Alamos

With its cobblestone streets, charming central plaza, 250-year-old baroque church, and thoughtfully restored haciendas, Alamos is the most authentically restored colonial town in Sonora. Although Sonora has many historical areas from the Spanish colonial period, Alamos once held sway over a vast area and is arguably the most historically important spot in the state. In the ecologically rich zone where the Sonoran Desert meets a dry tropical forest, the entire town is designated a national historic monument.

Coronado camped here in 1540, but Alamos really boomed when silver was discovered in the area during the 1680s. Wealth from the mines financed Spanish expeditions to the north—as far as Los Angeles and San Francisco during the 1770s and '80s—and the town became the capital of the state of Occidente from 1827 to 1832. A government mint was established here in 1864. The mines had closed by the beginning of the Mexican Revolution in 1910. All but abandoned for the first half of the 20th century, it retains it colonial atmosphere.

Points of interest include the impressive Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de la Concepción , constructed on the site of a 17th-century adobe church destroyed in an Indian uprising. Fronting the parish church is the beautiful central square, the Plaza de las Armas; its ornate Moorish-style wrought-iron gazebo was brought from Mazatlán in 1904. From there head northwest to the rectangular Alameda, which is surrounded by promenades and flanked at night by food vendors. If you're in town on Sunday, cross the little arroyo (seasonal riverbed) north of the Alameda to the weekly market. Southeast of the main square is the Cerro del Perico,a hill that has awesome views of the city and the craggy forests surrounding it.

Every January Alamos hosts the 10-day Festival Juan Ortiz Torado,a celebration of classical music honoring one of its native sons. Named for the 20th century's biggest Latin American opera star, the festival attracts musicians from around the world. Most of the performances are free.

Wealthy American expats who started coming here in the 1950s to restore the enormous haciendas, turned some into luxurious private homes. If possible, time your trip to Alamos to include a Saturday House and Garden Tour ($8 suggested donation) of some of the superbly restored mansions and their interior patios and gardens. You can get a tour schedule from the tourist office or any of the local hotels.