things to do in taxco mexico

17 Awesome Things to Do in Taxco, Mexico (2024)

Looking for things to do in Taxco, Mexico? Bienvenidos. Taxco de Alarcón is one of the most beautiful cities in Mexico.

In the six months I spent living in Mexico, Taxco really stood out to me as one of the highlights.

It’s one of the pueblos magicos de Mexico (Mexican magic towns) because of its unique history, and legends and embodying the charm of Mexico.

Taxco is full of colonial architecture and white-stone buildings that remind will remind you of the Mediterranean.

a cobbled street in Taxco, Mexico

I have to agree with the person on Reddit who described Taxco as being like “Sanitouri in the 1960s, before boatloads of tourists overwhelmed the place.”

We did a day tour of Taxco while staying in Cuernavaca at a friend’s house. (Otherwise, I would have absolutely stayed right in Taxco.)

It can be hard to research a trip to Taxco online, because many of the businesses do not have websites, or the information isn’t available in English. Having been to Taxco, and knowing Spanish, I’m going to uncover all the things to do in Taxco that are hard to find out about online.

So, let’s jump in- the insider scoop on amazing things to do while you’re in Taxco!

2 Things to Know about Visiting Taxco

street in taxco
A street in Taxco (if you look closely, you can see the Redeemer of Christ statue in the background)

Many businesses in Taxco don’t have websites, online booking, or reservations. Sometimes they use a Facebook page as their website, and operate mostly in Spanish. For a lot of the things to do, you just show up and inquire. Business hours are sometimes posted on Google.

The state of Guerrero currently has a travel advisory from the US government, so it’s definitely not one of the safest places in Mexico. However, the city of Taxco is generally safe with low incidents of any type of crime.

Things to Do in Taxco, Mexico

city view of Taxco, Mexico

1. Spend time walking around the Zócalo

One thing you’ll want to make time for doing in Taxco is simply walking around, taking pictures and admiring the scenery.

The downtown is very walkable and charming, with white stone buildings, and winding cobbled roads. It’s an incredibly photogenic city, with every corner and view being unique and quaint.

All the cities in Mexico have a zocalo; it means ‘main square’ which is always in the historic centre. The main square of Taxco is the historic centre, where you’ll find:

  • the large TAXCO sign
  • the famous church, Santa Prisca de Taxco
  • shops and street vendors that sell silver products
  • museums, art galleries and colonial architecture
taxco sign in taxco zocalo

Take some time to walk around, both day and night to enjoy the ambiance.

On the weekends, there is a flea market, and there are also many festivals throughout the year held in the zocalo.

2. Go inside the Santa Prisca church

You won’t miss the Parroquia de Santa Prisca (Parish of Santa Prisca); it’s the tallest building in the Zocalo and stands out of everything else.

Santa Prisca de Taxco is known for being one of the most beautiful churches in Mexico and was built in the 1700s of baroque style.

inside of the Santa Prisca Church

It was the first Mexican church that I ever went inside, and it is quite impressive – with gold alter background.

It’s free to walk inside the church, and the doors are open between 9am and 7pm daily (a bit later on Sundays.)

It’s also possible to climb the bell tower of the Santa Prisca church to get a view of the city.

It’s 130 steps to the top of the Santa Prisca bell tower, and it’s a very nice view of the zocalo from the top. I recommend having some change on you to pay for entrance to the bell tower.

3. Visit the Taxco mine

Address: Cerro, De La Misión #32, 40230 Gro., Mexico

The Taxco mine (Mina Prehispánica de Taxco) was discovered just over 10 years ago, and opened to the public in 2014.

The mine is right in town, only about a 15-minute walk from the Zocalo.

Tours of the mine will take you down flights of stairs into the mine, and through narrow passageways. A guide will explain the history that they’ve learned about the mine since it was recently discovered.

Tours are around 150 pesos (around $7.50 USD), and are about an hour long.

The mine is located right under a hotel. After the tour, you are invited to enjoy a Cocktail de Minero from the terrace of the hotel, which has a nice view of the city!

4. Ride the cable car

Address: De Los Plateros 3, Ahuacatitlan, 40225 Ahuacatitlán, Gro., Mexico

Taxco, being located in the highlands, there are a few ways to get some great views of the city and surrounding mountains.

One of the easiest ways to get a panoramic view is to take the cable car. The cable car (teleferíco in Spanish) is 660 feet long, and brings you to the top of a mountain where you can get a bird’s eye view.

taxco mexico

The ride from the ground to the top is only about 5 minutes long, and at the top you’ll find Hotel Montetaxtco which has amazing views.

You can either take pictures and head directly back down, or you can have dinner or lunch at the hotel restaurant. Dinner would probably be more comfortable since it can be hot during the day.

The cable car is located a bit further from the Zocalo (a 25-minute walk, or 10-minute cab ride.) It’s located near the hospital, and is open from 8 am until 6-9 pm at night, depending on the day of the week.

5. Check out the Casa Borda

Address: Plaza Borda # 1, Real de Cuauhtémoc 1, Centro, Taxco de Alarcón

Casa Borda is an old stone building located on the corner of a windy road in Taxco. It’s within the Zocalo area; only about a 1-minute walk from the Santa Prisca church.

Casa Borda is one of lesser glamorous buildings in Taxco from the outside, (very plain looking compared to others) and there’s not a lot to see, but its one of the oldest colonial buildings in town.

You can go inside the Casa Borda for free, and there are windows that look out into the street and have a nice view.

Pro Tip: Casa Borda is located right in front of a plaza called Plaza de Borda, where there’s a fountain, restaurants and silver shops. There are also some cute walkable streets branching out from the plaza, which you may want to walk down anyway

6. Walk down some of the prettiest streets in town

You’re already planning to do some walking around, seeing the best of what the city has to offer.

Here are some specific names of streets to make sure you don’t miss while walking around Taxco:

Pro Tip: calle means “street”

  •  Calle Benito Juárez – also known as “the magic street of Mexico” Its a windy road, just a 5-7 minute walk from the Zocalo. However, it is a trafficked road so you need to watch for cars.
  • Calle de Arco – long narrow street, with tall white stone walls on either side. Not a lot to see or do,
  • Calle Agustín de Tolsa a small pedestrian-only alleyway branching out from the Plaza Borda
  • Plazuela de San Juan – this isn’t a street, but a little star-shaped plaza, less than 5 minutes on foot from the Santa Presca church. Has a fountain in the middle, and is bordered by all-white buildings

7. Get an unbeatable view from the Christo Rey monument

Address: Cristo Rey. Cristo Monumental., C. del Bosque 89, Barrio del Atache, 40253 Taxco de Alarcón, Gro., Mexico

Aside from the cable car, getting views from the Cristo Rey monument is another way to get a beautiful view of the city and surrounding mountain range.

The Christo Rey monument is located at the top of the Cerro del Atache hill, overlooking Taxco.

cristo rey in taxco

You could walk up to monument from downtown zocalo area, it would take about 45 minutes in total.

Another option is to take a cab or drive to near the base of the mountain, and walk the rest of the way up. That would cut down the walk to as little as 15-20 minutes.

There is more than one way to get up to the Cristo Rey monument, so it’s best to input the address into Google maps and decide based on where you are which route to take.

Pro Tip: I recommend planning your route to get up to Cristo Rey ahead of time, as sometimes the internet connection in Taxco isn’t the best.

8. Visit some great museums

There are a bunch of interesting museums in Taxco where you will see some surreal and unusual things. Here are some to consider:

  • Museo de Arte Verrinel (art museum): Whether you go inside or not, the Museo de Arte Virreinal is one of the cutest-looking buildings in Taxco. (It’s also known as Casa Humboldt.) Right downtown, just a 2-minute walk from the Santa Prisca de Taxco church. One of the famous pieces located there is “The Funerary Mound”, which was created to pray for the death of the King of Spain.
  • Museo de la Plateria – a small silver museum, which is found in a building in the Plaza Borda. Info here
  • Museo Casa de Las Lagrimas- a museum depicting 1700s lifestyle in Taxco. Shows traditional furniture, artcitectuere, tools and other interesting things. Info here.
Inside the Museo Casa de Las Lagrimas
  • Museo Guimmerlo Spartling (Archeological museum) – This museum is full of interesting artifacts by American named William Spartling who moved to Taxco in the early 1900s and was very influential in the silver industry. Info here.
  • Casa Museo Figueroa – a residence turned museum which lots of interesting art pieces; some very weird and verging on creepy. It’s known for being a “cursed” house with hidden passageways. If you want to see interesting and unique things, Atlas Obscura recommends it.

9. Shop for silver souvenirs

As the world capital of silver, Taxco’s a great place to get an authentic Mexican souvenir that will last forever. Plus, it’s cheaper here than what you would buy it for elsewhere.

The silver in Taxco is known for being very pure, and very original in the designs. I bought a tin while visiting which I still have now.

silver container from taxco
A silver tin that I bought in Taxco

There are countless shops around Taxco where you can buy silver souvenirs; that is part of its charm. There are many jewellers where you can buy silver jewelry, and silver souvenir stores where you can buy all kinds of silver souvenirs.

Generally, the closer you are to the zocalo, the higher the prices will be. So, if you want a really good deal – try to hit the stores that fall outside the main tourist squares.

Pro Tip: There is a flea market on Saturdays on the ‘Avenida de los Plateros.’ This is also a great place to look for unique and authentic silver goods made by local artisans

10. Do a silver workshop

There are silver workshops offered in Taxco where you can learn about how they work with silver, and make products out of it.

You can book a 2-hour silver workshop here, for about $40 USD per person.

11. Take part in local festivals and events

Taxco hosts a number of events and celebrations year-round.

In January for example, is the Festival of Silver, and in November there is Taxco’s famous Día de Muertos celebration.

Check this Taxco tourism and events website, to search by month and see if there’s anything special going on while you’ll be there.

12. Check out the Atlanteans of Taxco

Distance from Taxco: 3km (1.8 miles)

The Atlanteans of Taxco are located just in the outskirts of the city. They are large stone Mayan figures on a stone platform, overlooking the mountains.

Because of having to go around the mountains, it would take an hour to walk to them. So, it may be best to take a cab unless you want to make the walk.

To get to the Atlanteans statues, the exact address is: Alamo, Montetaxco, 40253 Taxco de Alarcón, Gro., Mexico.

Things to Do NEAR Taxco

These are some fascinating things to see that are not in the main town of Taxco, but a short drive outside of it

14. Cascada De Cacalotenango

Distance from Taxco: 9.3 km (5.7 miles) or 20 minute drive

Not too many people know about these beautiful waterfalls just east of Taxco, called Cascada De Cacalotenango.

They’re located on a nature reserve, where you can hike to the falls on a 2.6 km (1.6 mile) trail.

If you want to visit one of the famous Pazas Azules, this waterfall is on the way to them.

15. Pozas Azules de Atzala

Distance from Taxco: 13.7 km (8.5 miles) or 38 minute drive

Pozas Azules (blue pools) are gorgeous blue river with waterfalls, near Taxco.

pozas azules

There is a 4-hour tour from Taxco (costs around $50 USD per person) that leaves from the centre of Taxco and takes you there. Bring your swimsuit, as you can swim in the pools!

16. Cerro del Huixteco

Distance from Taxco: 20 km (12.5 miles) or a 40 minute drive

Cerro del Huixteco is known by locals for being the best view of the city. It’s a hiking trail up a mountain peak through a forest just outside of Taxco.

The summit of Cerro del Huixteco is 7500 feet above sea level, and the tallest mountain of the region.

17. Go inside the Cacahuamilpa Caves 

Distance from Taxco: 31 km (19 miles) or a 36 minute drive

Cacahuamilpa Caves are limestone caves that formed millions of years ago.

These caves are inside a national park, Parque Nacional Grutas de Cacahuamilpa. We went inside these caves, and needed to wear spotlights. It was really cool.

caves near taxco

There are several tours that bring you to the Cacahuamilpa Caves from Mexico City, but none that run out of Taxco.

So, if you want to visit from Taxco, you will need to drive on your own or take a taxi. Otherwise, it may be easier to book a tour from Mexico City.

This is a helpful blog post about a traveller who visited the Cacahuamilpa caves.

18. See Mil Cascades

Distance from Taxco: 32 km (19.8 miles) or 1 hour drive

Mil Cascadas are another breathtaking waterfall in Guerrero. They can be visited from Taxco via car, but they can also be a daytrip from Mexico City.

There are many tours that head to Mil Cascades from Mexico City, but its hard to find English-speaking tours that head there from Taxco.

Check out XPlora Tours Taxco which operates in Spanish, but plans several trips and experiences in Taxco and surrounding areas – including Mil Cascadas.

Because of the windy mountain range, it would take an hour to drive to these waterfalls from Taxco. (From Mexico City, it would take 2.5 hours.)

Where to Stay in Taxco, Mexico

Taxco would be a nice place to stay overnight for a night or two. Here are some recommendations

  • Budget: Hotel Cielito Lindo is a great budget option with a pool and panoramic town view from the terrace! It’s about a 10-minute walk to the zocalo
  • Mid-Range: Hotel Santa Paula is a quaint, cozy little hotel right downtown Taxco, just a 2-minute walk from the zocalo.
  • Luxury: De Cantera Y Plata Hotel Boutique  it an upscale hotel option with an airport shuttle, parking, a swimming pool, scenic views of the city, and a delicious breakfast
taxco by night

What to Eat in Taxco

Dishes to try in Taxco

  • Pozole – a local soup, that can come in different variations. A pozole place is called a “polezeria” and there are a few of them in Taxco!
  • Mole Rosado (pink mole) – is sort of like a gravy made with beets, and other spices. Often paired with meat, or with whatever you like
  • Berta, the signature cocktail of Taxco made of lime, honey and tequila and sparkling water
  • jumile taco – a beetle that is eaten live (yes, you read that right.)

When I was in Taxco, I took a tour where the provider showed us a bag of the jumile taco (pictured below) and ate one – and two people in my tour group were brave enough to try it too. I won’t get into my thoughts on it, as a vegetarian. But jumile taco is a traditional dish of Taxco area that you can read about here.

jumile tacos in a bag

Best Restaurants in Taxco

  • Rosa Amaranto – gourmet Mexican cuisine with a patio overlooking the city. 2. Try some local dishes
  • Tía Calla – a pozole restaurant
  • Pozoleria Tia Calla Plateros – another pozole restaurant
  • Del Angel Inn – great view and patio, and has a website where you can view their menu. Has both Mexican and bar food, such as burgers
  • La Bambina Cervecería Taxco  – outdoor seating with a panoramic view, and great place to go if you want to try different beers (hence the name ‘ceverceria’

Taxco Mexico Travel FAQ

Here are the most common basic questions asked about travelling to Taxco

Is it safe to travel to Taxco Guerrero?

Taxco the city is generally very safe, but currently the state surrounding it (Guerrero) has a travel advisory from the US government. I personally never felt unsafe in Taxco, its a peaceful small city of only 51,000 people. It’s always important though, to look up current travel advisories and

How long to spend in Taxco?

Taxco is small, so it doesn’t take long to see everything. I would recommend 1-2 nights, depending on how many of the attractions there that interest you. It’s a beautiful city, and you probably need at least one full day to enjoy it.

What is Taxco Mexico famous for?

Taxco is famous for being the worldwide capital of silver. Almost 1/4 of the world’s silver is from Mexico, most of which is produced in Taxco.

Is it worth going to Taxco?

It’s absolutely worth going to Taxco. If you’re in Mexico City, then Taxco is an easy day or overnight trip, and it is one of the most beautiful cities in Mexico to visit.

taxco mexico

Final Thoughts on Taxco

I hope that this article has inspired you about all the amazing things to do in Taxco. It’s an amazing, unique place with its own special ambiance that is unlike anywhere else in Mexico.

The highlights of our trip to Taxco was getting a view of the city from above. It reminded me of Greece, with all the white buildings. It was also quite beautiful with the surrounding mountains.

Whether you’re in Taxco for one day, or a couple days, I hope that you’ve found based on this article what you want to do. Buen Viaje!