Zacatecas travel guide

The Festival Cultural, which usually runs alongside Semana Santa and spills over into the following week, is now Mexico’s most popular festival, transforming the city into a 2-week-long 24-hr extravaganza with a large number of free events.

Zacatecas

Also in Sep is an agricultural fair, held at the same fairgrounds. In nextdoor Guadalupe, the annual Baroque Music Festival is held at the Museo de Gualdalupe.

Aeropuerto La Calera

(ZCL), 27 km north of the city has daily flights to Mexico City, Tijuana, Guadalajara, Ciudad Juárez, Monterrey, Morelia, Aguascalientes and direct flights on American to a few US cities.

Airline offices

Avolar, T1-800-712- 4078, http://www.avolar.com.mx. Mexicana, T492-922 3248.

Bus

The bus terminal is 4 km south of town; a taxi to/from the centre costs US$2; red No 8 buses leave from Plaza Independencia (US$0.15) or white camionetas from Av González Ortega (old bus station on Blv López Mateos only serves local destinations). Apart from buses to Mexico City, Chihuahua and a few other major towns, most routes do not have bookable seats. Frequent buses passing through Jerez back to Zacatecas with Rojo de Los Altos, US$2.40.

To Aguascalientes, every 30 mins, 2½ hrs, US$6.85. To Chihuahua, via Torreón, 12 hrs, US$44. To Durango, 5 hrs, many throughout the day, US$14-16 (if continuing to Mazatlán, stay the night in Durango in order not to miss the views on the way to the coast). To Guadalajara, hourly, 4 hrs, US$21. To Hidalgo del Parral, 10 hrs, US$40. To León, 3½ hrs, US$15.60. To Mexico City, almost hourly, 8 hrs, US$38. To San Luis Potosí, 7 daily, 2½ hrs, US$7.

Banks

Banamex, Av Hidalgo. Banorte, offices all over town and in next door Guadalupe as well. Bancomer, Av Hidalgo, has a Visa cash dispenser and gives cash (pesos) on Visa cards. HBSC, Av Hidalgo. Santander, Av Hidalgo. Several other banks with ATMs on Av Hidalgo. Casa de cambio next door to post office has excellent exchange rates.

Internet

Café@rroba, Félix U Gómez 520B, daily 0900-2200. @Internet, Hidalgo 737, daily. Cybertech, Hidalgo 771, T492-922 0870, Mon-Sat 0930-2130. Dozens of others scattered throughout centre.

Laundry

At the north end of town are Lavandería El Indio Triste, Juan de Tolosa 828 and Lavasolo, similar prices. Pressto, Av Pedro Coronel 31A (in next-door Guadalupe), T492-998 0908, outstanding laundry and dry cleaning with next-day service.

Medical services

Santa Elena Clinic, Av Guerrero, many specialists, consultation, US$12.50.

Post office

Allende entre Independencia y Hidalgo, across from Sanborn’s.

Telephone

(also Western Union money transfer office, for which passport required) Telégrafos, Av Hidalgo y Juárez.