Serving as the capital city of the northern state of Nuevo León, Monterrey is one of the best cultural hotspots anywhere in Mexico. Perhaps only sitting second place
It showcases one of the best night skylines in all of Central America. However, that maybe it’s primary function now, but deep in its roots is the pride of Mexican cuisine, culture and tradition.
It has so many beautiful neo-gothic churches of the nation’s Catholic religion. Statues of Greek gods also take pride of place within the city centre, and the many water features across the landscape bring a welcome coolness to the hot climate.
With a population of 1.1 million people, Monterrey sits just over half a kilometre above sea level and thus the calming waters of the Santa Catarina River carve straight through the heart of the city.
The Spanish culture and history in the city are heavily explored and celebrated, especially through
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A Spanish space
The Marcoplaza is situated in the bustling square of the city, where there are many restaurants and cafes to dine in. However since the market here is laden with street food, you can shop and eat without missing a beat.
The governor’s office is located here and there’s no doubt you won’t miss it because the neo-classical architecture of the building it’s in is a great attraction itself.
Different monuments and water features have been erected here, as it’s a gathering place for many social movements and general activity such as for festivals.
With large open spaces, you are not disturbed by any traffic, and you can easily walk from one attraction to the next within a minute or so. In among all of this, there is a humble 18th-century Roman Catholic chapel that slows the pace of life down for any and all to visit and sit in.
A cultural landmark
Mexico City has many museums that explore the world and the country itself. However they have some of the best-known artefacts and historical records in the country, therefore the knowledge is more mainstream.
Monterrey has it’s own Museum of Mexican History and is the largest of it’s kind in the north of the country. It delves deeper into the racial mix between the settling Spanish and native Mexicans.
The deep-rooted affection for the religion of Catholicism has also explored epicentre and you’ll see the transition the nation made from it’s older ancient Gods to the belief in Jesus Christ.
It pays to take Spanish lessons and learn the language of Mexico before you visit this kind of cultural landmark. The history is so complex, if you could understand texts and scriptures on display from the Middle Ages onward, the experience would be something you’ll never forget.
Taking the first steps to learn Spanish is quite easy, given the popularity of the language around the world. Companies can start you off at 15 hours of Spanish over the course of just 5 weeks.
This is around 3 hours a week, which is not only manageable for most of us, but it’s not too little either. A lot of South America can and should be better explored through the native tongue of many countries, and there’s no better start than learning Spanish to understand Mexico first.
A little lighter
Contrary to what you may get in the south of the country, Monterrey is famous for it’s lighter street food. Of course, you can find heavy beef burritos if you look hard enough, but the majority the street food takes pride in offering fire-panned vegetables and leaner meats.
Tacos are one of the mainstays of the street food culture, so you can expect some delicious courgettes, onions and tomatoes to go with your seafood or chicken tacos.
Unlike the south, you can also get American-style food
Monterrey city is now known for being an economic powerhouse. There’s so much wealth created in the city but all around there are homages to the nation’s history, the formation of the modern language and plenty of shopping and eating to do.
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Happy Travels
