On the high plateau of southern Zacatecas, close to the border with San Luis Potosí, the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro passed through a dry landscape of grassland, yucca and nopal cactus, linking Mexico City with the silver mines of the north. Haciendas grew up along the way, and the former Hacienda of San Nicolás de Quijas, with its chapel dedicated to San Nicolás Tolentino, is one of the sites inscribed on the UNESCO list in 2010 as part of the royal road. The chapel, with its simple façade, bell gable and adobe walls, stands in a small village surrounded by fields and open range.
The haciendas were the economic centres of colonial Mexico, with farms, workshops, chapels and housing for workers, and many have fallen into ruin since the land reforms of the twentieth century. Visiting them gives a sense of the scale and isolation of life on the frontier.
Pinos, about twenty kilometres away, is a mining town founded in the sixteenth century, perched at around 2,500 metres in the hills. It is a Pueblo Mágico, with colonial churches, old mines and cobbled streets, and it has fuel, shops and simple places to eat. The surrounding area is high, dry and windy, with cold nights even in summer, and the light is intense.
Riding here is about wide open spaces and long distances. The roads are mostly paved, straight or gently curving, with little traffic, but watch out for livestock, potholes and speed bumps at village entrances. Fuel stations can be far apart, so plan accordingly. The cities of Zacatecas, with its pink stone cathedral, and San Luis Potosí are both within a couple of hours' ride. Try gorditas, enchiladas zacatecanas and mezcal from the region. Spring and autumn are the best times, as summers bring storms and winters cold nights.