Planning a trip to San Luis Potosi
Getting There & Departing
By Plane -- The airport code for San Luis Potosí is SLP. Continental ExpressJet (tel. 800/231-0856 in the U.S., or 01-800/900-5000 in Mexico) and American Eagle (tel. 800/433-7300 in the U.S., or 01-800/904-6000 in Mexico) fly to and from Houston and Dallas. Several domestic carriers have flights to Mexico City and other destinations within the country. The airport is 11km (6 3/4 miles) from downtown. A taxi to the city center is 320 pesos.
By Car -- From Mexico City, take Hwy. 57D; from Guadalajara, take Hwy. 80. If you're coming from the north, it takes 6 to 7 hours to drive the 536km (332 miles) from Monterrey.
By Bus -- The large Central Camionera is 3km (1 3/4 miles) east of downtown on Guadalupe Torres at Diagonal Sur. Most of the bus travel is through Estrella Blanca and its many affiliates, which occupy the counters to the left as you enter. You can buy a ticket for any of the affiliates from any counter. To the right as you enter are three other first-class bus companies: ETN, Primera Plus, and Omnibus de Mexico.
Visitor Information
The State Tourism Office (tel. 444/812-9939, -9943) is at Manuel Jose Othon 130, to one side of the cathedral. The information office has a helpful staff, a good map of the city and historic district, and lots of brochures. It's open Monday to Friday from 8am to 9pm, Saturday from 9am to 2pm.
City Layout
The Plaza de Armas is the center of the historic district. All the streets bordering it are pedestrian only. The principal pedestrian street runs north-south in front of the plaza; the southern part (called Zaragoza) extends 8 blocks to the Jardín Colón, and the northern part (called Hidalgo) runs 5 blocks to the main market. The city also has many plazas and a large downtown park called La Alameda. Avenida Carranza heads east from the Plaza de Armas, passes by the Plaza de Fundadores, and extends out to the main commercial and residential section of the city. Fronting this street are many banks, clubs, and restaurants.
Fast Facts
Area Code -- The telephone area code is 444.
Climate -- San Luis is on the high plateau more than a mile above sea level, but the weather can get hot during May, June, and sometimes July. In winter it occasionally drops to freezing at night. Rain is rare, with an average total of 14 inches per year; it falls between May and November, mostly in August.
Consular Agency -- San Luis Potosí has a U.S. Consular Agency at Av. Venustiano Carranza 2076-41 (tel. 444/811-7802, -7803; Mon-Fri 8:30am-12:30pm).
Currency Exchange -- Four casas de cambios near the main post office offer better rates and better service than the banks. Two are in the arcade on Julián de los Reyes, and two are on Mariano Escobedo. This is just a few blocks northeast of the Plaza de Armas. All are open Saturday. The historic district has many ATMs.
Emergency -- San Luis's central emergency number is tel. 060.
Hospital -- The Hospital Centro Médico, Antonio Aguilar 155 (tel. 444/813-3797), is one of the best in the country.
Post Office -- The correos, Universidad 526-A, is by the church of San Agustín. Hours are Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm, Saturday 8am to 2pm.
