Taxco << TAHS koh >> (pop. 50,399) is a historic silver-mining town 70 miles (113 kilometers) southwest of Mexico City , Mexico . Its official name is Taxco de Alarcon << day `ah` lahr KOHN >> . Taxco looks like an old Spanish town. Narrow cobblestone streets climb its steep hills. To preserve the town’s appearance, Taxco was made a national monument. It is illegal to erect buildings in the contemporary style. Taxco’s charm, crafts, and mild climate attract tourists, artists, and writers. It has been a mining center since Hernán Cortés founded it in 1529. Today, it is the center of Mexico’s silverware industry.
