The 10 Most Beautiful Churches In Mexico

This edifice is an icon not just of Oaxaca City, but of Mexico as a whole, given that it’s one of the country’s top tourist attractions and, despite once being a monastery, is now home to a well-curated museum. As it’s situated at the end of one of Oaxaca’s most central and well-trodden pedestrianised avenues, thousands of people pass through the doors of this temple year on year to admire the heavily decorated interior décor, and you really should too.

Cholula is one of the towns in Mexico known for its almost ridiculous quantity of churches and religious buildings – common local sayings attest to the fact that there’s practically a church on every corner. However, one of Cholula’s stand-outs is the Christian and indigenous masterpiece known as the Iglesia de Santa María Tonantzintla. The architecture is an elegant mixture of Baroque with native motifs and decoration, including some truly eye-catching tiling on the external walls.

Mexico State’s Tepotzotlán, not to be confused with the hippy town of Tepoztlán, is home to a stunning example of Baroque Churrigueresque architecture and although it’s smaller than many of the churches to make our list, it’s perfectly formed. The grey stone walls add an austere touch to this church, which hides within it 10 resplendent golden altar pieces and a selection of massive, signed Miguel Cabrera murals.

The colonial Guerrero town of Taxco, most famously known for its abundance of silver products, is also the home of one of the country’s most spectacular and emblematic churches. Officially titled the Parroquia de Santa Prisca y San Sebastián, Santa Prisca de Taxco is an 18th-century example of Baroque – in fact, it is one of the state’s only pieces of Baroque architecture. Formerly the tallest building in Mexico, Santa Prisca is a stunning, must-visit church.

The second Cholula entry goes to Iglesia de Los Remedios. What? You thought we were only going to include one example from the town which is known for its wealth of spectacular churches? Not likely! Built, as with many Catholic symbols of dominance, atop the remnants of an ancient pyramid, Iglesia de Los Remedios has a simple exterior archway which leads into a Neoclassic interior. On a clear day, the church boasts panoramic views over its surroundings.

We’ve talked about this church before, given its unusual (to say the least) location in the middle of a town almost entirely flattened by the explosive tendencies of the nearby but now extinct volcano. It’s that unique set of circumstances that makes this edifice one of Mexico’s most beautiful, albeit partially obscured, churches. While only the spires poke out from the now solidified lava surroundings, part of the interior altar can still be seen.