Viesca is a small town in the desert of southern Coahuila, Mexico. It is known for its desert landscapes with rolling sand dunes called the Bilbao Dunes (a protected natural area that has a recreational area set aside for ATVs and dune surfing). The town is one of Mexico's designated Pueblos Mágicos.
Understand
[edit]Get in
[edit]
The nearest city with a major airport is Torreón, which is served by domestic flights from Mexico City (most domestic carriers), Tijuana (Volaris), and Guadalajara (Viva Aerobus).
By car
[edit]From Torreón, it is a 75-km drive to Viesca on good highways. The trip will take about 1 hour. From Torreon, drive east on federal highway MEX-40. When the road splits with a toll highway and a libre (free) road, stay on the free highway (MEX-40, not MEX-40D). The free highway will turn south. When you reach the intersection with Coahuila state road 82, turn south (right) and follow 82 all the way to Viesca.
By bus
[edit]Viesca is not served by a regular bus route, but there is a bus operated by AutoTransportes Parras-Torreon that goes to the town of La Cuchilla' and from there you could take a taxi the last 40 km. (It would probably be easier to just take a taxi all the way from Torreon.)
Get around
[edit]See
[edit]- 1 Plaza de Armas (Zocalo), Independencia, Centro. The town's main plaza is a large, open area with scattered palm trees reflecting the local desert climate. It's too hot to hang out on most days, but locals come out in the evenings when there are food carts selling tacos, gorditas, and churros. There are several sculptures and monuments in the plaza including some fulls-size bronze bulls. A short clock tower known as the Bicentennial Clock is here, as are the obligatory town letters. There's also a tree under which Miguel Hidalgo, father of the country, slept on a trip to Texas.
- 2 Parroquia Santiago Apostol (Church of St James the Apostle), Calz. Niños Héroes, Centro. The town's main church was built in 1731 with grey stone and a modest neo-classical design. It's a peaceful place for quiet contemplation, though not as flashy or as architecturally interesting as most colonial era Mexican churches. The church has a small museum of historic religious artworks (mostly paintings and sculptures).
- 3 Templo de Santa Ana de Hornos, Viesca. If these walls could tell... Viesca has a fascinating history and the Templo de Santa Ana de Hornos was witness to pretty much all of it. The church was built by Jesuit missionaries in 1598. The hacienda next door was built some 17 years later, but then not much happened in town for more than a century. The church is rather plain, and clearly quite old, but inside it's much more opulent with lots of iconic statues and paintings and a gold churrigueresque altar full of niches for small statues.
Do
[edit]
- 1 Dunas de Bilbao (Bilbao Dunes, Viesca Dunes). Protected natural area of sand dunes that resemble those in the Sahara with an area that allows recreational use including hiking, riding ATVs, or dune surfing (riding a surfboard down the dunes). The area looks like it could have been a set for Tatooine in the Star Wars movies, but it wasn't. It was, however, a location used in several films. The area is home to several desert species including the fringe-toed sand lizard, a threatened species endemic to the area.
- 2 Old Salt Factory, Av. Mariano Abasolo (enter through the side street to the gas station and continue about 500 meters to the old factory). While not exactly a typical tourist site, the abandoned salt works that was once the Fábrica Sulfatos de Viesca S.A. is a cool place to get some dramatic photos of some eerie salt plains as well as to do a bit of Urbex in what's left of the industrial plants (including a couple of chimneys, some crumbling walls, and some rusty tanks and probably dangerous underground works). Once the town's major employer, the factory closed in 1993 and the site has been abandoned for over 30 years.
Festivals
[edit]- Anniversary of Viesca — celebrated on July 25 every year since the town's founding in 1731, the highlight is a traditional folk dance called the Danza de Caballitos, which re-enacts the story of Christian armies marching against the Muslim hordes. Children dress in folkloric costumes and wave wooden swords.
Buy
[edit]Eat
[edit]- 1 El Viejon, Blvd. Rogelio Montemayor, ☏ +52 871 782 4580. Sa Su 11:00 - 00:00, closed M-F. Traditional Mexican food like barbacoa, tacos, and enchiladas.
- 2 Pollos Muruaga, Calle Miguel Hidalgo 35, ☏ +52 878 108 6701. Daily 12:00 - 18:00. Roast chicken, chicken sandwiches, and sides.
Drink
[edit]Sleep
[edit]- 1 Mi Tierra Querida Hostel, Emiliano Zapata 24-3, ☏ +52 871 404 2282. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Cozy hostel in a traditional Mexican home decorated in bold colors with Mexican artesanias in rooms and public spaces. Rooms are very clean and furnished simply but includes air conditioning and TV, but no WiFi. A full Mexican breakfast is available.
- 2 Hotel los Arcos, Av. Constitución 101-103, ☏ +52 671 764 0006. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Moderate hotel with attractive courtyard and secured off-street parking. Rooms are comfortable and clean and have televisions and WiFi.