San Luis Potosí

No reviews yetCity San Luis Potosí, Mexico

The Baroque cathedral on Plaza de Armas was built between 1670 and 1730, San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí

Templo del Carmen is known for its tiled domes and ornate altars, San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí

The Baroque Church of San Francisco dates from around 1692, San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí

The Museo Federico Silva focuses on contemporary sculpture, San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí

About San Luis Potosí

San Luis Potosí, the capital of the state of the same name, grew rich on silver mined in the surrounding hills during the colonial period. Its historic center, built largely of pinkish stone, is filled with plazas, churches and gardens, and some of its landmarks form part of the UNESCO-listed Camino Real de Tierra Adentro.

The Plaza de Armas and the Cathedral are the starting point for most walks. Nearby, the Templo del Carmen dazzles with its carved facade and ornate interior, and the Teatro de la Paz is a grand turn-of-the-century theater. The Templo de San Francisco opens onto the Plaza de Aranzazu, while the Caja del Agua, an elegant neoclassical water fountain, recalls the city's old water supply. Museums are a strength: the Museo Nacional de la Máscara holds masks from across Mexico, the Museo Federico Silva focuses on modern sculpture, and the Museo del Ferrocarril and the Museo Laberinto appeal to families. The Centro de las Artes, in a former prison, includes the Museo Leonora Carrington.

The city suits travelers who enjoy architecture, museums and walkable pedestrian streets. The long Calzada de Guadalupe promenade is pleasant for an evening walk. It also serves as a gateway to Real de Catorce and the Huasteca Potosina.

Best seasonOctober to April brings dry, sunny days; summer afternoons may bring brief storms.

Ideal stayTwo days covers the historic center and main museums.

ArrivingThe city has an international airport and lies on Highway 57 between Mexico City and Monterrey.

WiserMap travel guideSan Luis Potosí Mexico Baroque Center and EnchiladasExplore San Luis Potosí, Mexico, with its Baroque center, museums, Calzada de Guadalupe, enchiladas potosinas, stay areas and a suggested three day itinerary.Read the guide

12 Things You Shouldn't Miss in San Luis Potosí

Landmarks 4

Plaza de Armas de San Luis Potosí

The heart of the historic center, also called Jardín Hidalgo, is a shaded square with a bandstand, ironwork lamps and benches wher...

Templo del Carmen

Built by the Carmelite order in the mid-18th century, this is the most lavish church in San Luis Potosí and one of the finest exam...

Templo de San Francisco and Plaza de Aranzazu

The old Franciscan convent complex, founded in the city's first decades, gathers some of its most beautiful colonial spaces around...

Caja del Agua de San Luis Potosí

This elegant neoclassical water tank, completed in the 1830s, once received water carried by aqueduct and distributed it to the to...

Arts 1

Teatro de la Paz

Inaugurated in 1894 during the Porfirio Díaz era, this grand theater on Plaza del Carmen was designed by architect José Noriega in...

Museums 4

Museo Federico Silva

Devoted entirely to the Mexican sculptor Federico Silva, this museum opened in 2003 inside a stately 19th-century neoclassical bui...

Museo Nacional de la Máscara

Facing Plaza del Carmen in an ornate 19th-century palace, this museum holds one of Mexico's largest collections of ceremonial mask...

Museo Laberinto de las Ciencias y las Artes

Inside Parque Tangamanga I, this interactive science and art museum was designed by renowned Mexican architect Ricardo Legorreta a...

Centro de las Artes de San Luis Potosí

Few arts centers have a back story like this one: the complex was built as the state penitentiary around the start of the 20th cen...

Neighborhoods 1

Calzada de Guadalupe

This broad, tree-lined promenade runs for well over a kilometer from the Caja del Agua to the twin-towered Santuario de Guadalupe,...

Parks 1

Parque Tangamanga I

One of the largest urban parks in Mexico, Tangamanga I spreads across hundreds of hectares on the southwest side of the city with...

Towns 1

Cerro de San Pedro

The city owes its existence to this hill town about 20 kilometers to the east, where Spanish prospectors struck rich gold and silv...

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