San Juan del Río grew up as a stop on the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, the royal road that ran north from Mexico City to the silver mines of Zacatecas and on to Santa Fe in New Mexico, and its historic centre is one of the sites along that route listed by UNESCO in 2010. For centuries, mule trains, wagons and travellers passed through here, stopping at inns and crossing the river on the stone bridge built in the early eighteenth century, which still stands. The centre has plazas, churches, convents and colonial houses of pink and grey stone, and a relaxed provincial atmosphere, despite the city's growth as an industrial centre.
San Juan del Río is known for its opals, mined in the surrounding hills and sold in shops around the centre, and for its basketry and wicker crafts. The nearby town of Tequisquiapan, about twenty kilometres north, is a Pueblo Mágico famous for its wine and cheese route, with vineyards, cheese makers and a lively square, and it holds a wine and cheese fair every year. Bernal, further north, sits beneath one of the largest monoliths in the world, the Peña de Bernal, a huge rock rising above the village.
The riding here is mostly on the high plateau, at around two thousand metres, with long, straight roads through farmland and dry hills. The federal highway 57, linking Mexico City with Querétaro, passes through San Juan del Río and is very busy with trucks, so it is better to take smaller roads where possible. The roads north to Tequisquiapan, Bernal and the Sierra Gorda offer more variety, climbing into the mountains with winding roads, forests and spectacular views. The climate is dry and temperate, with a rainy season in summer.
San Juan del Río has fuel, shops, restaurants and hotels, and all the services you need. Local food includes gorditas, barbacoa, cooked slowly in an underground pit and served on Sunday mornings, and the cheeses of the region, especially the fresh panela and aged varieties from Tequisquiapan. The city's market is a good place to try local specialities. Querétaro city, about fifty kilometres northwest, offers even more, with its aqueduct and colonial centre.