Hotel Los Portales
Last modified: June 17, 201307… The stories these Doric columns could tell, they have seen it all…
Two men continue a long tradition of maintaining this their Ciudad de los Portales.
The Hotel Los Portales was originally the stately Almada Home overlooking the Plaza de las Armas. Antonio Almada y Reyes came to Alamos from Leon Spain in 1783 to visit his uncle, the first Bishop of Sonora, Don Antonio de los Reyes. Antonio started to acquire mining property that made the Almada family extremely wealthy. His son, Don Jose Maria Almada. was born in 1791. He owned two of the richest mines, the Quintera and Balbanera and was a powerful political figure He was the father of 31 children by two wives. This was their home, 15 rooms surrounding beautiful patios. At their long dining table everything was silver: dishes, pitchers, eating utensils, cups and saucers, everything.
Burro access ramp brought silver from the mines into the house.
Inside the house there was a large room where silver bars were stored waiting for mules trains to move them to southern ports and on to Spain. These trains had as many as 1,000 mules. Depending on the weather they would make two to four trips a year.
Towns Live On Through the Skills and Attention of Its Maestros, Craftsmen and Laborers.
Walking is a common choice of transportation in Alamos, Sonora, Mexico. To school, work, play, church, shopping to the buses. There are taxis and cars but walking is the Alamos way for most. And in the day wherever you walk there are workers at work. Big jobs, little jobs, it is all work. Video…
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