León (Mexico)

León is a city in Guanajuato, Mexico, known for its leather goods. It is known as the "Pearl of the Bajío" and the "Footwear Capital of the World" because it is here where more footwear is produced nationally.

Understand
Its population of 1.7 million (2017) makes it the fourth most populous municipality in Mexico.

It is considered one of the most environmentally friendly cities in Mexico and has a high number of cyclists, in part because of integrating a network of bike lanes into the SIT system.

León's strong leather industry makes shoes, boots, belts, jackets, and other leather accessories for national and international markets. The leather industry earned its inhabitants the nickname of "green belly" (panzaverde in Spanish) because of the green tainting in the workers' bodies resulting from treating leather.



By plane

 * Aeromexico & Aeromexico Connect Mexico City, Atlanta
 * American Airlines Dallas Ft Worth.
 * Mexicana Mexico City–AIFA
 * United/United Express Houston
 * Viva Aerobus Cancún, Chicago–O'Hare, Ciudad Juárez, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston–Intercontinental, Mérida, Monterrey, San Antonio, Tijuana
 * Volaris Cancún, Chicago–Midway, Chicago–O'Hare, Fresno, Hermosillo, Los Angeles, Mazatlán, Mérida, Mexicali, Oakland, Puerto Vallarta, Sacramento, San Jose (CA), San José del Cabo, Tijuana, Tuxtla Gutiérrez
 * Volaris Cancún, Chicago–Midway, Chicago–O'Hare, Fresno, Hermosillo, Los Angeles, Mazatlán, Mérida, Mexicali, Oakland, Puerto Vallarta, Sacramento, San Jose (CA), San José del Cabo, Tijuana, Tuxtla Gutiérrez

As of August 2018 state sponsored, Unebus Guanajuato operates buses from the airport to Leon, Guanajuato and San Miguel Allende. The stop is right turn when coming out from the airport, past the building in front of the taxi stand.

Alternatively if you're flying from Europe, Canada, Caribbean or South America you can fly through Mexico City 319 km to the SE and take a bus or a flight from there. Primera Plus operates a direct bus from Mexico City's airport to Queretaro where passengers transfer to another bus to continue to Leon or Guanajuato City.

By bus
If you want to look for an intercity bus ride in the app CheckMyBus, you need to select "León de los Aldama".



From Guanajuato it's M$62 (Dec 2021) with Unebus and M$95-105 (Dec 2021) with Primera Plus.

Coming from Mexico City, Guadalajara or Querétaro: If you want to take a second-class van to León: Roll&bits has daily rides for about M$200 (May 2022), from Mexico City M$350 (May 2022). Just book your ticket online on their website. The vans have a big trunk for luggage. In Mexico City it departs in front of the "Monument to Gr. Div. Joaquin Amaro" which is at the auditorio and near the bus stop of metro bus line 7 from the city center. In Querétaro the vans of roll&bits stop at La Comer Estadio. In Google Maps the stop is called "Lateral Queretaro-Mexico y Mega Estadio". In March 2022 it was better to pick a seat in the front half of the van because of better A/C.

By e-hailing
Uber and Didi are available.

By bus
For finding a connection, Moovit is somewhat better than Google Maps, because Moovit shows you the frequency of the buses. You can pay every bus ride with the bus card or in cash. It costs M$12 (Dec 2021).

The buses only stop at bus stops. The non-express buses must be flagged down, and in order to exit the bus, the stop button must be pushed.

The Sistema Integrado de Transporte (SIT) operates a bus rapid transit (BRT) system named “Optibús”. The route system is divided into four categories: There are three permanent transfer stations (San Jeronimo, Delta de Jerez and San Juan Bosco), two micro-stations (Santa Rita - Parque Juarez), which are the endpoints for trunk routes, feeder routes and auxiliary routes. Passengers at these stations are allowed to transfer without cost from any of these lines.
 * Trunk routes: eight main lines that cross the city from end to end. The buses are known as Orugas (caterpillars in Spanish) due to their articulated midsections. The Optibús transit system consists of 52 stations located in the central area of the main avenues of the city.
 * Feeder and Auxiliary Routes: urban bus routes that have one or more transfer stations. Are identified by the letter A (Feeder route/yellow decals) or X (Auxiliary route/blue decals).
 * Conventional Routes circulate through most of the city and are distinguished by having the corporative colors from its owners: orange, red, pink, purple and green.
 * Suburban Routes: routes are circulating outside or on the city edge communities as Comanjilla, Duarte, Loza de los Padres, La Hacienda.

By bicycle
The city's bicycle paths are extensive. Leon is one of the most bicycle-friendly large cities in Latin America and has an extraordinary track record in active transport, keeping the biking and walking share above 39% of the total trips, one of the highest values in Latin American cities.

See


Near León you can find the archaeological zone of Ibarilla, of Tarasco-Chupicuaro origin.



Do
While this is not a capital city, so there is enough to do such as catching a game of their two professional baseball teams, their top-flight soccer team and a nascent professional basketball team.


 * Bowl Leon: This bowling alley also contains a domino room, pool tables, ping pong, foosball and coffee shop.
 * Bowl Leon: This bowling alley also contains a domino room, pool tables, ping pong, foosball and coffee shop.
 * Bowl Leon: This bowling alley also contains a domino room, pool tables, ping pong, foosball and coffee shop.
 * Bowl Leon: This bowling alley also contains a domino room, pool tables, ping pong, foosball and coffee shop.
 * Bowl Leon: This bowling alley also contains a domino room, pool tables, ping pong, foosball and coffee shop.
 * Bowl Leon: This bowling alley also contains a domino room, pool tables, ping pong, foosball and coffee shop.
 * Bowl Leon: This bowling alley also contains a domino room, pool tables, ping pong, foosball and coffee shop.

Buy
In the intercity bus station are ATMs of Libertad and Caja Popular Mexicana. Both charge just M$17 (Dec 2021) for a withdrawal.

Around the intercity bus station are Oxxo's, a Circle K and some minimarkets.

León is known as 'the shoe capital of the world', and is a great place for discounted top footwear. Every major brand from Nike to Steve Madden shoes is outsourced to León. There are lots of cheap places to buy shoes and leather in general, some outlets on the sides of the manufacturers.

Just walk north-west from the intercity bus station and you will immediately see a lot of local shoe stores.



There are also retail outlets of leather goods that are relatively cheap when compared to Mexico City or Guadalajara.

Street Food
There is some street food in town.

around the bus station:
There are private rooms in very good rated hotels where both the stadium and the intercity bus station are. Prices are around M$300-400 (Dec 2021). For example:



Go next
All of these places have hostels and private rooms:

Guanajuato – 60 km. From there to San Miguel de Allende.

San Luis Potosí – 180 km

Querétaro – 180 km

Guadalajara – 220 km. From there to Puerto Vallarta and the nearby villages Bucerias, Sayulita and San Francisco (Mexico).