Hermosillo: the capital of the Sonoran desert

In the heart of the arid Sonoran Desert in Mexico, Hermosillo remains the capital of one of the hottest, driest and sunniest states in all of Mexico.

The downtown, capital of the Sonoran desert, requires a car to navigate between distant neighborhoods.

The Cerro de la Campana, a panoramic hill in the heart of the city, offers splendid views over all of Hermosillo and the surrounding desert at sunset.

A few minutes away, the Museum of Sonoran Culture, housed curiously in a former penitentiary, recounts the history of the region's ancient indigenous desert peoples.

Continuing towards the centre, you visit the Hermosillo Cathedral, in elegant neoclassical style, overlooking the city's main square.

Towards evening, local restaurants serve grilled meat according to Sonoran culinary tradition, celebrated throughout Mexico.

Hermosillo, situated in one of Mexico's hottest deserts, regularly experiences summer temperatures exceeding forty-five degrees Celsius, among the highest of any Mexican state capital.

The Museum of Sonoran Culture, housed in a former state penitentiary building used until the 1970s, still preserves the original cells now converted into exhibition galleries.