Current Time in Taxco de Alarcón, Mexico

Taxco de Alarcón, commonly known simply as Taxco, is a picturesque colonial mountain town in the state of Guerrero, Mexico, situated in the rugged Sierra Madre del Sur mountains at an elevation of approximately 1,800 meters, about 175 kilometers south of Mexico City. With a population of approximately 65,000, it is internationally renowned as the silver capital of Mexico — a designation earned through centuries of silver mining and craft production that make it the most important center of silver jewelry manufacturing and design in the country. Its extraordinarily well-preserved colonial townscape, dramatic hillside setting, and thriving artisan tradition have made it one of the most visited historic towns in Mexico.

Silver was mined in the Taxco area by indigenous Aztec peoples before the Spanish conquest, and the Spanish expanded mining operations dramatically after 1522. However, the transformation of Taxco into the magnificent colonial town that visitors see today was largely the achievement of a single individual: José de la Borda, a French-born silver magnate who struck extraordinary wealth from the Borda mine in the eighteenth century and invested much of that wealth in beautifying his adopted hometown. His masterpiece, the Church of Santa Prisca, built between 1751 and 1758 in a single continuous construction effort — an extraordinary achievement for a complex building program — is considered one of the finest examples of Churrigueresque Baroque architecture in Mexico.

The Church of Santa Prisca dominates the central Plaza Borda from its position on a raised platform, its twin towers rising above the narrow streets and terracotta rooftops in a silhouette that has become the defining image of Taxco. The church's facade is an extraordinary exercise in the Churrigueresque style — the most elaborate and ornate variant of Spanish Baroque, characterized by an almost frenzied density of sculptural ornament that covers every available surface. The gilded retablos inside, the paintings commissioned from the most important Mexican artists of the period, and the quality of the craftsmanship throughout make Santa Prisca one of the great colonial religious monuments of the Americas. José de la Borda is reported to have said on commissioning the church: God gives to Borda, and Borda gives to God.

Taxco's silver artisan tradition was revitalized in the twentieth century by William Spratling, an American architect and silver designer who settled in the town in 1929 and established workshops that trained local craftsmen in a distinctive design vocabulary combining pre-Columbian motifs with Art Deco aesthetics. Spratling's influence transformed silver jewelry from a declining craft into a thriving modern industry, and today Taxco has over 900 silver shops selling everything from mass-produced tourist trinkets to exquisitely designed and executed original pieces by talented local silversmiths. The Spratling Museum near the town center documents his contribution and displays his personal collection of pre-Columbian artifacts.

Taxco's urban form is remarkably well-preserved, with its narrow, twisting cobblestone streets — too steep for cars to navigate at many points, and often serviced by the distinctive white VW Beetle taxis that navigate the hill town — winding between white-painted adobe buildings whose red tile roofs step up the mountainside. The town has been declared a national monument, protecting its architectural character. The views from the upper parts of the town, with the Santa Prisca towers rising above the cascading rooftops and the mountains beyond, are extraordinary.

The Holy Week (Semana Santa) celebrations in Taxco are among the most dramatic in Mexico, featuring elaborate night processions of penitentes — participants who walk in chains or carry heavy wooden crosses through the steep streets, their faces hooded and their backs sometimes bearing flagellation marks — in a tradition of public penance that is a striking survival of colonial-era religious practice. The Feria Nacional de la Plata (National Silver Fair) in November is the most important event in the Taxco silver calendar, bringing buyers, designers, and enthusiasts from across Mexico and internationally. Taxco is accessible by road from Mexico City and Cuernavaca, making it an excellent day trip or short stay for visitors to the capital.