Lagos de Moreno is a colonial town in the highlands of Jalisco, the Altos, on the old Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, the Royal Road of the Interior Land that linked Mexico City to Santa Fe, in what is now New Mexico. For three centuries, silver, mercury, goods and people travelled along it, and towns grew up at its stopping points. Lagos de Moreno was one of the most important, and its historic centre is part of the UNESCO listing of the Camino Real, inscribed in 2010. The town has handsome churches, including a baroque parish church with an elaborately carved façade of pink stone, mansions with wrought-iron balconies, a theatre and a hospital from the colonial era.
The town's most famous monument is a stone bridge over the river Lagos, built in the nineteenth century. According to a local story, the bridge was finished long before people were allowed to use it, and someone posted a sign saying, in effect, that this bridge was built in Lagos and is crossed from above, a dry joke that the townspeople still enjoy. Lagos also takes pride in being a cradle of the charro tradition, the Mexican horseman culture, with its elaborate costumes and competitions, and the Altos de Jalisco are known for their cattle ranches, dairy products and conservative, Catholic culture.
The landscape is high plateau, around two thousand metres, with rolling hills, mesquite, nopal cacti and farmland. The air is clear and dry, the sun intense, and the nights cool. The rainy season, from June to September, turns the hills green.
The riding is good. The roads through the Altos de Jalisco connect colonial towns like San Juan de los Lagos, a major pilgrimage centre, Teocaltiche and Encarnación de Díaz, with long, open bends and wide views. The main highway between León and Aguascalientes passes nearby, busy with trucks. The surface is generally good on the main roads, but topes, the Mexican speed bumps, appear without warning at the entrance to every village, and livestock may be on the road.
Lagos de Moreno has fuel, mechanics and plenty of restaurants. Try birria, a spicy stew of goat or beef, and the local dairy sweets. Check current travel advice for Jalisco before you go, ride in daylight, and use toll highways where possible.