Alan & Sandra’s Incredible Cross Country Adventure
Mexico - San Luis Potosí, San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Querétaro, Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve, Xilitla, and Tolantongo
Trip Overview – Our trip was divided into two parts. During the first portion of our trip, we visited the main colonial cities of the Central Mexican Plateau north of Mexico City. The second part of our adventure took us through the East Sierra Madre Mountains.
Central Mexican Plateau – This region is a high plateau averaging 6,000 feet of elevation, with an arid-to semiarid landscape of xeric shrublands and pine-oak forests. The winter weather here is very sunny with pleasant daytime temperatures and chilly nights. Being that we were at such a high altitude the temperature would drop rapidly after sunset and would not warm up until around 9:00 in the morning. Getting around during the first part of our trip was very easy. All the cities we visited were linked with comfortable, clean, express buses.
East Sierra Madre Mountains – In the mountains we traveled up to an elevation of 8,500 feet, crossed over to the other side descending to just 300 feet, and then back via a different route reaching a height of 7,600 feet before returning to the Central Mexican Plateau. Along the way we passed numerous types of unique vegetation zones ranging from temperate grasslands to evergreen forests to subtropical rainforests. The Sierra Madre region is sparsely populated with limited mass transit options, so we rented a car for this leg of our trip. Most of the days spent at the higher elevations were overcast and chilly enough for us to need to wear our sweaters. And at night most places were not heated, so we would have to cuddle to stay warm. At the lower altitudes it was a different story. Here, we had to sleep with the air conditioner on when available.
Safety – The four states we traveled trough are some of the safest in Mexico. The average travel safety index for this area is 68. For contrast, New York City has a score of 76.
San Luis Potosí
Overview – We would rank San Luis as the least interesting of the four colonial cities we visited. If you happen to be passing through town, I only recommend spending a day or two here.
Demographics – San Luis Potosí is the capital of the state of the same name and has a metro population of 1,300,000. 45% of the metro area is indigenous peoples, some of them speak Tenek and Pame as their primary language.
Elevation - 6,100 feet
Getting There – If you were to drive to central Mexico from the states, odds are you would be passing through San Luis Potosí along the way. If you decide to fly in, there are direct flights from Houston and Dallas.
Drought – The region is presently experiencing a devastating drought. So, most of the beautiful fountains, pools, and ponds we read about were dry to conserve water.
Old City – The older buildings in the historic district were built in the neoclassical and baroque styles and date back to the Spanish colonial period. Following the Mexican revolution these buildings were restored, rehabilitated, and became museums, universities, and art centers. This district has four main plazas, each the size of a city block with an imposing fountain in the middle and a church or two across the street. The main square, Plaza de Armas is the place for celebrations, live music, and dance, with events happening daily. This square is bordered by the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Government Palace, and City Hall. Jardin de San Francisco, is one of the city’s prettiest plazas and is a relaxing place to take a break. It is bordered on one side by Templo San Francisco. Plaza del Carmen is an active square dominated by a large bronze fountain and surrounded by several interesting buildings including the Templo del Carmen, the Teatro de la Paz, and the Museo Nacional de la Máscara.
Don Quixote and the Metropolitan Cathedral in the Armas Plaza
San Francisco Garden
Theater of Peace and Carmen Plaza
Museo Nacional de la Máscara (National Museum of Masks) – Mexicans have a long history of making and using masks for various traditional dances and ceremonies. After unsuccessfully trying to ban these masks, the Spanish authorities opted instead to incorporate then into the catholic rituals in order to ease the indigenous people into embracing Christianity. Most traditional masks are from materials such as wood, leather, and papier-mâché. These masks are used during festivals, such as Carnival, Holy Week, and the Day of the Dead to act out a story with dance and music. So, the masks are made to represent the characters in the story whether they be human, animal or demon. This museum houses a fascinating collection of ceremonial masks from across Mexico and does a good job at explaining the evolution of pre-Columbian masks with most descriptions given in English.
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Churches – Some of the best examples of colonial architecture in San Luis are its churches. These include The Carmen Church with the lower half of its façade built in an unorthodox (for its time) style, The Metropolitan Cathedral built with a Baroque façade, and the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe built in the classic Baroque style. All of these churches were built in the 1700s. After the Jesuit expulsion in 1767, these buildings in San Luis and through out Mexico were repurposed by the government for other uses. This probably explains why many of these churches that have such ornate facades have such simple interiors.
Church of Carmen
Metropolitan Cathedral
Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Centro de las Artes Centenario – This center for the Arts was originally built in the late 1800s as a prison. This striking building was later transformed with many former cells being maintained in their original form and converted to office, classroom, and studio spaces. In one of the wings of the prison is the Leonora Carrington Museum. Leonora Carrington (1917-2011) was a British born surrealist painter and sculpture who lived most of her life in Mexico City. Her work is super trippy. Lenora pushed the boundaries with esoteric practices and perhaps the help of mind-altering substances.
Street Sculptures and Murals – It was always a pleasant surprise when we would come across a large mural on the side of a building or a random sculpture on a street corner. Mexico has a tradition of doing large murals in public places. The sculpture of what appears to be a KKK grand wizard is actually of a capirote which is worn by penitents during the last week of lent for the Procession of Silence.
San Miguel de Allende
Overview – With its striking colonial architecture, enchanting cobblestone streets and lovely city parks, San Miguel (founded in 1542) is one of Mexico’s most beautiful cities and a UNESCO world heritage site. At the beginning of the 20th century, San Miguel was in danger of becoming a ghost town after an influenza pandemic, until it was discovered by Stirling Dickinson, an American artists who moved in and created an art school which began to to attract artists from all over the world. This influx of foreigners just kept on growing and growing. We spent six days in San Miguel, and every day was filled with things to see and do. During one of our visits downtown, someone called out Sandra’s name, we turned around to find Betty Diamond, a friend of ours from Madison. What a small world.
Demographics – San Miguel has a metro population of 170,000, including 25,000 foreigners. This influx of foreigners has produced profound cultural and economic impacts upon the city. On the positive side, many of these expats volunteer with organizations effecting change in the community. On the negative side, in our opinion, San Miguel is not longer an authentic Mexican city with housing and fine dining costs comparable to American pricing levels.
Elevation - 6,200 feet
Old City – Of the four colonial cities we visited, San Miguel was the best preserved. While the outlying areas of the city have changed over time, its historic center remains much as it has for 250 years. The houses are painted in various vibrant colors with iron-grated windows and loads of interesting architectural details.
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Courtyards – Very few buildings in the historic center have atriums or front yards. Instead, many of these homes have private courtyards that provide privacy, greenery, and extra ventilation and lighting. There are an estimated two thousand courtyards of various sizes in the city. The few courtyards we found that are open to the public were delightful places to hang out.
Local Starbucks
Public Library Coffee House
Parroquia de San Miguel Arcangel – The Archangel Parish Church with its pink wedding cake towers soaring high above the city is unique and unlike any other church we saw in Mexico. The neo-gothic facade and strange pinnacles of this church were designed by Zeferino Gutierrez, an indigenous stonemason who was inspired from postcards he had of the Koln Cathedral in Germany.
Other Churches – Three other significant San Miguel churches, all built in the 1700s, are The San Francisco Church built in a Spanish Baroque style, The Oratory San Felipe Neri built with an ornate façade of pink sandstone, and Templo Nuestra Señora de la Salud built with a unique carved shell over the main entrance.
San Francisco Church
San Felipe Neri Church
Church of Lady of Health
Mercado de Artesanías (Artisanal Market) – Here you can find a vast array of hand-crafted items such as jewelry, embroidered blouses, carved wooden toys, and paintings on amate bark paper. The market sits in a three-block long alley.
Mercado Ignacio Ramirez – Wander the aisles of this market and find everything from vegetables to flowers, meat, and shoes. There is no truer picture of the daily life of this Mexican town. Here we had our choice of numerous inexpensively priced, but yummy, restaurants.
Mojigangas – These are fifteen feet tall puppets that come out onto the streets for festivals, religious pilgrimages, wedding parades or just to amuse the tourists. The puppets are made of papier- mâché and cloth over a wood frame that sits on the shoulders of a person who dances in the street.
Jardin Botanico El Charco del Ingenio – Just a 30-minute walk from downtown is the El Charco del Ingenio botanical garden, wildlife, and bird sanctuary. Here you can hike through wetlands, past arid areas dotted with cacti and succulent species, and along the rim of a canyon that leads to an eponymous freshwater spring.
Santuario de Atotonilco – Considered to be Mexico's Sistine Chapel, this important church is in the town of the same name, a 40-minute taxi ride from downtown. Pilgrims from all over Mexico journey to Atotonilco two weekends before Easter to join in a procession from the sanctuary to the Church of San Juan de Dios in San Miguel.
La Gruta Spa – The spa is a 40-minute taxi ride from downtown, and only a 17-minute walk from the Atotonilco Sanctuary. So, it is possible to do both on the same trip. The spa consists of a series of pools and a man-made grotto with waterfall that are fed from a natural hot spring. Half of the pools were closed when we were there because of the drought. It was a very nice place to chill and relax from our normal rush-rush vacation schedule.
Zona Arqueológica Cañada de La Virgen – The archaeological site which is a 50-minute drive from town, consists of a pyramid, sunken patios, and squares. The Otomies began construction on the pyramid in the 6th century and were still not finished when they abandoned the area in the 11th century. It was built facing the celestial north, so, the moon rises and falls perfectly in notches in the pyramid at key times in the lunar calendar and during solstice periods. The preferred way to see this site is with a tour from town. We went with Albert Coffee, one of the original archaeologists to work on the site and were not disappointed.
Guanajuato
Overview – Guanajuato (founded in 1559) was once a very wealthy town due to the region's rich silver and gold deposits. At one point two-thirds of the entire world’s silver production came from this town. And it is evident with its opulent colonial buildings, beautiful tree-filled plazas, brightly colored houses, stunning Baroque and Churrigueresque (Spanish Baroque) churches, excellent museums, and attractive theaters. Unlike the regular layouts of many other Mexican cities, the streets of Guanajuato follow the extreme irregularity of the narrow valley that the city lies in. Many of these streets are mere alleyways inaccessible by automobiles, some with long sets of stairs. Three to five days is enough time to visit this lovely city.
Demographics – Guanajuato, the capital of the state of the same name has a metro population of 190,000.
Elevation - 6,700 feet
Old City – A few of the central blocks of Guanajuato’s historic center have a very European feeling to them. This is because in the late 1800’s a team of French architects were hired to transform the area. This is evident in the buildings they designed such as the Juárez Theater and the elaborate public spaces such as Union Garden. Guanajuato’s old city is much livelier and more vibrant than the other cities we visited. This is primarily because the campus of Guanajuato University and its 9,000 students are just a few blocks away and because the city is a major destination for Mexican tourists.
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Teatro Juárez (Juárez Theater) – Considered to be one of Mexico’s most opulent theaters with a plush red-and-gold interior and a bar and lobby gleaming with carved wood, stained glass, and precious metals. The outside entrance is dominated by 12 columns with brass capitels. The top of the roof is graced by statues of eight of the nine muses. Tours of the theater are offered daily in Spanish.
Jardin de la Union – The heart and soul of Guanajuato, Union Garden is a shady triangle shaped plaza lined with restaurants and bars opposite the San Diego church. During daytime, the plaza is a relaxing place to hang out. During the evening it becomes alive and quite noisy with numerous mariachi bands competing for attention.
Churches – The two most impressive churches in Guanajuato are the Templo de la Compaňía de Jesus built in the 1800’s by the Jesuits with the largest and most impressive interior space of any Jesuit church in Mexico, and the Basílica Colegiata de Nuestra Señora de Guanajuato built in the 1600s which houses a jewel incrusted image of the Virgin that was hidden from the Moors in a cave in Spain for 800 years.
Church of the Society of Jesus
Basilica of Our Lady of Guanajuato (bottom) + Church of the Society of Jesus (upper right)
Callejón del Beso (Alley of the Kiss) Only 66 inches wide at its narrowest point, this alleyway has two balconies nearly touching each other. The alley’s name comes from a legend of two young lovers who were caught in a passionate embrace across their opposing balconies by the girl’s father who in a fit of rage killed his daughter. The two homes are now gift shops, and for a small fee you can pose on the balconies for a kiss.
Mercado Hidalgo (Hidalgo Market) – The market is housed in a large iron structure originally designed to be a train station. But the railway never came to town. The building is now filled with a chaotic collection of market stalls selling a wide range of items from bananas to bracelets.
Monumento a El Pipila – The small park surrounding the statue of El Pípila holding his torch over the city offers the best viewpoint of the area. El Pipila was a hero of the 1810 Siege of Guanajuato. To get to the monument you can either take a funicular or walk up a series of steep, picturesque alleyways.
Union Garden
Guanajuato University
Hidalgo Market
Museo de las Momias (Mummy Museum) – With more than 100 exposed corpses on display, this is surely the most bizarre, and some might even say distasteful museum in Mexico. This popular attraction exemplifies the Mexican culture’s deep reverence and celebration with the cyclical nature of life. These naturally mummified bodies were dug up in the early 1900s when there were no living relatives to pay a new local tax for perpetual burial. The bodies found in the best condition were stored in a nearby building that was later converted into a museum. The climate and soil conditions of Guanajuato provided an ideal environment for this natural mummification process.
Tunnel System
Tunnel System – Guanajuato has an extensive network of tunnels passing underneath the city and cutting through the surrounding mountains. The first tunnel was constructed in the 1800s to control the river that flowed through the city center. Today that riverway is a roadway. Being that a large percentage of the city’s workforce were miners it’s easy to see why tunneling came naturally here. As more and more cars appeared on the city's narrow streets, the desire for more and more tunnels grew. Today there are 27 tunnels with different layered crossroads and underground junctions. It was fun zipping through the tunnels in a taxi, getting across town in mere minutes.
Callejoneada – The narrow streets and alleyways of Guanajuato have given rise to a pastime called callejoneadas or alleyway hopping. These are roving parties of live music, that were traditionally led by local university students. Nowadays there is a professional group of musicians dressed in traditional medieval attire who take tourists nightly through the back allies of the city regaling them with songs, stories, and drinking opportunities. It was loads of fun.
Querétaro
Overview – Founded in 1531, Querétaro is not a common tourist destination. Even though it has a very nice historical center to explore, Querétaro is mostly known for its aerospace and technology industries, and for being one of the fastest growing cities in the western hemisphere. I would recommend spending two to four days there.
Demographics – Querétaro, the capital of the state of the same name has a metro population of 1,600,000.
Elevation - 6,000 feet
Old City – When booking your hotel, keep in mind that there are two central districts to Querétaro. An old one and a new one. Almost everything worth seeing as a tourist is in the old city with its shady squares, charming pedestrian streets, grand fountains, and historic churches. This part of the city is pedestrian-friendly, very clean and surprisingly peaceful compared to the rest of the metro area. In the evening, the area fills with people strolling through the plazas and frequenting the area's numerous restaurants, cafes, and bars.
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Plaza de Armas – Querétaro has three main plazas in a four-block area. Each of them has their own unique charm. The plaza where we enjoyed hanging out the most was Plaza de Armas a few blocks away from the others. Plaza de Armas which has a much more intimate setting, is in the oldest part of the city with cobblestone streets and Indian laurel trees.
Los Arcos – The most prominent feature of the city is its enormous aqueduct built in the early 1700s to provide the city with safe drinking water. The aqueduct is nearly a mile long consisting of 74 arches with an average height of 76 feet.
Palacio de la Corregidora - Querétaro's city hall is worth visiting for its three large murals on display in its center courtyard. These murals glorify the battles for independence, the siege of Querétaro, and the restoration of the republic after the French invasion.
Conchero Dancers – Concheros dancing is a collective spiritual experience with participants belonging to groups with appointed leaders holding military titles. The name refers to the concha (shell) that is used as a musical instrument. The most traditional outfits are made from natural elements but are often mixed with commercial fabrics. Dancers perform with drums, conch shell trumpets, lutes, and rattles attached to their wrists and ankles. So, you can imagine that these ceremonies are extremely loud and colorful with each outfit being uniquely designed by the dancer. These dances began in Querétaro in 1531 after an eclipse of the sun occurred during a battle with the Spaniards, revealing the form of Quetzalcoatl (God of Creative Acts). During the period of the Spanish occupation the Conchero Dance became a way for indigenous groups to embrace Catholicism while merging it with there existing traditions. After the dancing ritual is completed, many of the participants would enter the nearby church still wearing their indigenous outfits to participate in a Catholic mass. Dances are performed weekly in the Plaza de los Fundadores and in mid-September 50,000 dancers descend upon the city from all over the country for two days of intense dancing.
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Zona Arqueológica El Cerrito – This site consists primarily of a pyramid located in the middle of a suburb just a 15-minute taxi ride from the old city. Standing 98 feet high and 387 feet wide, El Cerrito is one of Mexico’s largest pyramids. Yet it is seldom visited by any tourists. The pyramid was constructed in the 7th century as a regional center for political and religious activities. The only people that lived here were high priests. It continued to be an important center until it was abandoned in the 13th century. Eventually the pyramid became covered with dirt and vegetation and in the late 1800s a local rancher built his house on top of the hill. The house is classified as being a separate historical structure and cannot be removed. There is a very interesting museum onsite, and tours in English are available.
Bernal (3,000 population – 6,800 feet elevation) – This picturesque mountain town is only a 40-minute drive from Querétaro and is accessible by bus. Bernal is very much a tourist town and becomes very crowded during the weekend. The main attraction here is the Peña de Bernal Mountain which you can see from almost everywhere in town.
Peña de Bernal Trail (1.2 miles – 640 feet elevation gain) – Standing at 1,150 feet, Peña de Bernal is the third-largest monolith in the world. A monolith is a geological feature consisting of a single massive stone or rock. This monolith was created from solidified lava filling the vents of an extinct volcano. The solid magma that remained shaped the huge single stone you see today. During the vernal equinox thousands of pilgrims trek to the rock to take in its positive energy. The trailhead is located at the end of a residential street. The trail takes you along a steep rocky incline, eventually reaching a point where you need to take hold of an attached rope until you reach a ledge halfway up the mountain. To access the peak, you need mountain climbing gear. Sandra and I were not feeling well that day, so we only went halfway up the trail.
Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve
Overview – Roughly the size of Rhode Island, the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve is an extremely rugged region with deep canyons and steep mountains that rise to a height of 10,200 feet. The area is home to nearly 100,000 people and a wide variety of plant and animal life including 363 species of birds. The mountains block the moisture coming in from the Gulf of Mexico making the east side primarily moist and the west side primarily semiarid. The main attractions here are hiking trails, archaeological sites, and Franciscan Missions. During the five days we visited the region, we did not see a single foreigner.
Getting Around – There is just one main roadway traversing the reserve. Highway 120 is a nicely paved road that constantly twists and turns through the mountains, revealing one gorgeous view after another. Most of the side roads in this region are not paved. All the mountain towns are serviced by buses from Querétaro, but to visit any of the attractions in the countryside, you would need to hire a taxi, and have it wait for you to complete the return trip or rent a car as we did.
Mountain Towns
San Joaquín (2.000 population - 7,900 feet elevation) – San Joaquín is an attractive little town with brightly colored buildings nestled in a valley with very steep streets crawling up the hillsides.
Jalpan de Serra (9,000 population – 2,500 feet elevation) – Jalpan, the largest city in the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve, is very flat and lacking the charm and appeal of the other mountain towns we visited. The main things to see here are the Misiὀn Santiago Apostol with its beautiful courtyard, and the Museo Histὀrico de la Sierra Gorda, a very nicely curated history museum.
Pinal de Amoles (2.000 population - 7,900 feet elevation) – Founded in the early 17th century as a mining camp Pinal de Amoles consists of narrow winding cobblestone streets and houses painted in reds, yellows, and ochers. The town center consists of a very small plaza and local parish church.
Hiking Trails
Puente de Dios (2.0 miles – 370 feet elevation gain) – This is the reserves’ most popular hike and a place to be avoided on weekends. The trail is a 40-minute drive from Pinal de Amoles and involves traversing an eight-mile dirt road to an indigenous village. Tourism is this village’s major source of income. There are a few tiny hotels and restaurants, and the village collects money from entrance fees, guide fees, and parking fees. You can only enter the canyon with a group guided tour in Spanish. The trail runs along the riverbank and crosses the river several times using small wooden bridges. The most interesting part of the trail was a steep canyon where you walk along a cement walkway suspended over the river. You finally arrive at the Puente de Dios or God's Bridge which is a beautiful natural bridge and grotto crowned with stalactites, a waterfall, and a shallow pool where you can swim. It was chilly the day we were there, so I rolled up my pants and just ventured out up to my knees.
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Mirador Cuatro Palos (1.4 miles loop – 410 feet elevation gain) – This trail is a 30-minute drive from Pinal de Amoles ending with a 2.7-mile dirt road to another indigenous village that generates its income from tourists coming to hike. We were the only visitors, so we received a private tour that day. The trail took us through an old-growth oak forest to a spectacular vantage point. At the top there are camping sites giving hikers the opportunity to witness the spectacular sunrises and sunsets. We were told that it is often misty at this viewpoint as it was the day we were there. The locals take advantage of this mist with an ingenious system for harvesting water.
Cascada El Chuveje (1.7 miles – 460 feet elevation gain) – A 30-minute drive from Jalpan de Serra. This is another popular trail that should be avoided on weekends. At the trailhead there is a restaurant and store selling swimming gear. This trail took us past a large array of natural pools and then onto a waterfall. The pools lie at the bottom of a steep canyon and are only warm during the winter when they are in direct sunlight. We arrived at the trailhead in midafternoon and passed many people wearing towels leaving the area. By the time we got to the pools, they were in the shade and totally deserted. We then continued hiking to an impressive 100-foot-tall waterfall plunging into a large deep pool.
Gruta Los Herrera (1.1 miles – 200 feet elevation gain) – These caves are a 10-minute drive from San Joaquin. The Herrera Grotto is a long cave system filled with interesting rock formations. You can only hike through the caves escorted by a guide.
Archaeological Sites
Zona Arqueológica Ranas – Just a five-minute drive from San Joaquin is the archaeological site of Ranas. Here are the ruins of three ritual ballcourts, an acropolis used for political and administrative functions, a two-tiered temple standing 28-feet tall and platforms for residential structures and for cinnabar processing facilities that were used as a source of red pigments. These structures were built using limestone slabs. It is believed that the city was occupied between the 7th and 11th centuries.
Zona Arqueológica Toluquilla – San Joaquin’s other archaeological site is a 20-minute drive from town. When the site was first discovered, the archaeologist thought that it was a city-fort with fortress walls, watchtowers, and trenches. Later it was determined that the fortress walls were just retaining walls, the watchtowers were temples, and the trenches were the facings of the ballcourts.
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Zona Arqueológica de Tancama – Tancama is a 20–minute drive from Jalpan de Serra and at the end of a 1.4-mile dirt road. This site was once a pre-Hispanic settlement consisting of three sloping squares of different heights that imitated the shape of the neighboring hills. It is believed that the Huasteca people who lived here reached their zenith between the 8th to 10th centuries.
Franciscan Mission
Overview – The Franciscans built a total of five missions in the region. We only had time to visit three of them. These churches were all built in the same style during the same period and are considered one of the best examples of new Spain baroque architecture. They are quite beautiful buildings. The main characteristic of these churches is the rich decoration of their main entrance ways. The purpose of these decorations was to teach the new religion to the indigenous peoples, but unlike other baroque churches, indigenous symbols and imagery were also incorporated here.
Misiὀn Santiago Apostol – This mission was the oldest of the five missions. It was built in Jalpan de Sierra in the 1750s.
Misiὀn Santa Marίa – The sculptures nestled in the façade of this church are considered the best of the five missions. Santa Marίa is a 30-minute drive from Jalpan de Sierra.
Misiὀn San Francico de Asis de Tilaco – Tilaco is the best preserved of all the missions and contains the most subtle ornamentation on its façade. This mission is a one-hour drive from Jallpan de Sierra.
Xilitla
Overview – Even though Xilitla sits 300 feet lower than Jalpan its terrain is far more rugged and hilly. Of all the mountain towns we visited on this trip, Xilitla was by far the most scenic and interesting. The climate here is categorized as being humid subtropical. Very different than the other towns we visited.
Demographics – The township of Xilitla has a population of 51,000 and the town 7,000. The Huastec and Nahuatl indigenous peoples make up 59% of the township’s population. Over half of these indigenous peoples speak Spanish as their second language.
Elevation – 2.200 feet
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Edward James Surrealist Garden – Edward James (1907-1984) was an eccentric (some would say totally crazy) Englishman who started to live in the jungle outside of Xilitla in 1947 on an 80-acre tract of land that he purchased. Edward could come across as a backwoods man with his unkempt clothes, long hair, and Unabomber shack that he lived in. But there were two sides to Edward James because he only lived in Xilitla for a few months of the year. The rest of his time was spent clean shaven, in a tuxedo, wandering the rooms of his Sussex mansion on his 6,400-acre estate or exploring exotic places around the world. Edward was the only son of an extremely wealthy couple and is rumored to be the illegitimate child of King Edward VII.
During a visit to Xilitla while bathing in a river, Edward was surrounded by a cloud of butterflies. He interpreted this event as a magical sign that this was the place to create his version of the "Garden of Eden". The land he selected was a slice of paradise with thick jungle vegetation, two towering waterfalls and a series of pools. He then hired over 40 local craftsmen full time to build his paradise. Construction continued nonstop until Edward’s death in 1984. These craftsmen helped James create a surrealist dreamlike world filled with columns topped by capitals of giant flowers, gothic arches, dramatic gates, unearthly structures with doors that opened to nothing, and pavilions with spiral staircases that ended abruptly in mid-air. Walking through this garden is like exploring the ruins of a long-lost city that has been taken over by the jungle. Group tours of the garden are offered once a day in English at 10:00 am.
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Aquismón
Overview – The only reason we stayed in Aquismón is because of its geographical location. Aquismón has a population of 2,000 and sits at an elevation of only 300 feet. So, it was much warmer there.
Tamul Waterfall and Water Cavern – The best way to see the falls is to drive 50 minutes over a terrible road to Embarcadero a Cascada Tamul La Morena, a riverfront compound lined with colorfully painted 10-seater (eight guests plus two guides) wooden canoes. With so many people paddling, it was not much work propelling the canoe forward, and we took lots of breaks. The two-hour trip took us through a beautiful canyon lined with interesting rock formations and small side falls. We then came to a large rock perched in the middle of the river to view Tamul waterfall in the distance. We have seen numerous pictures of this massive 350 tall waterfall. Unfortunately, because of the drought, the waterfall we witnessed was only a fraction of that intensity. On the way back we stopped to swim in a huge water cavern. Cueva del Agua with its underground river and clear turquoise waters was the highlight of the day.
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Hoyo de las Huahuas – Hoya means hole, and this is one giant sink hole measuring 200 feet wide and a third of a mile deep. What makes this hole interesting is that it is the home to hundreds of parakeets, swift birds, and other species who fly out of the hole in mass in a synchronized manner at sunrise and fly back at sunset. The hole is a 30-minute drive and then a 20-minute walk to get to. As we got closer to the hole the noise of the approaching birds kept on getting louder and louder. The entrance fee and a recommended guide fee is a revenue source for the local indigenous village.
Zona Arqueológica de Tamtoc – Tamtoc was an 80-minute drive ending in a six-mile dirt road. This site was the former capital for the Huasteca people during the 4th to 7th and 12th to 14th centuries. Most of the site has not yet been excavated including four large cone shaped hills hiding pyramids. A unique aspect of this site is its assortment of large stone sculptures including one of three female characters that weighs more than 30 tons. It would appear that women held a high rank in this community. Most of the discovered stone monuments, ceramic figures, and burials sites have been of women.
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Zona Arqueológica Tamohi – This site was only a few minutes out of our way on our return trip from Tamtoc, so we made a quick stop. Built adjacent to the Tampaὀn River, Tamohi was an important center of culture and commerce for the Huasteca people during the 11th to 14th centuries. Because of periodic flooding this city was built high up on large multifunctional platforms.
Road from Aquismón to Tolantongo
Overview – The main attraction along this route is the roadway itself and its spectacular views. We took our time and spent two days getting to Tolantongo. We began the journey at 300 feet in a subtropical terrain that reminded me of my Peace Corps time in the Philippines. We then rose in elevation to 8,500 feet to a landscape of pine-oak forests that looked similar to the mountains of New England. Finally we came down to 5,600 feet on the other side to a semi-arid terrain that reminded me of our travels through Utah.
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Castillo de la Salud Beto Ramὀn – This brightly painted “health castle” was built in 1974 by Beto Ramὀn, a Nấhuatl doctor as a place to practice and teach traditional herbal medicine. The castle is still used today by people practicing this type of medicine. The buildings of the campus are a technicolored fusion of indigenous and biblical imagery. While we were there, I was hoping to get a healing massage and Sandra wanted to try a spiritual cleansing (whatever that is). Unfortunately, all the staff were off at that time.
Tamazunchale (25,000 population – 500 feet elevation) – This is a very noisy congested city. We spent two hours there to have lunch and take a quick view of the downtown. That was more than enough time.
Jacala (5,000 population – 4,500 feet elevation) – Jacala had the best selection of hotels along the route, so we elected to stay there for the night. The main thing that stood out for us about this town was its exceptional street murals.
Mấrmoles National Park – If we did not see the park displayed on our map, we would have never known that we were driving through a national park. The main difference between the views in the park and the rest of the countryside was that there were more trees and less farms in the park.
Ex-Fundidora and Pueblo fantasma La Encarnaciὀn – This village sits at the end of a three-mile dirt road and is advertised as a ghost town, yet there are still some people living there. The settlement is frozen in time, unchanged from what it looked like hundreds of years ago. Founded in 1815, La Encarnaciὀn was once a well-off mining town that was home to the foundry that provided the steel for the lower portion of the Eiffel Tower and many other important buildings. The village was later abandoned when the mine dried up. The handsome ruins from the foundry still dominate the landscape.
Zimapấn (15,000 population – 6,100 feet elevation) – Zimapấn was a pleasant place to take a break for a few hours and grab lunch. The most interesting things to see here are the Church of St John the Baptist, considered to be one of the best examples the baroque-style in the Sierra Gorda region, and the public market which I felt was the most interesting we visited on our trip.
Ixmiquilpan (37,000 population – 5,600 feet elevation) – Ixmiquilpan is only an hour drive from Tolantongo, so we decided to spend the night there. The most interesting sites here are the Templo de San Miguel Arcangel and its faded murals with overt pre-Hispanic themes, and the central plaza home to the Diana the Huntress Fountain.
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Tolantongo
Overview – Tolantongo is one of the most popular weekend destinations for the residents of Mexico City, which is only a four-hour drive away, yet it is completely off the tourist radar and was not even listed in our tour book. The Tolantongo resort complex is a lush natural paradise tucked away at the bottom of a box canyon surrounded by a semi-arid desert. After driving through a vast desert landscape, it was hard to imagine that a green oasis awaited us at the end of the road. Tolantongo is all about water, and lots of it in a wide assortment of natural and man-made pools that are scattered throughout the vast park. Most of this water comes out hot from the earth after passing through layers of rocks that have been subjected to volcanic heating. Depending on where you are in the park, the water temperatures can vary from 75 to 95 degrees. Surprisingly, the drought has not adversely affected this park. Tolantongo was the perfect place for us to relax and unwind after a long five weeks of traveling.
Thermal Pools – The most popular pools are the ones just below the Paraiso Hotel that seem to hang over the canyon walls. The water in these pools is super clean because it is constantly being recycled. Water rushes into the upper pools and then quickly flows out to fill the lower ones. Subsequently the lower you go down the canyon, the cooler the water gets. At midday, some of these pools can get quite crowded, but we were always able to find our own private slice of heaven. Relaxing in one of these pools, gazing across the canyon and the mountains beyond was a uniquely peaceful experience.
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Tolantongo River – The river at the bottom of the canyon is segmented into separate pools by rows of boulders that slow down the water’s current. We were surprised to find that the water here was almost as hot as it was in the pools. Because of the high content of the mineral salts present the water was an interesting shade of turquoise.
The Grotto, Tunnel and Waterfall – At the head of the canyon is a grotto, tunnel, and waterfall all located next to each other. The grotto is a large natural cavern over 30 feet high that is filled with stalactites, stalagmites, and other natural rock formations. Off to the side of the grotto is another narrow 50-foot-long dead-end cavern, they call the tunnel. The floor of the tunnel is covered in slippery wet rocks but there were handrails attached to the cavern’s walls. When visiting the tunnel, you need to bring your own flashlight or headlamp. The entrances to the grotto and tunnel were covered with rushing water from a large waterfall.
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Tolantongo was the final destination on our Mexican adventure. After taking one last dip in a pool, we drove back to Querétaro to drop off the car and catch our flight back to Madison. We loved exploring this part of Mexico and plan on doing one or two more trips in the upcoming years to visit the rest of this amazing country.