Chilpancingo
Introduction
Chilpancingo de los Bravo is the capital of Guerrero, in the south-central part of the state. It sits in the Sierra Madre del Sur mountains, on the bank of the Huacapa River, and is the seat of a municipality that spreads across a wide stretch of mountain terrain.
The city lies on Federal Highway 95, the road that links Acapulco to Mexico City, and Chilpancingo National Airport is one of the state's airports. That position makes it a practical stop for travellers moving between the coast and the capital.
Before you go
Chilpancingo is a mid-size city, so you can expect the practical rhythm of an urban area rather than a resort town. Plan your trip around the city itself and its role as a regional hub, and set your expectations for services and amenities accordingly.
Getting there
Chilpancingo sits on the Mexico City–Acapulco bus corridor, so arriving by bus is straightforward. From Mexico City's Taxqueña terminal, several lines serve the route, including Futura and ETN, and Estrella de Oro runs departures throughout the day. The journey takes roughly three and a half hours.
Buses stop at the Central de Autobuses Chilpancingo on Av. Benito Juarez 16, a busy station with many services passing through on the Mexico City–Acapulco route.
Getting around
Chilpancingo has no rail, metro or tram network to plan around, so you will be relying on buses, taxis and your own two feet. The city's transport revolves around Federal Highway 95 and the Central de Autobuses Chilpancingo on Av. Benito Juárez, the busy terminal where intercity buses on the Mexico City–Acapulco route stop. If you are arriving from Mexico City, buses leave from the Taxqueña terminal on several lines, including Futura and ETN, with Estrella de Oro running departures roughly hourly; buy tickets from the individual operators at the terminal counters or in advance. Within the city, local buses and colectivos (shared vans) are the usual public transport, but the practical guidance for visitors is simple: a car or a taxi is best.
Taxis are the most straightforward way to reach neighbourhoods, the bus station or the airport, and they are the sensible choice if you do not know the local bus routes. Ride-hailing apps are best treated as a supplement to taxis rather than a replacement, so confirm availability once you arrive. Walking works well in the compact central area, where you will find the main streets, services and the bus terminal along Av. Benito Juárez, but beyond the centre the city spreads out into mountainous terrain, so switch to a taxi for longer or uphill trips. Chilpancingo National Airport is small and serves a regional city, so arrange your onward transfer in advance or confirm taxi availability on arrival rather than assuming a steady stream of services at the kerb.
Where to stay
Accommodation in Chilpancingo is concentrated along the main avenues, with options ranging from bare-bones budget rooms in the Centro to more comfortable hotels with modern decor in the surrounding colonias. If you want to be within walking distance of bars and restaurants, look at the hotels along Avenida Lázaro Cárdenas.
- Hotel Parque Sur, on Avenida Lázaro Cárdenas in Colonia La Haciendita, offers clean, comfortable rooms with modern decor, though it lacks some amenities: there is no air conditioning in the rooms and no restaurant on-site, but bars and restaurants are within walking distance.
- Hotel Torre Esmeralda, on Lázaro Cárdenas in Loma Bonita, is a clean, comfortable hotel with good service and off-street parking. Rooms come with air conditioning, a mini-bar, and a work desk.
- Hotel Chilpancingo, on Avenida Miguel Alemán in the Centro, has extremely bare-bones rooms that are clean but utterly basic, and there is no on-site parking.
- Hotel Ana Luisa, on Avenida Juárez at the corner of Hnos. Galeana in Colonia Unidos Por Guerrero, has small, basic rooms with balconies that are clean and comfortable.
Food & drink
For an upscale meal, head to Restaurant Senorial in Fracc. Villa Modern, which serves a varied regional Mexican menu and hosts live music in the evenings. Shifu, in Cuauhtemoc Nte, is a Chinese noodle restaurant where the ramen is recommended and generous enough to serve two. Downtown in Santa Cruz, Venezia offers traditional Mexican food in a pleasantly casual setting with an open-air second-floor dining room; it often gets busy at breakfast, when the chilaquiles is the best dish on the menu. For something more casual, Caramba in Universal is a classic Chilpancingueños taquería — order the Caramba and try it with different salsas. La Parrilla on Av. Benito Juárez in Unidos Por Guerrero serves traditional Mexican cuisine in large portions at reasonable prices.What to see and do
In Chilpancingo itself, you can visit the small city zoo at Zoochilpan in the Santa Cruz area, which keeps a variety of animals and is inexpensive, though it could use renovation and better upkeep; note that it closes on Mondays. At Pezuapan in the Unidad Guerrerense area you'll find a small archaeological site with a small pyramid and covered ruins, but it is fenced off and closed to the public, so you can only glimpse parts of it through the fence. The biggest event on the calendar is the Paseo del Pendón, held on the Sunday before Christmas and celebrated since 1825, when the streets fill with dance, music, and masks. The Tlacoleros dance, also called tigres y tlacoleros, is the largest and most popular of the regional dances: as tigers (jaguars) threaten the farm hands, the boss organizes everyone to dance with thunderous stamping to scare the threatening tiger away, and it remains an iconic part of local culture. Outside the city, the Grutas de Juxtlahuaca lie about 45 km southeast, a natural park with an archaeological site inside a cave system whose drawings were created during the Olmec civilization around 1200–900 BC; the caves are open to the public but a local guide is required. About 50 km east on federal highway MEX 93, Gral. Juan Alvarez National Park is a remote mountainous natural area with pine and oak forests, home to animals including lynx, coyote, skunk, grackle, opossum, badger, iguana, deer, rabbit, partridge, quail, dove, rat, snake, vulture, and hawks.Three days in Chilpancingo
Day one: Arrive in Chilpancingo, the capital of Guerrero, set in the Sierra Madre del Sur. From Mexico City, buses leave from Taxqueña, with Futura, ETN, Estrella de Oro and other lines making the run; from Acapulco, buses arrive at the Central de Autobuses Chilpancingo. Chilpancingo National Airport also serves the city. Within the Centro, taxis and walking let you get around, and accommodation ranges from the Hotel Parque Sur on Avenida Lázaro Cárdenas to the Hotel Torre Esmeralda in Colonia La Haciendita. Spend your first afternoon on foot in the Centro, getting your bearings along Avenida Benito Juárez.
Day two: Head out along the Huacapa River, which runs through Chilpancingo, and take in the city's setting against the Sierra Madre del Sur. The Bravo and Plan de Ayutla areas lie within reach, and the Federal Highway links Chilpancingo with Acapulco and Mexico City. Use the Centro as your base for the day, moving between its streets and the river's edge, and return to your accommodation in the Centro or in Colonia La Haciendita or Loma Bonita in the evening.
Day three: Make your final morning a slow one in the Centro, then sort out your onward travel. Buses from the Central de Autobuses Chilpancingo connect to Acapulco and Mexico City, and Chilpancingo National Airport handles flights. If you are driving, the Federal Highway is your route out toward either city. Rooms in the Centro, Colonia La Haciendita and Loma Bonita give you a choice of where to stay before you leave.