León

León is located in the central Mexican state of Guanajuato, around 50 kilometers west of the state capital Guanajuato City and 20 kilometers from Guanajuato International Airport. León’s history as a trading hub has shaped the city’s industrial landscape, and its leather industry is so nationally prominent that the inhabitants of León have been given the moniker panzaverdes, meaning “Green Belly” after the color of leather tanners’ ointment-stained aprons. The city is, however, emerging from being simply a trading hub and transforming slowly into a destination in its own right. Sites such as the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Light, Templo Expiatorio, and the Church of St. Sebastian at Mártires draw visitors from afar, while boutique hotels in León tend to fill up with those looking for a slice of Mexico’s unconventional history. See our luxury hotels in León below.