This was a town famous for its silver when the Spanish used to mine silver from here. There are no resorts here! But it's an authentic town that truly reminds you of the old classic Mexican town from the movies. Yes, you can buy silver, from a cheap $20 necklace to some thousands and thousands, you will have plenty of opportunites to buy!

We also took a walking tour of the town and saw the city square, as well as the old church; it was definitely going back in time, it seemed. We had a lunch on a rooftop and continued to another part of our tour. We had a private car take us instead of a coach tour.

Taxco is a town of 140,000 (name means "ballgame"), which is 1754 meters above sea level, located 4 hours from Acapulco, northeast. Mexico City is approximately 2 hours from Taxco.

Taxco was conquered in 1552 by the Spaniards who uncovered its mineral wealth. Much of its development occurred in the 19th century as a result of a Frenchman by the name of Jose de la Borda, who became a rich man after he discovered a silver mine. There are still approximately 14 to 16 working silver mines. Taxco is filled with numerous silver shops and the silver produced is 925 pure.

There are numerous churches in Taxco; however, the most spectacular is the Parish of Santa Prisca, which was built by Jose de la Borda who believed that what God gave to you, you should give to God. Building of the church commenced in 1751 and took 10 years to complete. The cost depleted all of Mr. Borda's riches (for a period of time). It is absolutely breathtaking and holds countless sculptures and original paintings. No flash cameras are allowed inside. Be sure to purchase the booklet on the church as it is very informative and is written in Spanish and English.

The streets are cobblestone and, because of their steepness, are an excellent workout. Building facades are white and roofs are red tile, very similar to what you would see in Spain or Portugal. The narrow streets are perfect for the ever-popular Volkswagen Beetle taxis, which are abundant. Other churches include the Paris of San Miguel (18th century) and the Parish of Santa Maria de Guadelupe (2nd half of 16th century. Temples include Santa Veracruz, the Santisima Trinidad, San Nicolas Tolentino and Cjeda (16th century and beginning of 17th).

We visited Taxco through a tour out of the Mayan Palace. We took two vans, which did not have headrests and did not allow for everyone to sit with their partner. I would suggest that you try to take a Tour with a large tour bus. You travel through the Sierra Madres to get there and the views are absolutely breathtaking. Our tour did not allow you to maneuver the town on your own, which we would have preferred.

Roberto, our taxi driver from outside the Mayan Palace (yellow and white cabs), said that cabs will take you there, as well. If you ended up with a knowledgeable driver, that might be the ticket.

The highlight of our trip, and only because I have to pick one, would be the trip to Taxco. This is where silver is mined and craftsmen create stunning jewelry. The trip started at 6am and we were picked up in the lobby by Victor, our tour guide. We were the only ones from the hotel so we had very personalized service. The drive in the air-conditioned Intrepid was 3 hours through the countryside. We saw buses lined up in the "suburb" just outside Acapulco for people who work in the hotels to get to work. The countryside was beautiful. We saw little villages, men on donkeys wearing sombreros, and even cactus. Victor told us about the cities, the leaders, the history . . . awesome.

Taxco was beautiful!!! Looked like Spain. Cobblestone streets, old churches, dozens of long stem roses for sale in the street and THE BEST silver I have ever seen. The monastery renovated into a hotel was awesome with the candles in the restaurant dripping wax onto the floor for years. Culture...pure Mexico. Taxco was chilly in the mountains in June/July. We went in shorts, tank tops and sandals. But you should wear sleeves and good walking shoes. Out tour included lunch at a fabulous restaurant on a hilltop overlooking the beautiful city. Silver prices were down to earth . . . I bought so much as Christmas gifts.

We went to Taxco the silver town ourselves, rather than the arranged tours ($24.00 per person round trip 1st class bus instead of $80.00).

We felt we had more time and saw more of the town. There are at least four churches to check out. You can get the bus tickets at the travel agent down the street from the zocolo in Accapulco (walk towards the Forte de San Diego). It's on the land side of the main road. She will only book you on the going trip. When you get at Taxco immediately check the return times for the buses, but don't buy tickets until you are ready to leave. If you are bored you can return earlier if necessary.

The shared taxies in Taxco are VW minivans.