Sombrerete English
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◈ This is a town nestled between hills, where any direction you look in there are slopes on the horizon. On top of these peaks there is always a cross, and in May people climb them to show their devotion.
One stream, the Diezmo, crosses the town stealthily. When the sun is shining, the orange-tinted quarry stone of the buildings gleam bright, the marble stone of the streets shines, and so do the people walking over them.
As you enter Sombrerete via the old Calle Real, the twisted branches of the broad-leaf privets will welcome you, but as you keep going you will notice the town doing its utmost to impress you: mansions that once belonged to counts and marquises, the commemorative plaques that speak of history, and its small squares filled with people taking shelter under the trees, wearing hats and refreshing themselves with sorbets.
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◆ Visit La Barra, a bar in Jardín Zaragoza which looks more like a beer museum.
◆Find Don Mere’s sorbet cart, located in the Plazuela de San Francisco.
◆Observe the Cerro del Cristo from afar, from the second floor of the Presidencia Municipal.
If you visit the Capilla de la Candelaria, you will see an image of the town’s patron saint, brought from Seville by Juan de Tolosa in the 16th century.
❖ Altavista Archeological Zone
An ancient pre-Hispanic city inhabited by the Chalchihuite people since 450-470 A.D. until 850-900 A.D. The archeological zone is located southwest of Sombrerete. It was designed and built using precise triangulation within the landscape, using the Sierra de Chalchihuites as a starting point.
❖ Candelaria Regional Fair
This takes place from January 20th to February 4th. Apart from religious celebrations, a nighttime parade and procession is carried out. There are bull runs, horse races, a cavalcade, bodybuilding competitions, and car races.
Don’t miss the opportunity to visit the town of Sombrerete during these celebrations, so you can get to know its more traditional side.
❖ Jardín Constitución and Presidencia Municipal
The protagonists here are benches and the men wearing hats sitting on them, a kiosk made with engraved columns, and the contemplation of life, in no hurry at all. At the bottom of the garden is the Presidencia Municipal (town hall). It’s worth going inside and asking permission to go up to the second floor, because from up there you can see the Cerro del Cristo hill.
❖ Explore the Sierra de Órganos
Find your adventurous spirit; camp or stay in a hotel in this fascinating place. Enjoy nature in the moonlight.
Sierra de Órganos, located 19 miles away, is a national park made up of thousands of stone columns. This fascinating landscape has served as the setting for many cowboy movies from the 1960s. Among these rock formations are stone pines, cedars, sweet acacias and junipers. Eagles and mountain cats, snakes, cactuses and prickly pears hide, jump, or grow within the rocky labyrinth. Every six months a nocturnal race through it is organized. Take part!
❖ Escape to Noria de San Pantaleón
Eleven miles northwest of Sombrerete you will find this place, which is practically a ghost town. A mining town, their old company store and the Iglesia de San Pantaleón are still standing as a reminiscence of the old days.
❖ Try Brujitas and the Tacos de Papel
Come and try brujitas (“little witches”) and make them fly…
Brujitas are fried empanadas filled with shredded beef, potato and cheese, or beans. They are sprinkled with salt. The recipe belongs to just one family and they were given this name because they were once sold under the colonnades and they “flew” off the shelves. Now you can find them in Jardín Hidalgo 215, or at Calle Urribary 115.
Another dish you have to try are the tacos de papel (“paper tacos”), which are made using very thin tortillas, fried in lard, and filled with potato and mincemeat, beans, green chilies and cheese, and shredded beef. Lettuce, cream and salsa are sprinkled on top. Find them on Calle Colegio Militar, next to Plazuela de San Francisco.
❖ Sombrerete and its Traditional Parade
On the last days of October, from the 29th to the 31st, in this Magical Town you will begin to feel the festive and united atmosphere generated by the Day of the Dead. The people of Sombrerete are ready to participate in the nocturnal race that takes place in the Parque Nacional Sierra de Órganos, which remembers the deceased loved ones.
On the 1st November, the Procesión de Ánimas takes place, a tradition that has been conserved since the 18th and 19th centuries, which emulates the ancient guilds. People dress in light colors, light candles and go to pray at the Templo de la Soledad and the Templo de San Francisco, and then head to the Municipal Cemetery, which is lit up with candles, and carpeted with cempasúchil (Mexican marigold) and nube (baby’s breath) flowers. The idea is to accompany the dead as they make the journey back to the realm of the living.
Without losing its festive spirit, the Auditorio Municipal hosts the competitions in altars, catrina costumes, and sawdust carpets.
❖ Candelaria Regional Fair
This takes place from January 20th to February 4th. Apart from religious celebrations, a nighttime parade and procession is carried out. There are bull runs, horse races, a cavalcade, bodybuilding competitions, and car races.
Don’t miss the opportunity to visit the town of Sombrerete during these celebrations, so you can get to know its more traditional side.
