4 Best Sights in Sonora, Mexico

The best viewpoint in the city is the top of Cerro de la Campana (Hill of Bells), where you'll also find the Museo de Sonora. The museum is in a former penitentiary; the cells hold 18 permanent exhibits on astronomy, anthropology, history, geology, geography, and culture, all with a Sonoran slant. The bulk of the exhibits are graphic displays, including charts and maps of trade routes and native populations. Each display has a short summary in English.

At the center of town, look for alluring Plaza Zaragoza, a lovely square shaded by towering fig trees. At the center of the plaza stands a turn-of-the-century Florentine wrought-iron gazebo. Flanking the plaza are the contemporaneous Palacio Gobierno and the Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, which was built between 1877 and 1912.

Trolebús, a faux-antique trolleybus, picks up passengers at Plaza Zaragoza. The trip is an exhilarating plunge into Hermosillo's urban pulse. Hermosillo, Sonora. 662/213–8638. www.imcahermosillo.org. $2.

From Plaza Zaragoza, cross the Río Sonora and walk south for several blocks until you reach the odd little neighborhood of Villa de Seris. Its small plaza and lovely church have much more charm than the modern city center. The coyota was first baked here. Eat your fill while exploring this elegant neighborhood.