Geography Mineral de Pozos is very near the center of Mexico, but normally, it is described as being located about 185 miles (300km) north of Mexico City and in the northeast corner of the central state of Guanajuato. It is part of a chain of mountains rich in minerals and mines that extend south from the state of Hidalgo to Real de Catorce in the state of San Luis Potosi in the north. Occasionally, it is said to be on a mountainous branch or spur of the Sierra Gorda Range. The terrain is sedimentary and volcanic dating from the Upper Jurassic to recent times. It is mostly covered with Caliche in places 16 feet (5 meters) thick. Although it is south of the Tropic of Cancer, it has a temperate climate due to its altitude -- 2,305 meters (7,562 feet) above sea level. Temperatures are pleasant in summer to cold in winter. Although at one time it was covered with forests, today it is characterized as semi arid high chapparal desert. See also Google Earth Maps Government Politically, Pozos is a part of the municipality (similar to a US county) of San Luis de la Paz, the seat of which is 5 miles (8 kilometers) to the north. The population of Pozos is 2,223 inhabitants as of the official National Census of 2000.

A Bit of History

It is said that there are four major historic cities in the state of Guanajauto: The capital city Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende. Dolores Hidalgo and Mineral de Pozos.

In its day it was a very important city but for much of the late Twentieth Century Pozos has been abandoned -- A ghost town -- without many inhabitatants and no industry. In 1982, then President Lopez-Portillo declared Mineral de Pozos a National Historic Treasure. Today it is experiencing a renaissance due to artists who are moving to Pozos and tourists who are seeking a different experience.

Mineral de Pozos designated a 'Pueblo Magico'

The Federal Secretary of Tourism, Gloria Guevara Manzo, delivered to the Governor of the state of Guanajuato, Juan Manuel Oliva Ramírez, the designation that makes the community of Mineral de Pozos a 'Pueblo Magico'.

On a working trip to Pozos, Guevara Manzo said that with this new designation for Mineral de Pozos, it brings to forty-nine the number of communities in Mexico benefiting from this program, which creates an explosion of tourism for the towns, creating more jobs and improving the quality of life of its inhabitants.

"Mineral de Pozos has a variety of cultural, natural, artisanal, traditional and gastronomic attractions that should be exploited for the benefit of the population," she said. (source: Secretaría De Turismo, México   translated by B Lieberman)

It is expected that the Federal, state and local governments will be making large investments to infrasturcture and publicity. There a many private construction projects underway at this writing.