Sombrerete is a silver town in the northwest of Zacatecas, founded in the 1550s when Spanish prospectors found rich veins of ore in the hills. The name comes from a hill nearby shaped like a small hat. In the colonial era, Sombrerete's mines produced enormous wealth, and the town grew into an important stop on the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, the royal road linking Mexico City with the far north. That wealth built a remarkable collection of churches, convents and mansions, many in the pinkish local stone, and the historic ensemble is part of the UNESCO listing of the Camino Real. The Franciscan convent, the church of Santo Domingo, and the chapel of the Tercera Orden, with its unusual oval plan, are among the highlights. The town has a slightly faded, unhurried atmosphere, far from the tourist crowds of the more famous colonial cities.
The mining history is everywhere: old mine shafts on the hillsides, stone aqueducts, the haciendas where ore was processed. Mining continues in the region today, though on a smaller scale.
West of Sombrerete lies the Sierra de Órganos, a national park of strange rock formations that rise from the high plateau like the pipes of an organ, hence the name. The landscape has been used as a backdrop for many Western films, and it is easy to see why: pinnacles, boulders and mesas glowing red and gold in the evening light, with junipers and oaks among the rocks. Trails lead among the formations, and camping is possible.
The riding is high, dry and open. Sombrerete sits at over two thousand metres on the central plateau, and the roads cross wide valleys and low ranges, with long straights and sweeping bends. The main highway from Zacatecas to Durango passes through town, busy with trucks. Smaller roads lead into the mountains and to the Sierra de Órganos, with variable surfaces. Watch for livestock, topes and slow-moving vehicles. The climate is dry, with intense sun and cool nights; the rainy season, in summer, brings afternoon thunderstorms.
Sombrerete has fuel, mechanics and restaurants. Try gorditas, thick corn cakes stuffed with stews, and the local cheeses. Check the current travel advice for Zacatecas before you go, ride in daylight, and keep to main roads where possible.