito Charles was governor of the state, at the request of a group of military men, commanded by Captain Manuel Leal. The neighbors decided that the new town would be named after Captain Leal in honor of the chief of the founders.

Tourist and cultural attractions

Friendship Dam

Built to generate hydroelectric power. It is located in an international recreational area where you can practice sport fishing, skiing, diving, boat and sailboat races, and where archaeological sites of rock art stand out in their depths.

José Ángel Villarreal Municipal Museum

A cultural site that illustrates the different stages of the history of this city. It exhibits land and marine fossils, pre-Hispanic utensils, and ancient objects of common use.

Archaeological Sites of the Pecos Complex

Related to this archaeological complex are the cave paintings located on the banks of the Pecos River, these magnificent paintings are part of a binational program.

Weather

The temperature is 20 to 22°C, with rain in May, June, July, November, December, and January.

Festivals

In September the Expo-Feria de la Amistad is held.

Torreón

Its origins are closely linked to the railroad. The place where now sits the city of Torreón was formerly a railroad crossing where a tower-like building was installed (actually a tower) to watch over the river's avenues.

In 1892 it was still a town of 200 inhabitants; however, during the Porfiriato grew rapidly due to the emergence of the cotton zone. The Station of the Torreón carried out managements before the Executive so that it was granted to the station the category of villa, whose appointment obtained the 24 of February of 1893; the first president of the villa was Antonio Santos Coy. For September 15, 1907, the villa acquired the rank of city.

Tourist and cultural attractions

La Laguna Regional Museum

Opened since 1976, it shows the most important collection of archaeology in northeastern Mexico from the Candelaria Cave, one of the first sites investigated by INAH since the 1950's to date.

Christ of the Noas

Sanctuaries referring to the Holy Land, which have the second highest sculpture of Christ in Latin America at 20.80 meters high.

Isauro Martinez Theater

This site is considered one of the most beautiful in the country. It has a Gothic, Byzantine and Moorish structure and inside it there is a stage with a pictorial decoration marked with an oriental style.

Museum of the Revolution

Known as "la Casa Colorada", built in the mid 19th century, it exhibits objects, photographs and important documents from the history of Torreón during the armed struggle.

Historical Museum of the City (Casa del Cerro)

This building was built at the beginning of the 20th century, and its rooms display the history of the city and the work of plastic artists from the lagoon, as well as an open-air forum for artistic events.

La Perla Channel

The Canal de la Perla, considered a historical heritage site, runs subway through the Historical Center of Torreón and is a symbol of identity and pride among the inhabitants of La Laguna.

Weather

Its climate varies from 25 to 30°C of temperature. In the summer it can reach a temperature of up to 45°C outdoors and in the winter up to -3°C.

Festivals

The cotton fair, industrial and livestock, in August and September.

Source: National Council for Culture and the Arts