Ojuelos de Jalisco lies on the high, dry plateau where Jalisco meets Aguascalientes, Zacatecas and Guanajuato, at over two thousand metres, a land of grassland, nopal cactus, mesquite and wide horizons. The town owes its existence to the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, the royal road that carried silver north from the mines of Zacatecas and supplies from Mexico City, eventually reaching all the way to Santa Fe in what is now New Mexico. UNESCO listed a series of sites along the road in 2010, including the historic ensemble of Ojuelos.
In the sixteenth century, this stretch of the road was dangerous country, contested during the long Chichimeca War between Spanish settlers and the nomadic peoples of the plateau. Ojuelos began as a presidio, a fortified outpost to protect the caravans, and the old fort still stands near the centre, alongside a stately church and plaza. Around the town, haciendas grew up to raise cattle and grain, and some of them, including Ciénega de Mata, are part of the same listing. The sky here is enormous, with clear dry air and afternoon clouds building into towering thunderheads in the summer rainy season.
The roads across the plateau are mostly long and straight, with gentle grades and wide views, linking towns such as Lagos de Moreno, Aguascalientes and San Luis Potosí. Watch for topes, the speed bumps that guard every village, sometimes unmarked, as well as livestock and slow trucks. Toll roads, the cuotas, are faster and generally safer, while free roads can be rough. Daytime riding is strongly advised, and it pays to check local conditions before travelling.
Ojuelos has around twelve thousand people and fuel, shops and simple restaurants. The region is ranching country, so expect excellent beef, cheese and dairy, and in the plaza you may find birria or tacos al pastor. Evenings are cool even in summer and cold in winter, so bring a warm layer, and if you arrive at dusk, watch the light turn the plateau gold and the church stone pink before the stars come out.