Magical Towns

Magical Town: a place with unique attributes, legends, history, important facts and magic in every socio-cultural event.

The Secretary of Tourism developed the Magical Towns Program in collaboration with various government agencies. The program seeks to re-validate the populations that have always been in the collective imagination of the nation and represent cultural alternatives for local and foreign visitors. More than a bailout, it is recognition of those who inhabit these beautiful places in Mexico and have been able to save all the cultural and historical richness within their villages.

The objectives are to highlight the tourism value of the localities and to provide an innovative and original tourist opportunity that meets the growing demand for culture, traditions, adventure and extreme sports in natural settings, or simple, but unique, everyday rural life.

Tecate, Baja California

Tecate's name appears on the registration books of the Mission of San Diego de Alcala in 1769. Father Junipero Serra originally founded the mission as a station or place of rest. In 1863, the mission was enrolled in the Tecate agricultural colony that consisted of ranches and grazing land.

The ideal location, between beautiful sea and mystic desert, with mountains, streams and trees, favors natural attractions. Among the most interesting places to visit are the cave paintings of Vallecitos, historic buildings such as the Alaska Field that were built in 1916 and include a museum of historical photographs, more than 50 ranches, and now the Kumiai Community Museum. They are recent symbols of what distinguish Tecate as a Magical Village.

Tecate vineyards offer a range of wines for tasting. You can visit the wineries, learn about the culture of the vine and participate in the Harvest Festival. You can also find diverse and excellent cuisines, from Mexican to world renowned BajaMed, the production of artisan cheeses and famous bakeries.

Loreto, Baja California Sur

Loreto is located at the heart of the Baja California peninsula. The natural setting and the culture always come as a surprise to visitors. Founded in 1697, Loreto was the center of Jesuit and Spanish culture in this desert portion of Mexico. The long journey of evangelization and the civil settlement of Baja and Alta California were undertaken from here.

The Mission Nuestra Señora de Loreto Conchó is the jewel of Jesuit missionary architecture. The original structure has been preserved including the richly decorated altar. The Museum of the Jesuit Missions is located near the mission. The museum contains a collection of religious art, weapons, tools and items of everyday life that were used by Jesuit leaders in the process of evangelization.

Distinctive cuisine is certainly a hallmark of Loreto. Most notable is the inclusion of seafood in recipes, especially the “tatemada clam.” The preparation evokes the cuisine of the ancient pre-Hispanic Californians. Missionary wine, olives and goat cheese are other local products that retain their traditional methods of production.

Todos Santos, Baja California Sur

Todos Santos was part of the Jesuit evangelization. An icon in its history is the mission built in 1723. Todos Santos also occupies another unique place in the history of Baja California. It was a Guaycura settlement, one of the major cultures that inhabited the southern peninsula.

Todos Santos is truly a picturesque Magical Village. The streets and buildings are reminders of colonial times past, including the Mission of Nuestra Señora del Pilar and Manuel Márquez de León Theatre. Today, Todos Santos is home to national and international artists with numerous galleries that enhance the town’s artistic tradition.

The Festival of the Arts of Todos Santos has been a successful event since 1998. Every year, in the month of February, the traditional and popular artistic talents of this community, such as dance, theater, literature, music, visual arts, crafts and culture are promoted.

Silvia Perel founded The Film Festival of Todos Santos in 2004. Artistic and educational Latino cinematography is shown in Todos Santos and its enthusiastic neighbor, La Paz.

Tourist activity has grown in this area since 1980. The geographical location on the Tropic of Cancer creates an artistic atmosphere that flows throughout the village. Here you can find great artists and artisans who are making Todos Santos a significant cultural center.

Alamos, Sonora

The discovery of precious metals led to colonization and made Alamos the richest and most important city in the country's northwest. Founded in 1682 by Domingo Teran de los Rios, the prosperity of the land became apparent in the nineteenth century with the minting of valuable coins in gold, silver and copper.

The architecture of this beautiful city is a fusion of Spanish and Baroque styles. The colonial landscape offers sightlines of perfectly delineated arches and courtyards that are lost among plants and flowers. Many old buildings are now part of the hotel infrastructure.

One of the most beautiful buildings in Alamos is the Central Church. Completed in 1804, scholars suggest that its classical and baroque elements served as the first bishopric in Sonora. A favorite destination for visitors is La Plaza de Armas. It’s a place to relax and observe the dynamics of the town’s inhabitants and the efforts of those engaged in crafts and country life.

The International Festival Alfonso Ortiz Tirado takes place in Alamos. It is named in honor of the famous American tenor. The festival has become a tradition for lovers of music and culture and is one of the most important cultural events in the north of the country. The Feast of La Virgen of La Balvanera also takes place in the month of November.

At certain times during the year, whitetail deer, wild boar, dove, quail, ducks, and other game can be seen. Fishing is also available in the streams or behind the Cuchujaqui Mocuzari dam where bass, catfish and crappie are in abundance.

Magdalena de Kino, Sonora

The original inhabitants were the native Tohono O'odham and Pima Alto Indians. The Jesuit missionary in 1687, Eusebio Francisco Kino founded the village and the Mission of Santa Maria Magdalena de Buquibaba. It is located four hours from the Bay of Kino, a picturesque town with historic landscapes.

Magdalena de Kino is home to the colonial-style Church of Santa Maria Magdalena. The Mausoleum of Padre Kino in the Mission of San Ignacio features the crypt of Padre Kino. The sacred enclosure jealously guards the remains of the Jesuit missionary Francisco Kino, the evangelist of Pima Alta. The Padre Kino Museum houses objects of the indigenous cultures of the region, such as weapons and clothes. The Municipal Palace is a beautiful building that serves as the center of the municipal government. It features a beautiful exhibit of stained glass and prints that reflect the history of the town and the state.

Cosala, Sinaloa

Located about 100 miles from Mazatlan, this Magical Village has an old mine, waterfalls, mineral springs and other treasures.

The territory was occupied by descendants of the Nahua tribe who settled on the banks of the river and crossing streams more than 2000 years ago, as evidenced by the petroglyphs that can be appreciated at several locations.

Francisco de Ibarra founded Cosala in 1562 but gave it the name of Sierra de la Plata or Mountain Range of Silver. It was the missionaries and evangelizers Fray Juan de Herrera and Pablo de Acevedo who named it Real de Minas de Nuestra Señora de las Once Mil Virgenes de Cosala.

Later, Spanish conquistadors discovered gold and silver in the territory and the mineral wealth fed the colonial hunger for precious metals for centuries. You can enter the largest mine of western Mexico, Guadalupe de los Reyes, and relive the days of colonial splendor.

In Vado Hondo, just 10 minutes away, visitors are tempted to swim in streams and waterfalls surrounded by thick vegetation. A half hour away, in San José de las Bocas, the hot springs is considered sacred for its legendary healing properties. The Mineral de Nuestra Señora ecological reserve is an exceptional site for mountaineering and bird watching, including green macaws.

El Fuerte, Sinaloa

The fort was constructed under the direction of Diego Martinez de Hurdaide in 1610 to provide protection for the settler soldiers. By the mid-seventeenth century, the fortified settlement was called Fort Marques Montesclaros.

You can stroll along the streets of El Fuerte and visit the magical colonial buildings, missions and old houses. Don’t miss the fort’s photography, museum and viewpoint and go hiking, bird watching, boating, fishing and duck hunting.

The Rio Fuerte Basin contains rock inscriptions left by Nahua tribal members centuries ago. The Hill of the Mask is a petroglyph complex, regarded as one of the finest in the state for the number of prints and diversity of content. It is located on the banks of the Rio Fuerte approximately three miles from the city. In total there are about 45 stones containing more than 100 engravings. Their age is estimated between 800 and 2500 years.

Extraordinary handmade pottery, basketry and woven palm handicrafts are characteristics of these locations, as well as human and animal figures carved out of wood. Other handicrafts produced for festivals are Jewish masks made out of boar leather and the masks of dancer with bells and rattles. The local cuisine is varied, even exotic. It can feature the delicious flavor of prawns, cauque (fish), bass fillets, quail or even pork rinds.

El Rosario, Sinaloa

Founded in 1655 at the site of the Tajo mine. For more than 290 years, the gold and silver produced by the mine supported the splendor of this city.

Located 40 miles from the port of Mazatlan, El Rosario is bursting with culture, tradition and history. The name comes from a legend that describes how a prospector put a rosary on the place where he first discovered silver.

The Church of Nuestra Señora del Rosario features extraordinary architecture. Built in 1823, the neoclassical structure includes the stunning gilded shrine, the Spanish Pantheon. To immerse yourself in the culture of El Rosario, visit the museum of world-class ranchero singer Lola Beltran, where you can see photos and costumes of important moments in her life, or treat yourself to the culinary wonders in Caimanero and see how Mezcal is made by hand in Chametla.