Pénjamo: Churches, History and Plazuelas

Pénjamo tells its story in different ways: through churches dating from the 16th to the 19th century, the distinctive façade of Mercado Hidalgo, and the archaeological site of Plazuelas in the municipality. If you’d like to combine culture, historical traces and regional cuisine on your trip, you’ll find a range of themes here for your own journey of discovery.

Market façade and religious architectural history

Mercado Hidalgo de Pénjamo stands out for its portal-like façade with neoclassical columns. A balustrade and a curved gable feature complete the architecture. These details give the market building its own distinct character and offer a specific reason to pay attention to its design—not just the name of the place—on a walking tour.

Nuestra Señora de los Remedios is the city’s oldest temple, dating from the 16th century. Devotion to Our Lady of Remedies is also deeply felt and long-standing in Pénjamo. Construction of the Santuario de los Remedios is said to have begun in 1543, with completion not until 1960. This lengthy period makes its construction history a subject in its own right, alongside its religious significance.

Other churches offer different historical points of interest. The Parroquia de San Francisco in Pénjamo was built at the beginning of the 18th century and burned down in 1815, losing part of its former appearance as a result. Cristóbal Hidalgo and Ana María Gallaga Mandarte were married there on August 15, 1750. Miguel Hidalgo’s baptismal register is kept at the Parroquia de San Francisco de Asís in Pénjamo. The Templo de Guadalupe was built between 1859 and 1869. The Templo de San Antonio is notable for being built entirely of stone.

Plazuelas and the ravine landscape

The archaeological site of Plazuelas is located near the community of Las Plazuelas (San Juan el Alto) in Pénjamo municipality. Its layout includes seven buildings on three slopes. Two ravines separate these slopes: Barranca de Los Cuijes to the west and Barranca del Agua Nacida to the east. The precise arrangement of buildings, slopes and ravines makes Plazuelas a different focus from the churches and market building. When planning your trip, you can therefore consider whether to focus mainly on Pénjamo’s architectural history or also include the archaeological landscape in the municipality.

Hidalgo, regional cuisine and planning your trip

The interactive Museo Interactivo Hidalgo Niño is located at the Parador Turístico Corralejo in Corralejo de Hidalgo, a community in Pénjamo municipality. It presents the childhood, origins and formative influences of the priest Hidalgo. This turns the focus to his early years and complements the historical traces associated with his name in Pénjamo. The same parador also offers traditional cuisine, typical sweets and regional products. If you’re interested in Hidalgo, you can make the museum visit a focus of its own; if you’d like to discover regional specialties, you’ll find a point of interest there as well.

When looking for a vacation rental, it helps to first sort out the places you want to visit: Would you like to devote your stay mainly to the churches and Mercado Hidalgo in Pénjamo, or also include Plazuelas or Corralejo de Hidalgo? The place names give you a specific starting point for deciding which location might suit your travel plans. This way, you can choose your accommodation based on the places and themes you actually want to discover, rather than on a general idea of Pénjamo.

Discover more destinations

You can also explore these places: San Luis De La Paz, Marroquín, San Miguel De Allende, Valle de Santiago, Guanajuato, San Felipe, Silao and Apaseo el Grande.

Go to the main travel overview: Guanajuato.