When theme parks, beaches, scuba diving, and whale watching have lost their charm after multiple vacations to Mexico, perhaps a visit to The Land of Frogs is in order.

The City of Guanajuato, which is called The Crown Jewel of Mexico's colonial cities, was named The Land of Frogs by a group of indigenous people. By some accounts, the indigenous took one look at the terrain and said, "Nothing but frogs could live here!" Some say the indigenous found thousands of frogs in the mountainous terrain. Other accounts say it was the shape of the mountains that reminded the indigenous of frogs. Whichever account is true, Guanajuato is a place to get to know.

Guanajuato earned its place in world geography when the Spanish found the surrounding mountains rich in silver deposits. In fact, at one time more than one third of the world's silver riches were mined in Guanajuato. Though none of the usual summer vacation activities exists in Guanajuato, this city exudes history with every unsteady step you take on its cobblestone streets.

The City of Guanajuato is the Cradle of Mexican Independence. It was here Mexico began its quest to become Mexican. This is the perfect spot to see where and learn how Mexico began to fight for its hard-earned independence from Spain. Although small, Guanajuato has outstanding colonial architecture built with the silver revenue from times past. With modern museums, cultural events almost year-round, one of the world's oldest universities, and an almost perfect year-round temperate climate in which to enjoy this country's Crown Jewel, Guanajuato can be the perfect alternative to the usual vacation fare.

Many first-time visitors we've interviewed have expressed amazement to find Guanajuato defies their stereotypical expectation of Mexico. Many who have traveled extensively throughout Europe have told us how Guanajuato could be a town from Spain or Northern Italy somehow magically transplanted to this side of the planet.

Depending on whom you ask, The City of Guanajuato has a population of between 100,000-120,000 people. It is nestled in a ravine with the city literally built up the sides of the bowl-like surrounding mountains. If nothing else, a trip to Guanajuato would be worth the time and expense just to marvel at how the Mexicans figured out how to build this city. To call it a marvel is a gross understatement.

Another marvel to behold is Guanajuato's system of underground tunnels. Originally, the Guanajuato River flowed through the center of town. Numerous devastating floods occurred over the centuries, and engineers decided to divert the river away from the middle of town in the early 1900's. After diverting the river, the riverbed was turned into a maze of underground streets - this time to divert traffic.

All one need do is visit the Tourism Office to find an English speaking tour guide to take you on an unbelievably rich tour of where Mexico began - at a price that won't break your wallet.

How To Get Here

More American tourists we meet are driving to Guanajuato. This is not as difficult as one might imagine. Go to Google.com and type "driving to Mexico". You will find numerous articles on the logistics of driving here. The only problem you will encounter when arriving in Guanajuato is parking. Although city officials are working to solve this problem by building more parking facilities, it is a nightmare. Parking is at a premium and you will rarely find adequate and safe parking near your hotels.

The best way to arrive in Guanajuato is to fly to Leon, Guanajuato. From there you can take a cab for about $25.00-$30.00 to Guanajuato. It is about a 45-minute ride.

A way to combat the difficulty of your Leon cabbie knowing where your lodging is located, especially if you have arranged a private apartment for your vacation stay, is to have the Leon cabdriver take you to the Guanajuato's Holiday Inn or the bus station. From there it is a simple matter of switching to a Guanajuato cabdriver who will know where everything is in Guanajuato's confusing maze of streets.

Lodging

Guanajuato has a large influx of wealthy travelers to whom the hotel industry caters lavishly. You can find accommodations to boggle the mind and pocketbook. One of the best resources to use is Trip Advisor at www.tripadvisor.com. Go to this site and type in "Guanajuato" or "Guanajuato hotels" to view your options.

For middle-class budgets we recommend the following:

1. Hotel La Casa de Dulcinea, Positos #44, Zona Centro, telephone: 473-732-2406

There are only nine rooms. There is no restaurant or phones in the rooms. There are small rooms with two double beds. Bathrooms (shower only) are inside the rooms and are small.

2. Casa Carcamanes, Plazuela Carcamanes No. 8, Guanajuato, Mexico, telephone: 473-732-5172

There are rooms with baths, shared kitchen, and you can arrange to use the washing machine. They also have apartments for rent. E-mail them for apartment rates at rubendario@casacarcamanes.com

3. La Casa Azul, Calle Carcamanes #57, Colonial Centro, Guanajuato, Mexico. 473-731-2288

Each room has a TV, a dorm-sized refrigerator, shared kitchen and dining room. There is a rooftop terrace for guest use as well as two shared living rooms. You can arrange to have your laundry done for a moderate price.

Eating on a Budget

You can come to Guanajuato and spend as much or as little as you wish on food. Almost all the restaurants serve a meal of the day. For as little as $3.00, you can get a filling meal complete with dessert and drink. For breakfast or a late snack, you can visit the many small panaderias (bakeries) where you can buy a torta (sandwich), empanadas (a meat pie), drinks and an assortment of delicious pastries for practically nothing. Fruit stands line the street. Eating while in Guanajuato need not break your budget.

If you think you want something a little different in Mexico vacationing, come and try Guanajuato: The Land of Frogs!