Yuriria

About Yuriria

Yuriria is a lakeside town in southern Guanajuato, close to the Michoacán border. Its history is closely tied to the Augustinian friars who arrived in the sixteenth century, built a monumental monastery, and engineered the nearby lagoon by channeling water from the Lerma River, creating one of the earliest large hydraulic works of colonial Mexico.

The Ex-Convento de San Agustín dominates the town with its fortress-like walls and richly carved plateresque facade, and its cloisters and halls now hold a museum. The Templo de la Preciosa Sangre de Cristo is another stop on a short walking circuit. Most people then head to Laguna de Yuriria, where boat trips glide past reeds and islands and birdwatchers look for herons, egrets and migratory waterfowl, especially in winter. The Lerma canal that feeds the lake is part of the same story of colonial engineering.

Yuriria suits travelers who enjoy quiet colonial towns without crowds and are happy to linger over a lakeside lunch. Neighboring Salvatierra, with its old stone Puente de Batanes, pairs naturally with a visit, and the volcanic craters known as the Siete Luminarias near Valle de Santiago, including the crater lake of La Alberca, make a striking side trip. The dry months from late fall into spring are best for birding and touring.