The five Franciscan missions of the Sierra Gorda are a very odd thing to find in the Mexican mountains: grand baroque churches, painted in pinks and yellows and covered in stone carvings, set in villages that are otherwise made of low houses and cornfields. San Miguel Conca is one of them. Father Junipero Serra, who would later found the missions of California, led the work here in the 1750s with the help of the local Pame people, and the facade of the church shows the mix of cultures that built it, with saints and angels carved beside local plants, mermaids and faces that look more indigenous than European. All five missions were listed as a World Heritage site in 2003.
The Sierra Gorda is a rugged wall of green folds running north from Queretaro towards San Luis Potosi, a place of cloud forest, deep canyons and caves, where the tropical lowlands of the Gulf meet the dry plateau of the centre, and the diversity of plants and birds is high. In the early morning, mist hangs in the valleys, and by noon the sun is hot. The village of Conca has a quiet plaza, a few shops and a smell of woodsmoke, and the church bells ring across the valley.
Riding here is a pleasure, and also a test. The roads are narrow, twisting and often steep, with sharp hairpins on the climbs, surface patches that vary from smooth to broken, and sometimes stray animals or fallen rock after rain. The highway from Jalpan toward Xilitla is a classic of its kind, with a rhythm of tight bends and long views. Stay away from the roads at night, when livestock and unlit trucks are a hazard, and go slowly where the road is wet. The best seasons are autumn and winter, when the air is clear and the heat is mild, while summer brings rain and landslides.
Fuel is a point to plan for. The nearest big town according to the map is San Ciro de Acosta, about thirty kilometres away, and Jalpan, the small town that serves as the mission region's centre, has stations and basic lodging. In the villages, services are simple but friendly, with tamales, tortillas and strong coffee on offer, and local people are happy to point the way. It is wise to carry some cash, since cards are not always accepted, and to fill up whenever you pass a station.