Updated in 2022.
Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico.
Hermosillo. Also known as: El Rancho, la Capital de la Banda, Hornosillo, El Infierno, La Ciudad del Sol. The girls of the ‘City of Sun’ are as hot as their hometown: Hermosillo women are among the best in the country. The capital of the desert border state of Sonora is not a beautiful city, but if you happen to find yourself there for a medium or long-term stay, you will love it.
POPULATION: 900,000
WEATHER IN HERMOSILLO
Hot. Arid desert with large temperature range depending on the season- but regularly 40 Centigrade (100 Fahrenheit) and above from May to September. Rainy season (occasional downpours) June to September. It’s a lot hotter here than Mexico City.
SAFETY IN HERMOSILLO
Hermosillo is one of the safer cities in Mexico. Don’t walk through bad neighborhoods at night and you will be fine. Not that you’ll be doing much walking anyways…like Monterrey, Hermosillo is an American style city built for cars. Use Uber or the bus. Definitely less walkable than Guadalajara.
Head’s up-this state was the site of the worst environmental disaster in Mexican history, the 2014 Cananea mine spill which poisoned the Sonora River with massive quantities of heavy metals. It’s even more important here than in other parts of Mexico to drink bottled water.
MUST DO
Go on excursions. Hermosillo is forty minutes away from Kino Beach and an hour and a half away from Guaymas and San Carlos beach, which is a beautiful. To the northwest is the Sonora River route with a beautiful green mountains and lush valley and to the north is the charming town of Magdalena del Kino. The state is steeped in cowboy culture, so be sure to go to the dances and festivals in the pueblos.
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RENT AN APARTMENT IN HERMOSILLO
Pretty cheap. I rented a small house for $400 a month. $500 will get you a luxury apartment. Stick to the central part of the city, between Pitic and Galerias Mall, but if you go outside, it is fine- just check with locals to make sure it’s a safe neighborhood.
HOSTEL/DORM BED PER NIGHT
I don’t think there are hostels in Hermosillo. But an apartment on Airbnb will be between 15-20 for a solid place.
DAY TRIPS & THINGS TO DO IN HERMOSILLO
Head to the beach! Guaymas is set to grow a lot in the next decade.
NIGHTLIFE IN HERMOSILLO
6/10
Not anything to brag about. Five popular bars, a few clubs.
For bars, I recommend La Verbena, Barra Hidalgo, and Johnny Sailor. La Verbena is more rock/artsy, Barra Hidalgo is a cool old place, and Johnny Sailor is a slightly more upperclass crowd. For clubs I would recommend Light Club.
If you want something really unique go to Club Oregon. It’s a lot of old people breaking it down like crazy to ballads from the 60s and 70s. There is a Pink Floyd cover band whose lead singer is the spitting image of Ron Jeremy.
The key to having a good time in Hermosillo is building up your social network to find parties and events. That is where the real fun takes place.
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
Hermosillo is a center of business in the region. Ford has many of its operations here, as do other auto companies. The University of Sonora has multiple programs partnering with American universities and decent non-profit work exists if you can find it.
FINAL THOUGHTS
In the end, this city is best for a medium or long-term stay with someone who is working for a multinational or non-profit. Hermosillo is not a tourist city, and that’s where a lot of its charm lies. Major drawbacks are crappy public transportation, hellishly hot weather, and ugly architecture.
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