Mexico - Taxco, Silver

Date Visited: March and April 2007
Local Language: Spanish

The Silver sold on the Happy-Hammock website and at markets is from a small town called Taxco.

Taxco (pronounced Tassco) is an old Silver mining town 160km south west of Mexico City. It is a beautiful place to visit for a few days, especially if you want to buy silver.

Narrow cobblestone streets wind up steep hills crowded with white old colonial style buildings and bougainvillea adds a splash of colour. There are plazas roof top restaurants to while away a few hours and enjoy the views of the town.

The streets are lined with silver shops that trade in retail and wholesale (there are over 300 in the town). It can be a little overwhelming to know where to start. This town lives and breathes silver.

Silver Bracelet

Ethically Sound?

Happy-Hammock has heard that there may have been some un-ethical practices used in some Mexican Silver mines, for example the use of Children as miners. If this does or did occur then of course Happy-Hammock does not agree with it.

You may now ask why we then still choose to buy Mexican Silver. Well, the answer is quite simple and we have given this some considerable thought.

Taxco itself has a population of c. 90,000 people that by and large live off the Silver Trade we feel that it would be just as harmful not to trade with them.

This is the call we have made .. and we uphold our promise to you to tell you about where and how we buy .. It’s up to you todo your own research and make up your own mind now.

White VW Beetle Taxis

White VW Beetle Taxis

One of the most unusual features of Taxco is the white Beetle Taxi... they are everywhere and go up and down the steep narrow streets at some pace, clinging on. If you are walking on one of these streets you better move to the side quickly! It seems appropriate that they should all be white and blend in perfectly to the architecture of the town.