Leon, Guanajuato - Leather and Shoe Capital

Leon sits about 107 km southeast of Aguascalientes city in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico, reached in roughly 1 hour 50 minutes to 2 hours 10 minutes on Federal Highway 45. Primera Plus, ETN and other first-class operators run frequent direct service from the Central de Autobuses de Aguascalientes, and either mode works well here - unlike the hill towns of the region, Leon is a flat modern city with straightforward roads and parking. Travellers planning to buy shoes or leather in quantity generally prefer to drive, since carrying purchases back on the bus quickly becomes awkward.\n\nLeon is Mexico's leather and footwear capital, producing a large share of the country's shoes. The Zona Piel along and around the Calzada de los Heroes is the main draw: several hundred outlets and factory stores selling boots, shoes, jackets, belts and bags, with prices well below retail elsewhere in Mexico. Quality varies sharply between stalls and established workshops, so it pays to look at stitching and sole construction rather than buying on price alone. Beyond shopping, the historic centre holds the Basilica Catedral de Leon, the Templo Expiatorio del Sagrado Corazon with its neo-Gothic crypt, and the Arco de la Calzada, the triumphal arch that frames the pedestrian boulevard. The Explora science museum and planetarium on the eastern side is one of the largest interactive museums in Latin America and works well for families.\n\nA sensible one-day arc puts the Zona Piel in the morning, when the outlets open around 10am and are least busy, and the historic centre in the afternoon, finishing on the pedestrianised Calzada de los Heroes as the arch and the plazas light up in the early evening. Travellers with children may want to reverse this and give Explora a full two to three hours instead.\n\nFor food, Leon is known for guacamayas - a bread roll filled with chicharron, salsa and lime - sold from stands across the city for around MXN 25 to 40, and for caldo de oso. Restaurants around the Plaza Principal serve full meals from roughly MXN 150. The city is comfortable year-round; January brings the Feria Estatal de Leon, one of the largest fairs in Mexico, which adds concerts, bullfights and fairground events but also fills hotels and roads.