San Martín is a small farming town on the high plateau of western Zacatecas, a dozen or so kilometres from the old mining city of Sombrerete, and at its heart stands a colonial church dedicated to San Pantaleón Mártir. The building, with a sturdy stone facade, a bell tower and a cool, simple interior, is one of the sites listed as part of the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, the colonial road that ran north from Mexico City through the silver country to New Mexico. Churches like this one marked the stopping places along the route, and they served the small communities of farmers, muleteers and miners who lived in this harsh, beautiful landscape.
Sombrerete was founded in the sixteenth century once silver was found in its hills, and it grew into one of the richest mining towns of New Spain, with grand churches and mansions paid for by the mines. It still has a well-preserved centre and is one of Mexico's designated Pueblos Mágicos. The Sierra de Órganos, a strange landscape of rock towers and pinnacles used in many western films, lies a short ride to the west and is worth a detour. The whole region feels like the edge of the frontier, which for centuries it was.
The riding is high-plateau riding at its best. The roads are long and mostly straight, crossing open country at well over two thousand metres, with mesquite, cactus and grassland stretching toward the mountains. Federal Highway 45, the main road through the region, follows the old Camino Real route in places and carries heavy truck traffic, so the secondary roads are more relaxing. The sun is strong, the air thin and dry, and the wind can be fierce across the open land. Afternoon thunderstorms in the rainy season can be spectacular, but they can also make roads slippery and visibility poor.
San Martín itself is small, with a few shops and basic services, so plan to refuel in Sombrerete, which has a population of over twenty thousand and offers fuel, restaurants and accommodation. Zacatecan food is hearty: try asado de boda, a pork stew in a rich chilli sauce, and gorditas filled with all kinds of stews. Stop by the church, pause in the plaza under the trees, and enjoy the quiet of a town that has watched travellers pass for centuries without making much fuss about it.