Mexico: The Western Town of Alamos

Sitting essentially in the middle of nowhere in the state of Sonora, this tiny Mexican town is actually a favorite tourist destination and is, in some instances, even a part-time residence of many wealthy Americans. They are drawn to the fact that this hidden and beautiful village boasts a (mostly) delightful climate, a wealth of natural beauty and has charming colonial style architecture that is officially protected from destruction by the Mexican government.

While its large expatriate community may make it less authentically Mexican than many other towns, that same assemblage of expatriates help to preserve Alamos as a place of subtle beauty and also contribute generously to the city itself, thereby allowing the local population (with whom they seem get along amiably) to enjoy the preserved history of their country. Indeed, for all the Americans who make Alamos their home, there is scarcely the feeling that this town is being made into the Sonoran desert’s answer to Orlando. It has managed to avoid being plagued by the Starbuck’s coffee shops and Kentucky Fried Chickens to which too many otherwise charming tourist destinations succumb in the hands of Americans; and this is as it should be.

While Alamos is difficult to access, it lends credence to the notion that hard work pays off. Indeed, on arriving in Alamos, the visitor has the feeling of having found some unexpected diamond in the rough and in this rare treat of a Mexican town, it seems as though its own relative anonymity has helped it to retain its subtle and quaint elegance; and this too is as it should be.