Saltillo is the capital of Coahuila, sitting about two hours from Monterrey. By bus at least, though highly debated in my TikTok comments…
Being honest, Saltillo is almost completely absent from any internet travel guides. When I was researching what to do there, I found approximately four things listed, one of which was the bird museum. Which was actually really cool – more on that later. Whether to go or not definitely depends entirely on your personality type. But I’d say if you love off-the-beaten-path destinations, unusual museums, and places your friends haven’t heard of – this is for you.
Here’s an honest guide on what to do in Saltillo, from someone who went, saw, and loved it. I loved it so much I even made a separate guide on where to eat, drink and stay – the essential partner guide to this post!
I also stopped in Monterrey first, and absolutely got the attention it deserved too. You can read about that here!
What is Saltillo Actually Known For?
Historically: terracotta tiles – those distinctive ones you see all over Mexico. Many come from here. And also serape textiles, the brightly striped woven material that hass become an icon of Mexican craft. This region has been weaving them for centuries.
More recently: cars. Saltillo is home to major automotive assembly plants, which I discovered on the bus there while frantically Googling.
It also has stunning colonial architecture, but then you could say that about literally every town, city, and moderately large village in Mexico. But it was still delightful, especially if you love wandering and gazing at beautiful buildings. Which I obviously do.
How to Get to Saltillo
Jump on a bus at Monterrey’s central bus station. I paid around £8 for a ticket that I bought at the counter 13 minutes before departure. Whilst I do not recommend as a strategy, honestly it works if there are no lines. But also there are buses every 30ish minutes, so you can’t go wrong. I usually book in advance through Busbud but left it too late this time. And honestly, on the way back there were Busbud tickets available for buses that counter staff told me weren’t coming. Go figure. This route had barely any passengers on a week day, so you’re 99% going to be fine turning up and buying on the hoof. The journey takes roughly two hours and is pretty comfortable, some buses even have 160 degree bed-style seats. Ideal.
Saltillo does have its own airport, and there are daily flights from Mexico city (and occasional ones from Cancun too). But realistically, most travellers visit as a day trip from Monterrey, and the bus is the obvious move.
What to Do in Saltillo: The Honest Verdict
I honestly had a really great few hours in this city. The architecture is great, the museum scene is beyond anything I’d expected for a place most travellers have never hear of, and the food was incredible (check out where to eat in Saltillo here).
Cathedral de Santiago de Saltillo
The cathedral sits at the heart of the city and is genuinely gorgeous. An 18th-century baroque facade in warm stone, one of the better examples in northern Mexico. I arrived around 1pm to find a service happening outside, gates open, very relaxed atmosphere. Worth a look, and of course some iconic photos. Obviously, Mexico has a lot of cathedrals, but they’re always worth appreciating.
Plaza de Armas
The main square – there isn’t much to it, but you have to stop by, obviously. Pleasant to walk through, standing right in front of the architecturally delightful Government Palace (apparently a museum, but didn’t look like you could enter at the time). Also home to a genuinely baffling statue of the three bears. As in – Goldilocks… Nobody could explain why, but I was vibing with it. There’s also a distinct shortage of places to eat or drink in the square itself, which feels like an oversight. The surrounding buildings more than make up for it though: the old Casino building around the corner is genuinely beautiful, and the coloured dome rooftops of nearby churches are very photogenic.
Museum of Mexican Dress and the Serape (Museo del Sarape y Trajes Mexicanos)
Apparently excellent, dedicated to the textile traditions Saltillo is actually famous for, including the iconic serape. I say apparently because it was closed when I got there. So we’ll never know. Honestly this was a shame because I was really interested in seeing this and learning more.
Practical tip: Google lied, it was supposed to be open when I passed by. Would recommend whatsapping ahead to check.
Museum of Birds (Museo de las Aves de México)
This is – and I want to choose my words carefully here – a very specific experience. The museum is dedicated to the birds of Mexico, rendered entirely in taxidermy, arranged into lifelike (and occasionally quite unsettling) Mexican wildlife scenes. Also there are dinosaurs.
The museum’s existence is actually super interesting. It started out in the 1940s as a private collection of a bird zoologist Aldegundo Garza de León, and was opened as a museum in 1993, with the aim of increasing public appreciation for Mexican birds and their habitats, and underscoring the need for conservation. There are over 2500 birds now in the collection, said to be around 73% of Mexico’s bird species.
Honestly when I heard ‘museum of birds’ I had zero idea what to expect. I definitely was not imagining such a biologically significant find in a place I’d not even heard of until that week.
Go for the weirdness. Or if you like birds or biology. Or if you want something genuinely unlike anything else you’ll see on a Mexico trip. It is strange but really informative, and incredibly important from a conservation perspective. I respect it enormously.
Artisan Market Area (Zona Artesanal)
I was expecting a sprawling craft market. What I found was a couple of gazebos with vendors selling local textiles. Modest, but charming, and given the textile museum had already let me down, it was nice to at least see some serapes in the flesh. Worth a wander, don’t build a whole itinerary around it. I imagine it is much more populated at weekends.
Desert Museum (Museo del Desierto)
Ah. The crown jewel. The Museum of the Desert is located about 15 minutes outside the city centre (factor that into your day) and costs nearly $15 USD entry. And my gosh – it was way, way more than I was expecting. And I LOVE the desert. But this was something else…
The exterior branding suggests: dinosaurs. Hall one delivers: a geography lesson about deserts (inner 13 year old me was overly excited at rock formations…). Then: enormous dinosaur skeletons and life-size prehistoric mammal replicas. Next: a section on minerals and crystals. Then: 18th and 19th century military history with actual metal armour. Then: more prehistoric mammals. And then: polar bears.
I made it to Hall 12. There were six more to go. I left, with mild mental whiplash and a need for fresh air and quiet space.
Before coming here I had no idea that Mexico, and specifically Coahuila, was the centre of paleontology. The deserts of Coahuila have produced a huge amount of dinosaur fossils – which I only learned about after visiting this museum. Every day is a school day.
There is SO much to see here. It is essentially thousands and thousands of years of history of the desert, its former inhabitants, and what lies beneath the sand. I’ve since heard that with a guide, or following a specific path, it makes a lot more sense. This place is peak family day out, so expect crowds, kids, and chaos. But honestly for me, visiting was worth the effort. I wish I’d taken an audio guide.
Eating and drinking
Saltillo has a surprising amount of fantastic food and drink options. Check out my full guide on these here!
Getting Around Saltillo
Uber works fine from the bus station. I waited about six minutes. Getting an Uber within the city, especially to the Museo del Desierto, was considerably more difficult. Many drivers simply didn’t want to go.
Taxis are the better bet once you’re in the centre. Easy to flag down, all running on the meter. A 15-minute journey cost me around 55 pesos – roughly $3 USD. Lean on taxis, save yourself the Uber cancellation/refresh loop.
Is Saltillo Worth a Day Trip?
Yes – if you love less-visited destinations and making your own fun.
This is not a polished tourist destination. The travel internet has basically ignored it, which means you’ll have the whole place largely to yourself and genuinely won’t know what’s coming around each corner. I only scratched the surface but the above gives you a good place to start.
If you’re based in Monterrey and looking for a solid day out: get on the bus, see the birds, stand in front of the bears, let the Desert Museum confuse you, and come back fulfilled having experienced a Mexican state capital that most visitors to the country have never heard of. That’s a great day.
FAQ
Is Saltillo worth visiting? Yes! It’s low on tourist infrastructure but high on character, and the lack of information online means you’ll have the joy of exploring and finding unexpected things.
How do you get from Monterrey to Saltillo? By bus. The journey takes around two hours and costs roughly £8. Book in advance via Busbud if you can. There is also an airport with flights to Mexico City and Cancun if you’re coming from further afield.
How long do you need in Saltillo? A full day is about right. You could do the main sights in half a day, but factor in bus delays, the taxi journeys to/from the station and to/from Museo del Desierto. And allow time to get lost.
What is Saltillo known for? Historically: serape blankets and terracotta tiles, both of which originate here and are found all over Mexico. More recently: its automotive industry, with major car assembly plants in the area.
Is the Museo del Desierto worth it? Yes, if you have the appetite for chaos. It costs nearly $15 USD, is 15 minutes outside the city, and contains dinosaurs, polar bears, colonial armour, and a geography lesson on deserts, in a slightly odd order. Go in with an open mind, and some refreshments.
Is Saltillo safe? Yes, it’s generally considered one of the safer cities in northern Mexico. Normal precautions apply – keep valuables out of sight, use Uber or metered taxis rather than unmarked cabs, and be aware of your surroundings.
Can you get around Saltillo by Uber? From the bus station, yes. Waiting times were fine. Within the city, especially for trips further out like the Museo del Desierto, taxis are more reliable. They all use the meter and are easy to flag down.
Also worth reading
What to do in Monterrey – the full guide to Saltillo’s bigger neighbour
Where to eat, drink and stay in Saltillo – dinosaur-shaped quesadillas, craft beer, and where to sleep
