The Complete Travel Guide to Taxco, Guerrero | Mexico
One of the best hidden gems that I ran into while traveling in Mexico was the mountain town of Taxco de Alarcon in the state of Guerrero. Three hours south of Mexico City, this off-the-beaten-path destination is easy to get to, yet relatively undiscovered. It is well worth straying from the international tourist trail for. I actually stumbled into Taxco by accident. Originally, I planned to go back to Mexico City after Tepoztlan but was late in arriving to Cuernavaca’s bus station. I missed my bus. Not wanting to wait too long to get anywhere, and not really having a set plan, I decided to just catch the next bus and go to Taxco de Alarcon.
Yeah, I’d only have to wait another hour or so for a bus to Mexico City, but whatever. I’ve stopped trying to make sense of my spontaneous thought processes. I had never been to the state of Guerrero before, and I’d been to Mexico City about five times. I’m always down for a new adventure. It was my fourth month in Mexico but I’d basically only revisited some of my old favorite places. I settled in San Cristobal for about two months, Tulum for a month, and Oaxaca for the other month. It was time for something new. Taxco was the lucky winner of my game of bus roulette.
Actually, I was the lucky winner of my game of bus roulette. Taxco de Alarcon was an absolute dream. I actually shed a tear as my bus rolled into the city around golden hour. The city was more beautiful than I could have imagined. Taxco was easily one of the most unique places I’d ever seen. The city of white was built into the side of a mountain, and the stacks of Mediterranean-style buildings was something I never expected Mexico to have.
I hopped off the bus, strapped my two backpacks around me, and began the strenuous hike up to the Zocalo and to my hostel. After nearly a month on the Pacific Coast of Oaxaca, the altitude of Taxco was absolutely kicking my ass. I weaved my way through the narrow alleyways, dodging the Volkswagen Beetle taxis and market stalls. I arrived at my hostel, the only one that showed up online, and settled into my dorm room which I had all to myself.
Perks of straying off the beaten path. $10 for an entire room to myself right in the center of downtown. Things would only get better from there, as Taxco quickly became one of my favorite destinations in all of Mexico.
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How To Get To Taxco
For how easily accessible Taxco is, it’s surprising that it isn’t on travelers’ radars. It is just a three-hour direct bus from Mexico City. It’s even closer if you were already visiting the nearby towns of Cuernavaca, Tepoztlan, or Toluca beforehand.
How To Get To Taxco From Mexico City – Getting to Taxco from Mexico City is as simple as it gets. Being only a few hours away, you can catch a bus from Terminal Sur, also known as Terminal Taxqueña after Taxco itself. The buses leave very frequently. Unless it’s a holiday, you should have no problem turning up to the bus terminal and finding a seat on the next bus out.
I actually got to Taxco through Cuernavaca as I was coming from Tepoztlan. If you are leaving from Cuernavaca, you’ll need to go to the Estrella Blanca bus terminal. Make sure to specify Estrella Blanca when taking a taxi to the terminal, as there are multiple bus stations in Cuernavaca.
