Asientos

Asientos is a colonial mining town in the northeastern part of the Mexican state of Aguascalientes. The town is also known as Real de Asientos, or more formally, Real de Asientos de Nuestra Señora de Belén de los Asientos de Ibarra (if that's too much of a mouthful, just call it Asientos, like everyone there does. It is one of Mexico's designated Pueblos Magicos and is one of the designated sites on the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro (a UNESCO World Heritage Site).

Understand
The town of Asientos was settled by the Spanish in the early 16th century. It is one of the historic silver mining towns that prospered from the late 16th through the 19th century.

Climate
Asientos is in a semi-desertic area and this is reflected by its landscape that abounds in a wide variety of cactus species in the area.

Get in
Asientos is located 60 km north of the state capital, Aguascalientes. The trip by car will take about 45 minutes.

The best way to get to Asientos is by taxi from Aguascalientes. The fare should be about M$300 (Feb 2023).

Get around
Asientos is a very walkable small town. Taxis are available for further ventures.

Churches

 * Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Belén (Church of our Lady of Bethlehem) and tunnels, Calle Juarez, Centro Historico - Beautiful colonial church, established in 1548, with a number of unique features that make it stand out from Mexico's thousands of spectacular colonial era churches. The church has an articulated Christ figure that's 500 years old, made with actual human remains, including teeth, ribs, and skull (kind of macabre, but mondo cool). It has its own collection of ecclesiastic art from the viceregal era, featuring a number of works by Miguel Cabrera. And to cap it off, the church has a tunnel system that was built underneath the church in the late 18th century. It was built to store water and as a flood control system. Guided tours of the tunnel system are given daily starting at 10:00.
 * Santuario de Guadalupe, Plaza de Guadalupe; Monday-Friday 10:00-14:00 and 16:00-18:00, Saturday and Sunday, 10:00-18:00. - Pink granite facade with figures of the Virgin of Guadalupe emblazoned on the door and stained glass window. Explore the church cemetery where different levels and gravesite styles reflect a person's social or church position. The church was built in 1765 by Father Tadeo Bueno de Bessori. The interior features paintings of Jesus and the 12 apostles, painted by artist Teodoro Ramirez.
 * Ex Convento del Señor del Tepozán, on highway MEX 22 - Built in the early 17th century as a Franciscan monastery, the site displays several architectural elements that were considered unusual for the time, including narrow corridors, sloped floors, and small rooms. Several religious artifacts are on display as well as an exhibit of African cultures.

Museums

 * Museo del Minero, Vicente Guerrero 7, Centro, near the city hall. Hours: 11:00 - 18:00 - Museum dedicated to the local mining history and traditions. Also displays bones from a wooly mammoth.
 * Museo Vivo de Cactáceas, Vicente Guerrero 2, Centro - Living museum of cactus, agave, and related semi-desertic plants that thrive in the dry climate of Aguascalientes, including 45 species of flowering cacti.

Landmarks

 * Plaza Juarez - The town's main plaza, located in front of the church, honors the town's mining tradition. It's a pleasant space to sit and relax beneath shade trees. You can take a ride on a small tourist train called El Piojito.
 * Aquaduct - The stone aquaduct was built by Jesuit monks in the 18th century to provide water to Asientos. The source was a spring in the forests on Cerro Altamira, which flowed through the aquaduct to a storage tank in the barrio of Guadalupe.
 * Casa Larrañaga - Don Gaspar Benito de Larranaga was a mine owner in the early 18th century. Originally a 2-story home, the Casa Larrañaga was a large hacienda that today is a private home and not open to the public, though it's a popular local landmark.

Do
The town celebrates several major festivals throughout the year, including:


 * Feast of Our Lady of Bethlehem (Nuestra Señora de Belen) (Feast of January), fourth Sunday in January. Honors the patron saint of Asientos, dancers perform in the square outside the Church of our Lady of Bethlehem and a parade travels through the town's main streets.
 * Festivities of the Lord of Tepozán, July. Festival and special events in town as well as religious activities.
 * Miner's Day, July 11.
 * Festival of Saint Francis of Asísi, early October.

Buy
Rustic clay pottery is one of the traditional crafts made in the area and you can buy pitchers, pots, plates and similar items.

Eat
If you spot it on a local menu, you might want to try a local dish that's rooted in pre-hispanic cuisine --- conejo a la chichimeca.

Go next
If you enjoy exploring scenic small towns, two other Pueblos Magicos in Aguascalientes are:
 * Calvillo
 * San José de Gracia