Unexplored Jewel of the Mexican Desert

Torreon, despite being over 120 years old, is a young and modern city with much to offer. A metropolis of about one million, commonly referred to as the Comarca Lagunera (Lagoon Region), consisting of Torren, Coahuila - Gomez Palacio, Durango and Lerdo, Durango - among many other smaller suburbial towns. Below are some of what I found the best attractions this city had to offer. They're in no particular order. Click on the Links to the Bolded Words at the end of the article for picture

Shopping

Downtown boasts some of the most modern and varied shopping for hundreds of miles around. The four story and newly constructed Plaza de Cuatro Caminos (Four-Ways Mall) offers everything you can expect at an American mall, at Mexican prices. The Plaza Galerías (Galleria Mall) offers a more sophisticated string of upper-end stores for the deep-pockets spender. If you're willing to haggle, the downtown's Mercado Juárez is the place for you. A great place to buy cheap food from all over the Mexican republic. Rock bottom prices on every local good. The flea market is also a good place to find everything that you can expect to find in the malls, at more agreeable prices. How much more agreeable depends on your bargaining skills.

Dining & Hotels

Torreon has a wide array of restaurants for a wide array of tastes. Besides the typical American franchises that you would expect to find in any modern city (such as McDonalds, KFC, Jack-in-the-Box, Wendy's, etc.) and of course, a slew of Mexican Restaurants, serving food that Taco Bell can only dream of. There are always street vendors that will sell you real Mexican food. Aside from that however, international cuisine also makes its appearances at many restaurants throughout the city. Many are conveniently located within hotels themselves, which Torreon has a lot of. From your casualBest Western to upscale hotels like the Crowne laza and Camino Real. The malls, Cuatro Caminos and Galerías, also have exotic food courts, including cuisine from the Middle East and the Far East.

Recreation

If you're looking for some more traditional means of recreation, for yourself or the family, there are plenty of options in Torreon. The Alameda Zaragoza (Zaragoza Grove) is a fun family park, with fair rides for the kids and the regionally famous Nieve de Lerdo (Lerdo Ice Cream) for sale and your enjoyment all around a large, placid lake covered by shady trees, within walk's each of downtown. The Bosque Venustiano Carranza in the downtown area is a much larger version of the Alameda, an unexpected forest amidst the desert. The Parque Fundadores (Founder's Park) is also another recreational facility, a large and open grassy area with a lake and stream, it comes ncluded with several swimming pools and sporting courts. The Deportiva, also has a large array of sporting facilities, including a stadium for local atches. It has several swimming pools, including an Olympic sized one, and many soccer courts as well as basketball. The facility is a delight to walk through with its shady paths that crisscross the lot. And of course, the theater chain Cinepolis is present at both Cuatro Caminos and Galerías, if you desire to check out the latest movies.

Must See Attractions

A priceless view of the city, especially at night, is attainable by hiking, walking, or riding to the top of the Cerro de las Noas (Noas' Mount). Atop this mount, overlooking the city and visible for miles and miles around, is the Cristo de las Noas (Christ of the Noas), a smaller version of the similar looking Christ figure that overlooks Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. There are also various museums that are unique only to Torreon, one of which is the Cristo de las Noas Museum in the complex atop the mount. There is also a Museum of the Revolution, a Paleontology Museum, a Locomotive Museum and the Torreon Gallery of Art. The Isauro Martinez Theatre performs plays and is considered one of the most beautiful in Mexico. During certain times of the year, one can attend certain Cultural Festivals, such as those that occur for Christmas and the day that officially launches the Mexican holiday season, The Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe - a great cultural as well as religious icon to the Mexican people.

Cuatro Caminos

Galerías

Best Western

Crowne Plaza

Camino Real.

Alameda Zaragoza

Bosque Venustiano Carranza

Cristo de las Noas