San Sebastián del Oeste, Colonial mining town in Sierra Madre Occidental, Mexico.
San Sebastián del Oeste is a former mining settlement located at 1,480 meters elevation amid dense forests and mountain ranges in western Jalisco. The buildings cluster around a central plaza, surrounded by steep hillsides and natural forest landscape.
The settlement emerged in 1605 as a major silver mining center and grew into a prosperous community with over 25 active mines. The town reached its peak in the second half of the 1600s when foundries and crafts flourished throughout the region.
The Church of Saint Sebastian displays Spanish Baroque craftsmanship with Corinthian columns and detailed ceiling frescoes that reflect the town's former wealth. People today visit as pilgrims and gather for local festivals that keep the colonial heritage alive in daily life.
You can reach the town via a two-hour drive from Puerto Vallarta, with the best weather from November through April. The narrow, winding road takes patience, but the journey offers views of the surrounding mountain landscape.
The settlement preserves several restored haciendas from its mining era, showing the architectural details of colonial silver production. These large estates offer a glimpse into how wealthy mining operators lived during that period.
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