Hermosillo is Sonora's capital and largest city, a sprawling, hot, modern city of nearly a million people in the middle of the Sonoran Desert. It is not a tourist destination in itself, but it is the gateway to Bahía Kino and the rest of the state, and it has a decent historic centre around the Plaza Zaragoza and the Catedral de la Asunción. The Cerro de la Campana (Bell Hill) in the middle of the city offers panoramic views.
The Museo de Sonora, housed in the 19th-century state penitentiary, is the best museum in the state — covering indigenous cultures, colonial history, and natural history. The building itself is worth visiting for its architecture and its grim institutional history. Hermosillo also has a branch of the famous Sonoran carne asada culture: the arandas-style restaurants serve excellent grilled beef with flour tortillas, local salsas, and cold beer.