Hacienda de Tayahua

Tayahua is a small town on Highway 54 south of Villanueva that grew up around one of the oldest haciendas in Zacatecas. Its history begins in 1554, when the Spanish settler Diego Fernández de Proaño received land here and planted wheat; over the following generations the grant grew into a vast estate, and the region's later farming and ranching haciendas took shape around it.

What remains is a striking ensemble: a huge carved stone arch, a parish church with a façade of worked cantera, and an enormous courtyard surrounding the main house. Its old-time look has made it a filming location for movies set during the Mexican Revolution.

Tayahua is also tied to one of Mexico's best-loved entertainers. The singer and actor Antonio Aguilar lived in the hacienda next to the church before building his own ranch, El Soyate, a few kilometers north along the highway, and the Aguilar family has kept the hacienda in good condition. The main house is private, but the arch, the church and the town's plaza can be seen on a stop along the highway.