North of the city of Querétaro, the land rises into dry hills dotted with cactus, mesquite and the remains of old haciendas. These estates were the economic engines of colonial Mexico, producing grain, livestock and pulque for the cities and mines of the north. The chapel of the former Hacienda of Buenavista stands in this landscape near the village of the same name, close to Santa Rosa Jáuregui, and it is part of the UNESCO-listed Camino Real de Tierra Adentro.
The Camino Real, the royal road of the interior, ran for more than two and a half thousand kilometres from Mexico City to what is now New Mexico, carrying silver south and settlers, missionaries and goods north for nearly three centuries. Haciendas and their chapels were waypoints on this route, and many have survived in various states of repair. The chapel at Buenavista is a modest building with a simple façade, typical of rural churches of the colonial era, where the hacienda's workers and families would have attended mass.
Querétaro itself is one of Mexico's most attractive colonial cities, its centre a World Heritage site in its own right, with a famous aqueduct and baroque churches. It played a central role in Mexican history: the conspiracy that led to the independence movement in 1810 was plotted here, the treaty ending the war with the United States was signed here in 1848, and the Emperor Maximilian was executed on the Cerro de las Campanas in 1867.
The riding north of Querétaro is a mix of highways and quieter rural roads. The route toward San Miguel de Allende and Dolores Hidalgo, the cradle of Mexican independence, passes through rolling hills and farmland. Traffic around Querétaro can be heavy, and Mexican roads have their own hazards: topes, the speed bumps found at the entrance to every village, potholes and livestock. Toll roads are generally better maintained and safer.
Santa Rosa Jáuregui, about nine kilometres away, has fuel and food, and Querétaro has everything. Local cuisine includes enchiladas queretanas and gorditas. The dry season, from November to May, is the best time to ride; the summer rains bring afternoon storms.