2 days of pine mountains, basalt prisms and Cornish pasties

Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.

1. 1
   MorningIndoor

   Museo de Sitio Mina de Acosta

   An old silver mine turned site museum on the northern edge of town, where visitors walk a short way into the tunnels the miners dug. It tells the story of the silver that made the town, and of the Cornish and Mexican miners who worked it.

   Go when Morning, so the afternoon stays free.

   Local tip The tunnels are cold, damp and low in places, so wear a warm layer and shoes with grip. Not for anyone uneasy in closed spaces. Check ahead on the tours, since access can change.

   About 11 min walk0.8 km
2. 2
   Midday

   Mineral del Monte Main Square

   The small hillside square of the town, with the parish church of the Rosary beside it, a garden of trees and benches, and steep lanes of shops running off in every direction. It is where the town meets, and where the pasty sellers are.

   Go when Midday, with a pasty and a hot drink.

   Local tip Buy a pasty from a stall and eat it on a bench. The lanes slope steeply, so go slowly. If it rains, shelter in the church porch or a cafe.

   

3. Lunch

   A pasty of potato and meat

   The pasty here is a baked pastry parcel brought by the Cornish, now filled in the Mexican way with potato and ground meat, green mole, beans or sweet fruit.

   Local tip Eat it hot and fresh, and try one savoury and one sweet.

   About 7 min walk0.6 km
4. 3
   Afternoon

   English Cemetery

   A hillside cemetery just outside the centre where Cornish miners and their families were buried after they came to work the silver in the 1800s. The graves have English names and stand among the pines, a quiet and misty place.

   Go when Afternoon, while the light is clear.

   Local tip Read the names and dates on the stones, many of them Cornish. It is a place of rest, so stay quiet. The ground is uneven and wet in mist, and the gate hours can change, so check ahead.

5. Dinner

   Enchiladas mineras

   The miners enchiladas of this part of Hidalgo, corn tortillas dipped in a red chili sauce and fried, served with potato, carrot, cheese and a little lettuce.

   Local tip Ask whether the sauce is mild, and eat them while they are hot.

Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.

1. Travel from English CemeteryAbout 31 min by car or transit15.2 km

   Where Day 1 ended.
2. 1
   Morning

   Basaltic Prisms of Santa María Regla

   A gorge of tall, many sided columns of dark basalt, cooled from lava long ago, with a waterfall dropping beside them. Alexander von Humboldt wrote about them in the early 1800s. Paths and steps lead to the viewing places, and the rock is wet and slippery.

   Go when Morning, before the crowds and the afternoon showers.

   Local tip The steps and the rock are wet and slippery, so wear shoes with grip and keep behind the rails. Check ahead on access and on how much water is falling, since both change with the season.

   

   About 33 min by car or transit17.6 km
3. 2
   Morning

   Mineral del Chico Village

   A small mining village in a fold of the mountains, with stone lanes, old houses and a parish church, under cliffs and pines. Silver was worked here long before the Cornish arrived at Mineral del Monte. It lies a drive down the road from the town.

   Go when Morning, before the mist closes in.

   Local tip Walk the stone lanes slowly, since the village sits at altitude and the steps are steep. Hold a hot drink in the square and look up at the cliffs.

4. Lunch

   Trout from a mountain stream

   Trout grilled, fried or cooked in garlic and served with rice and tortillas, a dish of the cold streams and trout farms of the El Chico hills.

   Local tip Ask for it cooked whole and pick out the bones with care.

   

   About 23 min walk1.8 km
5. 3
   Afternoon

   Peña del Cuervo

   A rocky cliff in the park with a lookout over the village and the valley below. The edge is steep, so stay behind the rails and keep away in fog, high wind or wet weather. Check ahead on the road and on access.

   Go when Afternoon, if the sky is clear.

   Local tip Stay behind the rails and well back from the edge. Skip it in fog, wind or rain. The view is not guaranteed, since cloud often fills the valley.

6. Dinner

   Chicken broth with rice

   A warm bowl of chicken broth with rice, avocado and tortillas, a plain supper after a cold day in the pines.

   Local tip Squeeze lime over it and add chili slowly.