Abasolo and El Carmen

Two adjacent small towns that might be interesting for people who have already seen "everything" in Monterrey. Abasolo is a typical dusty Nuevo Leon town with a pleasant zocalo bordered by an historic church, Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, which has an oil painting of the Virgin that was painted in 1760. El Carmen might be just a tad larger than Abasolo and is the site of an abandoned mine referred to as "Minas Viejas". It's not a touristic destination though Monterrey adventurers like to go there with a flashlight and helmet (there are no lights and no tour guides to lead you). A vigorous hike takes you to the mine.

• outdoors
• history

Getting there

From Escobedo, drive northwest (toward Mina) on federal highway MEX-53 for about 10-15 km.