Because Saltillo and its surroundings are rich in natural resources, featuring breathtaking sceneries, forests, deserts and mountains, it is the ideal spot for eco-travelers. Besides having a rich biological diversity in the outskirts, the city thrives on culture, colonial churches, and beautiful monuments. Downtown Saltillo has impressive colonial buildings that are centuries-old and important museums that display the vast, cultural diversity of the region.
Get ready to go rappelling, climbing, or skiing on artificial slopes, as well as bike riding or hiking in the mountains. Near the capital, you can find Rincon Colorado, an area rich in fossil remains and the most important paleontological site in Mexico, reminiscent of past geological periods.
Other leisure activities available in Saltillo are theater plays, movies, professional sports events and even skiing and snowboarding. In fact, Saltillo is the only place in Mexico where you can do winter sports on a modern artificial slope. No matter what the season, you can learn these exciting sports all year round.
Nowadays Saltillo is still well known for the local hospitality, typical of Mexican small towns, even though it is now a large city.
Parras de la Fuente
This picturesque "Magic Town" is an hour away from Saltillo. It is considered "Coahuila's Oasis", because of the fertile land where grapevines grow for the fine wine making industry that exports wines to several parts of the world. You can admire the delightful scenery of the prosperous vineyards from the top of the famous Santo Madero Church. You can also visit the Hacienda San Lorenzo that houses the first wine cellar in the Americas. This town was also the birthplace of Francisco I. Madero who was the president of Mexico at the end of the Mexican Revolution in 1910. This lovely town welcomes many domestic as well as foreign tourists, and definitely has a lot to offer.
Sierra de Arteaga
This magnificent sierra has the most beautiful scenery of snowcapped peaks and lush forests where you can camp and enjoy nature. You can also go skiing on the first artificial slope in all of Latin America. The course is made of a special fiber perfect for slipping and sliding and is open all year round. Eco-travelers will find it the ideal place to visit and it is just 10 minutes away from Saltillo.
Desert Museum
This museum is considered one of the best in the country for its splendid exhibits. It consists of 4 halls and extensive botanical gardens with 250 different kinds of cacti. Visitors can learn about the desert and its wildlife through a series of interactive displays. You will be surprised at the great variety of animal and plant species that adapt to the harsh weather conditions and lack of water in the desert. You can also see the fossilized remains of a Tyrannosaurus Rex, a Hadrosaurus and a Quetzalcoatlus, or flying pterosaur.
Bird Museum
This large museum, located in the Historic Center of the city, features more than 2350 birds on display, about 75% of all the species found in Mexico. Visit this museum and learn to appreciate Mexico's vast natural resources and the numerous species of birds that live here. You will learn about geography, and the natural habitat of these fascinating birds which glide across the skies. Also, the building that houses this magnificent collection is an architectural landmark which used to be the famous San Juan School, built in the mid 19th century.
Rincon Colorado
Also known as "The Valley of Dinosaurs", Rincon Colorado has a rich collection of fossil remains from the Cretaceous Period (70 million years ago). This is where they found the first complete dinosaur in Mexico, which was a type of Hadrosaurus, Tyrannosaurus Rex fossils have also been found here. The site features a museum, a paleontological collection and is located 30 minutes away from Saltillo.
Narigua Valley
Just 25 minutes from the city, you will find this interesting site that features rare native rock carvings, also called petroglyphs. There are 150 rocks with carvings, made by nomad Indian tribes who hunted and fished here. You can also see ancient chimneys and campgrounds left by these hunter-gatherers and talented artists, who expressed their ideas on these rocks.
Cathedral
The impressive, Saltillo Cathedral, is an architectural jewel, built in honor of Apostle Santiago the Elder. In 1745, it was established as a parish and later, after much construction, became the cathedral that can be seen today. Art, faith, and religion have flourished here for 2 centuries and can be appreciated in the marvelous graphic representation of The Via Crucis or Jesus' path of suffering, brought from Belgium. The cathedral's cruciform architecture, the magnificent strokes of the oil paintings, and the beautiful sculptures will definitely attract your attention.
Historic Center
