High desert stretches away in every direction here, dotted with yucca, nopal cactus and mesquite, under a sky that seems twice as big as anywhere else. For centuries the Wixárika have made pilgrimages from their homeland in the Sierra Madre Occidental across these plains to Wirikuta, the sacred desert near Real de Catorce, stopping at springs, hills and other holy places along the way. This is one of those places, a spot that matters in their ritual geography even if, to an outsider, it looks like empty desert.
That is worth keeping in mind. Sacred sites for the Wixárika are not tourist attractions, and pilgrims leave offerings, candles and arrows that should never be disturbed. Visit quietly, respect any signs or local guidance, and leave nothing behind but tyre tracks on the road.
The riding on the altiplano is about distance and space. Roads are long, straight and mostly well paved, crossing open plains at altitudes of around two thousand metres, with mountains rising on the horizon. Traffic is light, but trucks, buses and livestock are common, and topes, the Mexican speed bumps, appear without warning at the edges of villages. Wind can be strong, and sun and dryness are relentless, so carry water and protect your skin.
Salinas de Hidalgo, about twenty-six kilometres away, is the main town, with fuel, food and basic lodging. As its name suggests, it has a long history of salt production from the nearby salt lakes, which supplied the silver mines of the colonial era with salt used in refining. Smaller villages nearby have little more than a store and perhaps a taco stand.
Local food is simple and hearty: gorditas filled with beans or meat, enchiladas potosinas with their red-tinted dough, and cold drinks from village shops. Come in the dry season, from November to April, when days are warm and nights cool, sometimes cold. The light at dawn and dusk turns the desert gold and violet, and the silence is deep. Give the place the respect it is owed, and it will give you one of the purest open-road experiences in Mexico.