Guanajuato - city of colour and street food

If there was a prize for prettiest city in Mexico, I think Guanajuato city would be tough to beat. Colourful houses and churches dot its cobbled streets and snake up the surrounding hills. Plazas teem with fountains, marachi bands and university students so the whole city is buzzing with life. It's got some decent veggie options to munch on between sight-seeing and soaking up the lively atmosphere. It's a must-go for any itinerary to Mexico.

Swing by Mercado Hidalgo and you'll find fruit and veg market stalls galore if you want some freshly-made agua fresca or jugo (juices). It's a fun place to wander and get lost in - one moment you're looking at the variety of dried chillies and spices on offer, the next minute you stumble onto a stall covered in piñatas! If you're self-catering then there's plenty of fresh ingredients to cook with. We enjoyed the atmosphere and found a fantastic tamale stand just outside the market, nearby the Posada San Francisco.

Tamales are made of corn dough steamed in corn husks, and are part of a traditional Mexican breakfast. There are at least 2 vegetarian options on offer from this stall - there's a list but a bit of Spanish comes in handy as often Mexicans do not think vegetarians eat cheese. Try tamales with cheese and salsa verde (picture on the right) or the tamales a la Mexicana which are filled with chard, egg, tomatoes and sweetcorn (left). A mere MX$13 each (approximately 50p) - a super filling, comforting and authentic way to enjoy Mexican food.

Another treat to keep an eye out for is guacamaya. It's a crusty white bread roll filled with smashed avocado, a hard boiled egg, papas (which are crisps, but make sure you ask for this as the traditional version is with chicharron which are pork scratchings) and then drenched in spicy tomato salsa. It is the BEST crisps sandwich I have ever eaten! It is incredibly messy to eat but totally worth the effort.

We found a stall which offers this tasty treat right by the El Pípila monument for MX$30 each (approximately £1.20). This monument is dedicated to a courageous young miner who died whilst setting fire to the doors hiding Spanish forces in Guanajuato in 1810, during an attempt for Mexican Independence. You can find the monument on the hillside - climb up from Del Calvario near to the Museo Iconográfico del Quijote (the route is marked by white arrows drawn on the pavement, but if in doubt then keep on going up!) for 15 minutes, or get the funicular. From El Pípila, you get gorgeous views of Guanajuato city and you can't help but feel giddy with its beauty.

If you're still hungry and on the hunt for more excellent street food, try Plaza del Baratillo. It often has good stalls surrounding its central fountain with cheap tasty food. One day we were passing through and found a school fair. There was a bake sale, agua fresca and stalls selling all kinds of snacks. We watched some mums make batches of fresh enchiladas. They dipped the soft corn tortillas into a chilli sauce then rolled then up. These were topped with fried cubes of carrot and potato, salad, crema and cheese. Add some tangy jalapeno peppers and you have yourself a filling, messy bargain which only costs MX$25 (approximately £1).

Craving something sweet? Look out for doughnut sellers in the streets, especially near Jardin de la Union. They sell mini custard-filled sugary round doughnuts which you can munch on whilst being serenaded by mariachi bands at night. A pretty tasty and romantic after-dinner treat.

Although I could live on street food, check out my individual blog posts on restaurants in Guanajuato for more substantial meals - Santo Cafe and Tragaluz/Komorebi.

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