By María Ruiz
Perhaps many of us have the idea that Mexico is only desert and that to enjoy beautiful forests we have to travel to other countries. But we don’t. In Mexico we have a great variety of vegetation including coniferous, broadleaf, and mesophyll forests. It is enough to go to the mountains of Guanajuato or Querétaro to find some of this vegetation.
But now I want to tell you about a beautiful municipality in the state of Hidalgo: Mineral del Chico, a mining town in the mountains. From San Miguel it is about 300 km—a four-hour drive. To get there you have to take the highway to Queretaro, join route 57D, pass the Palmillas toll booth, enter the Arco Norte, get to Pachuca and then continue for 33 km until you get to “El Chico.” In this last part you will enjoy incredible and beautiful landscapes so you better take out your camera and take some pictures.
This is an ideal destination for ecotourism thanks to the diversity of activities you can do:
- Visit El Chico National Park, hike, or mountain bike through 2,739 hectares of forest.
- Inside El Chico National Park you will find the Peña del Cuervo viewpoint a magnificent place to admire the natural beauty of the area.
- If you like rappelling, hiking, or sport fishing El Cedral Recreational Park is the perfect place.
- You can also find activities such as zip-lining and mountain climbing.
- Don’t miss the opportunity to visit the San Antonio Mine, one of the oldest in the region and where silver was extracted.
- On the other hand, if you want a quieter walk, you can stroll through the beautiful streets of the village, buy regional handicrafts, and let yourself be conquered by a delicious cup of coffee in the square.
To sleep, there are several options: you can choose a beautiful cabin in the surroundings or stay in a hotel. To eat, barbacoa and pastes are the stars of the place. If you go in the rainy season or in autumn-winter don’t forget to dress warmly!
I am sure that, if you are a forest lover like me, you will love this beautiful place.
