Arteaga
Arteaga is a small mountain town in the northern state of Coahuila, Mexico. With its constant mild temperatures and surrounding pine forests, the town is a popular weekend getaway for city dwellers in Saltillo and Monterrey. It is one of Mexico's designated Pueblos Mágicos.
Understand
Outdoors enthusiasts find much to love about Arteaga with its mountainous landscape covered in deep pine forests. The town often receives snowfalls in winter and has a ski lodge with an artificial ski slope for those times (often the whole year) when snow is but a distant memory. Much more reliable (and natural) are cool weather days that invite hiking the mountain trails and bringing some binoculars for Birdwatching.
Get in
By plane
The nearest commercial airport is in Saltillo, though it is a smaller airport offering limited connections. A taxi from the Saltillo airport to Arteaga takes about 20 minutes and costs about M$300. Most foreign visitors will find it easier to arrive in Monterrey (MTY IATA), which is a large airport with many flights throughout Mexico and international flights from the United States, Canada, Cuba, and Spain. A taxi from the Monterrey airport to Arteaga will take about 1-1/2 hours and cost about M$1500.
By bus
Long distance bus service is provided by several major companies including Omnibus de Mexico, Grupo Senda, and Estrella Blanca to the city of Saltillo (a major connecting terminal for Northern Mexico). From the Central de Autobuses, take a local taxi to Arteaga.
By car
Arteaga is 15 KM east of Saltillo. Drive east on federal highway MEX-57. The trip will take about 20 minutes.
Get around
Walking is the easiest way to get around in the historic Centro area but you'll want a taxi (or your own car) to get out into the more remote Backcountry places.
See
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The historic downtown (Centro) is scenic, peaceful and an enjoyable place to meander the cobblestone streets and learn about the town's history.
- 1 Parroquia San Isidro Labrador, Hidalgo 204, Centro. The town's main church is a beautiful neoclassic church that's white both inside and out with a tastefully sparse collection of religious sculptures adorning the facade and mid-19th century oil paintings inside. The church features a large single bell tower with a distinctive tile cupola. The church dates from the mid-19th century.
- 2 Plaza de Armas (Zocalo), Centenario 122, Centro. The town's main plaza is a pleasant place for some quiet people watching for to just sit on one of the myriad park benches to feed the pigeons. The park has a number of very old, very big shade trees, the most famous of which is called La Llorona for an embedded sculpture of a wailing woman.
Do
- 1 Parque Ecoturistico El Chorro, Carr. a los Lirios KM 1, ☏ +52 844 881 5787. Tu-Su 09:00 - 18:00, closed Su. Family oriented outdoor recreation area with picnic areas, hiking trails, and educational programs about the local enviroment.