The most appealing of the many explanations for the name of the hill that dominates Zacatecas is that 'bufa' is an old Basque word for wineskin, which is certainly what the rocky formation looks like. The views from the top are superb and there's an interesting group of monuments, a chapel and a museum. It is also the site of a zip line, Tirolesa 840 , a 1km ride (840m of actual flying) across a former open-pit mine.
The small Museo Toma de Zacatecas , at the top of La Bufa, was reopened in 2014, to commemorate the centenary of the 1914 battle that was fought on the hill’s slopes in which the revolutionary División del Norte, led by Pancho Villa and Felipe Ángeles, defeated President Victoriano Huerta’s forces. This gave the revolutionaries control of Zacatecas, which was the gateway to Mexico City. It's a technological delight, with talking ghosts, actual footage of the battle and other delights.
La Capilla de la Virgen del Patrocinio , adjacent to the museum, is named after the patron saint of miners. Above the altar of this 18th-century chapel is an image of the Virgin said to be capable of healing the sick. Thousands of pilgrims flock here each year on September 8, when the image is carried to the cathedral.
Facing the chapel stand three imposing equestrian statues of the victors of the battle of Zacatecas – Villa, Ángeles and Pánfilo Natera.
From the right of the statues, a paved path along the foot of the rocky hilltop leads to the Mausoleo de los Hombres Ilustres de Zacatecas , with the tombs of Zacatecan heroes from 1841 to the present.
A convenient way to ascend La Bufa (to the church and museum) is by teleférico . Alternatively, you can walk up, starting at Calle del Ángel from the cathedral's east end. To reach it by car, take Carretera a la Bufa, which begins at Avenida López Velarde, a couple of kilometers east of the center. A taxi costs around M$55. You can return to town by the teleférico or by a footpath leading downhill from the statues.
