Without a doubt one of Mexico's most picturesque cities, Guanajuato lies among mineral-rich hills just four hours north of México City and an hour from the Bajío International Airport, making it a convenient destination to get away from it all.

The city's narrow, cobblestone streets wind between pastel-colored houses, offering never-ending routes to the curious visitor, who will find shade in its many public squares and pavement cafés. The river that flowed through the city was diverted about a century ago, with the former riverbeds opened up to offer tunnels that filter the traffic underground, allowing for a pedestrian city where the pace of life is slow and the atmosphere friendly.

Host of the annual International Cervantino Festival, that every October sees artists from all over the world descend on Guanajuato for two weeks of world-class entertainment, the elegance of the city's buildings and public squares date from its rich past as one of the country's most important silver-mining towns, which put it on the map during colonial times and financed the construction of majestic buildings, such as the Juárez Theater, opposite the main square, and the Basilica.

Take a stroll down Kiss Alley, narrow enough to allow lovers of old to kiss from their balconies, in a scene worthy of a work of theater, and visit the house and birthplace of renowned Mexican painter Diego Rivera. Enjoy the city's many squares, where open-air cafés and restaurants invite you to take a pause and people watch. Lose yourself in the labyrinthine streets and alleyways, visit Kiss Alley, where the balconies of houses on either side allowed furtive lovers to hold midnight trysts, and take the funicular railway up to the Pípila monument that overlooks the city, for a stunning view of the valley.

Situated on one of the city's most elegant boulevards, a short distance from the center and commanding magnificent views of the imposing La Bufa hill, the Hotel Villa Mar’a Cristina occupies a Neo-Classical townhouse dating from 1876.