HappeningDry weather returns, with clear skies and cool nights. The International Pasty Festival is held in Mineral del Monte around this time (dates vary). A good month for the cliffs.
From average weather, 2021 to 2025: days that are warm but not hot, with few rainy days, score highest. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
Arrival day
Before Day 1. Mineral del Monte is your base for all three nights, and the forest and the gorge are day trips by road.Details
The drive in
Most visitors fly into Mexico City and drive north east, about two hours in light traffic and longer when the city roads are busy. Book a driver or a ride ahead, leave early, and expect winding mountain road for the last stretch.
Cold and mist
The town sits at about 2,700 metres, so it is cool, damp and often misty all year, with cold nights. Pack a warm coat, a waterproof layer and shoes with grip. Take the first day gently, since the thin air tires some people.
Moving about
The middle of the town is small and hilly, so it is a walk of slow steps. The forest of El Chico and the gorge near Huasca each need a car or a hired driver, so arrange one for Days 2 and 3 and check the roads on the day.
Settling in
Day 1 starts at the old silver mine just north of the square, so settle in, find a hot drink and take an easy walk up and down the main street first.
How much walking? On foot, about 0.1 to 1.3 kilometers a day, and 87.1 kilometers by car or transit in all across 6 days. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.
Day 1. Mineral del Monte
2 stops · 0.9 km on foot
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
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 whenMorning, 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 12 min walk0.9 km
2
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 whenAfternoon, 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.
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.
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.
If it rains. Museo de Sitio Mina de Acosta is covered, so keep it. Move English Cemetery to a dry day if you can.
Day 2. Mineral del Monte, part 2
2 stops · under 0.1 km on foot
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
1
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 whenMidday, 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.
A small museum in an old house beside the main square of Mineral del Monte, on the story of the town and its mining past.
Go whenMidday, as an indoor stop.
Local tip A small museum in an old house a step from the square, on the story of the town. Check ahead on the opening and on what is shown.
If it rains. Museo Casa Grande is covered, so keep it. Move Mineral del Monte Main Square to a dry day if you can.
Day 3. Mineral del Monte, part 3
2 stops · 1.3 km on foot
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
1
Morning
Parque Pedro Romero de Terreros
A park at the lower edge of Mineral del Monte named for the Count of Regla, the mine owner who built up the silver trade of the town in the 1700s.
Go whenMorning, for a quiet walk.
Local tip A park at the lower edge of town named for the Count of Regla, who built up the silver trade here. The ground is damp, so wear shoes with grip.
About 16 min walk1.3 km
2
MiddayIndoor
Museo del Paste
A small museum in Mineral del Monte on the story of the pasty, the baked parcel brought by the Cornish miners and now part of the food of the whole state.
Go whenMidday, as an indoor stop.
Local tip A small museum on the story of the Cornish pasty in Mexico, a good wet weather stop. Check ahead on the opening.
If it rains. Museo del Paste is covered, so keep it. Move Parque Pedro Romero de Terreros to a dry day if you can.
Day 4. Huasca de Ocampo and Mineral del Chico
4 stops · 0.5 km on foot, 47.9 km by car or transit
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
Travel from Museo del PasteAbout 32 min by car or transit16.5 km
Where Day 3 ended.
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 whenMorning, 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.
An old estate near the gorge, built in the 1700s by the Count of Regla to refine the silver ore brought from Mineral del Monte. Parts of it are now a hotel, so look at the old walls from the road or the gate, and check ahead on access.
Go whenMidday, on the way between the gorge and the town.
Local tip Parts of the estate are a hotel, so do not expect to walk in. Look at the old stone walls from the road, and check ahead on whether any part is open to visitors.
Lunch
Barbacoa de borrego
Lamb slow cooked until tender and served in tortillas with onion, coriander and a bowl of the rich broth, a speciality of the Hidalgo hills.
Local tip Take the broth with a squeeze of lime, and ask for it mild.
About 32 min by car or transit16.7 km
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 whenAfternoon, 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.
About 30 min by car or transit14.7 km
4
Afternoon
Huasca de Ocampo Main Plaza
The small garden square of Huasca, a mountain town of tiled roofs and painted walls, with benches, trees and a parish church close by. A pleasant place to sit with a hot drink after the gorge.
Go whenLate afternoon, when the lanes are quiet.
Local tip A small town square, good for a hot drink and a bench. Walk a block or two off it to see the painted walls and tiled roofs.
Dinner
Quesadillas and hot chocolate
Folded corn tortillas filled with cheese or mushrooms, with a mug of hot chocolate, a warm supper in a cool mountain town.
Local tip Ask what fillings are fresh that day, and eat them hot.
If it rains. Everything today is outdoors, so swap this day with a drier one if you can.
Day 5. Mineral del Chico
4 stops · 0.9 km on foot, 21.9 km by car or transit
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
Travel from Huasca de Ocampo Main PlazaAbout 31 min by car or transit16.1 km
Where Day 4 ended.
1
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 whenMorning, 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.
About 12 min walk0.9 km
2
Midday
El Chico National Park
A mountain park of pine and fir forest above the village, with trails, picnic spots and rocky peaks. The air is cold and often misty, and the forest can be wet underfoot, so take a layer and keep to marked paths.
Go whenLate morning, when the mist often lifts.
Local tip Keep to marked paths and tell your driver or host where you are going. Fog can come down fast and the ground is slick after rain. Check ahead on access and on the weather.
A group of tall rock pillars on a ridge near Mineral del Chico, among the pines, named for their shapes, which look like a row of figures.
Go whenAfternoon, while the path is dry.
Local tip A group of tall rocks on a ridge near the village. The ground is steep and uneven, so wear shoes with grip, stay off wet rock and check ahead on access.
About 11 min by car or transit3.3 km
4
Evening
Las Ventanas
A rock formation of the park with openings like windows, among the pines, with a view across the forest. It is reached from the road with some walking on uneven ground, so take shoes with grip and check ahead on access and conditions.
Go whenEarly afternoon, while the path is dry.
Local tip Bring shoes with grip and keep to the path, since the rock is uneven and slick when wet. Check ahead on access, and do not go in fog.
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.
If it rains. Everything today is outdoors, so swap this day with a drier one if you can.
Day 6. Pachuca
4 stops · 0.2 km on foot, 17.3 km by car or transit
Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.
Travel from Las VentanasAbout 17 min by car or transit6.4 km
Where Day 5 ended.
1
Morning
Monumental Clock of Pachuca
A tall clock tower of white stone on the main square of Pachuca, the state capital, a short drive down the hill from Mineral del Monte, with the old centre of the city around it.
Go whenMorning, as a first look at Pachuca.
Local tip A tall clock tower on the main square of the state capital, a short drive down from Mineral del Monte. Keep your bag in front of you in the crowd.
A football museum in Pachuca, the city where Cornish miners are said to have brought the game to Mexico in the 1800s.
Go whenMidday, as an indoor stop.
Local tip A football museum in Pachuca, a city where Cornish miners are said to have brought the game to Mexico. Check ahead on the opening.
About 15 min by car or transit5.3 km
4
Midday
Museo de la Fotografía
A photography museum in the old centre of Pachuca, near the main square, with changing exhibitions and a national archive of images.
Go whenMidday, as an indoor stop.
Local tip A photography museum in the old centre of Pachuca, a good stop on a wet day. Check ahead on the opening and on the exhibitions.
If it rains. Pachuca Mining Museum, Soccer Hall of Fame and Museo de la Fotografía are covered, so keep them. Move Monumental Clock of Pachuca to a dry day if you can.
Departure day
After the last day. The road back to Mexico City and its airport winds at first and then fills with traffic, so leave plenty of time.Details
Back down the hill
Book your driver the day before and start a good few hours before any flight. The mountain road can be slow in fog, and the highway into the capital clogs on Sunday evenings and at the end of a holiday weekend.
Pasties to carry
A pasty is best eaten the day it is baked, so eat one before you set off and keep any you take in your hand luggage. Check with your airline before you pack food, since rules differ.
If you have an hour
Walk once more around the square, under the pines at the edge of town, with a hot chocolate, or look in at the English cemetery on the hill for a last quiet view.
Questions people ask
When is the best time to visit Mineral del Monte?
By average weather from 2021 to 2025, January to May and October to December are the most comfortable months for walking around Mineral del Monte. This plan is built for october, which is one of the best months. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
How many days does this plan cover?
It covers 6 days in Mineral del Monte, planned for october. Each day is built around a small number of stops, with room to rest.
Who is this plan for?
It was planned for most travelers. The pace and the places reflect that, so check it fits how you travel.
Is anything on this plan booked?
No. Places marked "book ahead" need a reservation. Hours, prices and availability change, so confirm before you go.
Can I plan my own days like this?
Yes. Archie drafts a day by day plan for your dates and takes your pace, the weather and who is travelling into account. You can start one from the Archie app.
Can I change this plan?
Yes. It is a starting point you can change to fit your own trip: swap a place, add a day or move the pace.
How much walking is there?
On foot, about 0.1 to 1.3 kilometers a day, and 87.1 kilometers by car or transit in all across 6 days. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.
4 days of getting happily lost in Mexico CityAbout 100 km awayAn easy add-on
3 days of mole, tiles and a pyramid in Puebla and CholulaAbout 140 km away
5 days of Franciscan missions and mountain riversAbout 140 km away.jpg){kind=link}
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