Story and Photos by Paul Beddows
It is not as well known nor as visited as Cities like San Miguel Allende or Taxco, but it has some unique qualities not found in other cities and it is now far more easily accessible to RVers.
Last year saw the completion of the spectacular new toll highway from Mazatlan to Durango. This highway is one of the worlds most spectacular with 115 bridges & 61 tunnels. One tunnel is over 3 km long and the Baluarte Bridge is one of the world’s highest road bridges. It is the worlds highest cable stayed bridge, which makes it a destination in and of itself.
Although there is no RV Park in Durango, if anyone needs a place to park overnight I will give them instructions to a gated Motel that works, if they contact me. Fortunately with a fairly early start from Mazatlan, it is quite possible to make it to Zacatecas in one drive. The road from Durango to Zacatecas is a free road and is in excellent shape. It used to be a bit dicey to travel over, but the increased commercial traffic from the new highway has made it much safer. I traveled over it in April 2014 and I do not believe there are any issues. I also spoke to the chief of the Federales for Zacatecas who told me they also consider it safe. Caravanas de Mexico RV Tours with whom I work are going to be using it, starting this next season.
The best place to camp in Zacatecas is the former Hotel Hacienda Bosque, now known as the Hotel Hacienda Baruk. This is a five star hotel with an attached RV park, which is basically a parking lot with hookups. Convention traffic in the hotel means it is often filled with cars so you should contact them ahead of time and they will clear a spot. You should also make sure your arrival doesn’t coincide with a caravan, as the park is not that large. It is on the route for at least two French Canadian Caravans plus Caravanas de Mexico's English caravans. There are actually two Hotel Baruk's in Zacatecas; you want the Hacienda Spa. Their email is reservaciones.hacienda@hotelesbaruk.com. It is very close to the intersection of highways 45 & 54 and conveniently located less than 10 minutes from the historical center. Access by RV is easy and the hotel is very well signed on the highway. There is a loop you can park in before entering the parking lot, so you can check things out. RV's can utilize the hotel facilities.
The best way to see Zacatecas is by a taxi or a tour. The two main attractions are the cable car across the city and the massive El Eden Mine. Fortunately, the mine entrance is only a block from the lower terminus of the cable car, so if you start up on the mountain (drivable) you can do both in one go. The mine is accessible for wheelchairs as well and a visit to this mine is a must. Zacatecas started out as a Spanish mining camp in the mid 1500's and the rich mountain, which is now a labyrinth of tunnels, has provided its main source of wealth until recently.
For those who have visited Spain, the first thing that strikes you about Zacatecas is how much it resembles a Spanish colonial city more so than a Mexican one. It even has an Aqueduct. The historical center is extremely clean and the city presents an image of being very safe. It is well worth taking an open top bus tour around the historical center, just ensure you can get a commentary in English. The one I took last year was Spanish only, which wasn’t an issue for me. There are two companies and I took the one with the oldest looking buses. I suspect the other one with the new Green Buses would be better. The local Corona brewery also offers tours.
Archaeology buffs can take a full day tour to the La Quemada archaeological site and the town of Jerez, both are well worth visiting and tour companies can arrange that from Zacatecas. Jerez is classified as a "Pueblo Magico", which means it is of special tourist interest and has to maintain standards of historical preservation and cleanliness.
Once you have had your fill, there is no need to retrace your steps. Good highways take you south towards Guadalajara and the Pacific coast. A worthwhile visit is the colonial city of Guanajuato and you’ll find a good RV park on the outskirts. From there you can skirt the southern shore of Lake Chapala and avoid the traffic nightmare of Guadalajara. The RV Park at Chimulco Hot Springs in Villa Corona is also well worth visiting, or Roca Azul on the west shore of Lake Chapala. After that, you can head south via Colima to Barra Navidad & Melaque on the coast.
Paul Beddows lives in Abbotsford, BC in summer & Jalisco, Mexico in winter. He has written many articles on RVing in Mexico and works with Caravanas de Mexico RV Tours, a Mexican based Tour company, and is co-founder of NATCOA You may reach him at paul@natcoa.com