Set in the foothills of the Western Sierra Madre in the state of Sonora, Alamos is one of Mexico’s most splendid colonial cities. It has history rich with Spanish Conquistadors, mining barons, imperialists and revolutionaries, all of who have left their mark. Once you enter the village, you’ll experience the feeling of a different age, the romanticism of Spain and the sweetness of Old Mexico…
That’s because Alamos is Mexican through and through—while there are some foreigners living here, its ex-pat community is small, giving you the opportunity to immerse yourself in the local culture side-by-side with the people who call it home. More a town than a city, the population hovers around 15,000 souls, with another 4,000 or so in the outlying areas.
Everyone knows each other, thanks to its size, the pedestrian nature of its colonial layout and its magnificent weather of cool, pleasant days in the winter, a few hot days in the summer and spectacular monsoon thunderstorms in July and August. Complete strangers will happily greet you as they walk by—it’s just one more charming aspect of life in Alamos.
The village is pristine, cherished by the villagers for its beauty and tranquility. The conquering Spaniards designed it over 350 years ago in the image of Andalusia—one of Spain’s proudest cities—the birthplace of many its founders. Today it offers the visitor many attractions, festivals and activities, including bird watching, visits to indigenous villages, horseback riding, history, photography and much more. This enchanted pueblo is a Mexican Historical Monument and a Sonoran State Historical Site; rumor has it that Alamos may be named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Read more about Alamos in the article “The Town Time Almost Forgot”.