On the high, dry plain northeast of Querétaro, the village of Chichimequillas grew up around an old hacienda, one of the many great estates that lined the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, the Royal Inland Road that connected Mexico City with Santa Fe, in what is now New Mexico, for nearly three centuries. Silver, mercury, cloth, livestock, missionaries and soldiers travelled this route, and haciendas like this one supplied food, water and rest. The route was listed by UNESCO in 2010 as a series of sites, and the hacienda is one of them; its old buildings, chapel and walls hint at the wealth and power once concentrated here.
The name comes from the Chichimecas, the semi-nomadic peoples of the northern frontier whom the Spanish fought for decades. The Bajío, as this fertile highland region is called, became the breadbasket of New Spain and later the cradle of Mexican independence. Querétaro, the state capital, played a leading role in the conspiracy of 1810, saw Emperor Maximilian executed on the Cerro de las Campanas in 1867 and hosted the drafting of the Mexican Constitution of 1917. Its historic centre, with a long colonial aqueduct, baroque churches and lively plazas, is also on the UNESCO list.
The riding on the plateau is wide open. At around nineteen hundred metres, the air is thin and clear, and the roads cross farmland, scrub and low hills with long straights and gentle curves. Traffic can be heavy near Querétaro, which has grown into a major industrial city, but the back roads are quieter. Watch for topes, the speed bumps found in every village, and for stray dogs and livestock. The dry season, from October to May, is the best time to ride, with sunny days and cool nights; in the rainy season, expect afternoon thunderstorms.
Chichimequillas itself is a small village with basic shops. The nearest town with full services is Amazcala, about ten kilometres away, and Querétaro has everything. Try gorditas, thick corn cakes stuffed with various fillings, or enchiladas queretanas, served with potatoes and carrots. The region also produces wine and cheese, especially around Tequisquiapan and Ezequiel Montes to the east.