Welcome to Coahuila in Mexico!
Coahuila, previously known as Coahuila de Zaragoza is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, compose the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is located in Northeastern Mexico. Coahuila is just one of over 60 official online guides covering the whole of Mexico. If you´re planning a trip to Mexico and would like discover our fabulous nation before visiting or, if you´d like to visit a specific place in Mexico, then you´ve come to the right place. Coahuila borders the Mexican states of Nuevo León to the east, Zacatecas and San Luis Potosí to the south, and Durango and Chihuahua to the west. In the north, Coahuila accounts for a 512 kilometers (318 mi) extension of the Mexico-USA border, adjacent to the U.S. state of Texas along the course of the Rio Grande (Río Bravo del Norte). With an area of 151,563 square kilometers (58,519 sq mi), it is the nation’s third-largest state. It comprises 38 municipalities and a population of 2,848,468 (2012) inhabitants.
Coahuila is one of Mexico´s most popular places, visited by millions of people over the last decade. When you travel to Coahuila you may wish to check out the Coahuila hotels we have available or maybe you´d like to rent a car in Coahuila? We also offer extensive day trips in Coahuila. This unique place has simply amazing. We´ve also compiled a list of Travel books on Coahuila Mexico.
The capital of Coahuila is Saltillo, and its largest city by inhabitants is Torreón. Coahuila also includes the cities of Monclova which was the former state capital, Piedras Negras, and Ciudad Acuña.
Whether you are visiting Coahuila in Mexico for business, pleasure or both, we´re sure that Coahuila will meet all of your expectations and that the people of Coahuila will make you feel welcome while sampling some of the unique cuisine on offer in the Coahuila Restaurant districts.
History of Coahuila Mexico
The Spanish explored the north of Mexico some decades after their victory in the capital of the Aztecs. The exploration was delayed primarily because the northern climate was harsher and there was no gold in the region. The first recorded Spanish settlement in the region now called Coahuila was at Minas de la Trinidad in 1577. Saltillo was settled 9 years later in 1586 to form part of the province of New Spain or Nueva Vizcaya. Later it became one of the first provinces of Nueva Extremadura to be explored by European people. “Coahuila and Texas” was one of the founding states of the newly independent United Mexican States under its 1824 Constitution, and included Texas, Nuevo León and Coahuila.
Afterward in the same year Nuevo León was detached, but Texas remained a part of the state until 1835, when it became part of the Republic of Texas. In 1840 Coahuila briefly became a member of the transitory Republic of the Rio Grande. On February 19, 1856, Santiago Vidaurri annexed Coahuila to his state, Nuevo León, but it regained its separate status 12 years later. During the Mexican Revolution, Francisco Villa attacked the city of Torreón.
Palacio de Gobierno | Government Palace
Saltillo Government Palace
The Saltillo Government Palace built in 1808 is a gem of neoclassical architecture. It features some murals depicting the political history of the State, painted by Almaraz and Tarazona. Inside the Saltillo Government Palace building you’ll find the Venustiano Caranza Museum, this two-story museum displays a collection of photography, furniture, documents, objects and a video of the political history of famous local figures.
Coahuila Mexico Geography
Geography of Coahuila covers the Sierra Madre Oriental which runs northwest to southeast through the State, and the higher elevations are home to the Sierra Madre Oriental pine-oak forests. The northernmost fingers of the Sierra Madre Oriental, the Sierra del Burro and the Sierra del Carmen, reach to the border with the United States at the Rio Grande.
East of the range, the land slopes gently toward the Rio Grande, and is drained by several rivers, including the Salado and its tributary, the Sabinas River. The Tamaulipan mezquital, a dry scrublands Eco region, occupies the eastern portion of the State, and extends across the Rio Grande into southern Texas.
The portion of the State west of the Sierra Madre Oriental lies on the Mexican Plateau, and is part of the Chihuahuan Desert. The Bolsón de Mapimí is a large endorheic basin which covers much of the western portion of the State and extends into adjacent portions of Chihuahua, Durango, and Zacatecas.
The Nazas River, which flows east from Durango, and the Aguanaval River, which flows north from Zacatecas, empty into lakes in the Bolsón. Torreón, the most populous city in the State with 650,000 residents, lies on the Nazas in the irrigated Laguna Region, the (Comarca Lagunera), which straddles the border of Coahuila and Durango.
Museo del Desierto Desert Museum
Desert Museum
This unique museum, and is considered the largest of its type in North America. It exhibits the biodiversity of the desert, along with some dinosaur fossils and minerals. It also feature a display of pieces of the nomadic tribes who populated the region. Close to the museum is the Maravillas Metropolitan Park, with green areas, fountains and children’s play areas and infant park.
Open: Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 17:00 hrs.
All About Saltillo Coahuila
Saltillo, Coahuila’s capital, is the oldest city in northeastern Mexico. One of the country’s most dynamic industrial centers.
Saltillo is famous for producing the traditional multi-colored Mexican blanket, the sarape.
The Cathedral of Santiago built between 1746 and 1810, is one of the largest and most beautiful cathedrals in the whole of Mexico. The architecture, which combines ornamental baroque styling and lavishly detailed Churrigueresque styles. The Cathedral features a quarry stone exterior and columns ornamented with flower and medallion designs. The steel cross on its tower is an unmistakable central point across the whole city.
The cathedral’s altar, like its columns, features characteristic baroque engravings and is liberally plated in gold. Some 45 oil paintings, including an image of Santo Cristo de la Capilla, decorate the interior.
Museo de Ciencia y Tecnología El Chapulín | Science and Technology Museum
Saltillo Science and Technology Museum
The Saltillo Science and Technology is a Museum features interactive materials where you can learn all about the universe, ecology, mathematics and physics.
Notably, the Museum of Science and Technology allows people who visit to touch the exhibits (which is not allowed in most museums) and have fun with them.
In the Electrizante room of the Saltillo Science and Technology museum you’ll discover the secrets of electric charges and their different applications, scale models of a hydroelectric plant, a power plant, a nuclear plant, and a thermoelectric plant. Some have functional mechanized systems.
Up next is the “En Marcha” room which tells the story of the wheel and its applications, a chronology of transportation, information on airplanes and their applications, an astronomical dome to give a walk in space, a view of the galaxies, planets, stars and constellations, and the amazing Robotics Lab.
Last but not least, there is the “Fourth Dimension” room, fitted with a projection system and stereoscopic technology that allows the viewer to see images floating off the screen and perceive depth just like 3D!
Viniculture Wine region Parras Coahuila
Parras Wine Region
Parras is an agricultural town located 150 kilometers (93 miles) west of Saltillo. Known as the “Oasis of Coahuila,” the city is renowned for its picturesque vineyards, colonial architecture and huge trees.
Casa Madero
Founded in 1597, Casa Madero is the oldest winery in the Western Hemisphere and a popular Parras tourist attraction, as is the Museo del Vino (Museum of Wine), which displays grinding machines, stills and distilling vessels brought over from Paris in the 19th century by European tradesmen taking advantage of the excellent resources and climate of Coahuila for the grape and wine industry.
Museo del Vino Parras
Other distinguished area wineries are the San Lorenzo Hacienda and the Bodegas del Vesubio. We must not forget Vintners, where locals and tourists gather each August for the city’s grape and wine festival, la Feria de la Uva y el Vino.
Recinto Juarez museum Saltillo
The Recinto Juarez museum in Saltillo displays documents and artifacts from the mid-1800s. The Desert Museum showcases the region’s customs, traditions and animal and plant species. It also encompasses Recinto Juárez University Cultural Heritage
Same Sex Marriage in Coahuila
In 2007 Coahuila became the first state in Mexico to offer same sex marriages as civil unions (Pacto Civil de Solidaridad to same-sex couples. Shortly after in 2010, Mexico’s Supreme Court mandated the whole country recognize same sex marriages and gay marriages conducted in the capital. As a result of the 9-2 decision, all 31 states were to honor the rights of gay couples married in Mexico City.
