Former hacienda of Ciénega de Mata and Town of Pinos
Plan this ride
Recorded distance
273 km
Riding-time estimate
5 h 31
Journey
Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
273 km from La Presa to La Presa, about 5 h 31 of riding. The stops in between: Historic ensemble of the Town of Ojuelos, Bridge of Ojuelos, Chapel of San Nicolás Tolentino of the for and Town of Pinos. The stored terrain estimate reaches about 2,300 m; a measured road-elevation profile is not available. It suits an unhurried touring pace.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Former hacienda of Ciénega de Mata
On the high plains where Jalisco meets Aguascalientes, the village of Ciénega de Mata gathers around the remains of what was once one of the largest haciendas in New Spain. In the colonial period, the estate covered an enormous territory, with cattle, sheep and horses grazing over a territory measured in leagues rather than fields, and its owners were among the most powerful families of the region. The surviving buildings, including a chapel and parts of the main house and its walls, are listed as part of the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, the great colonial road that linked Mexico City with the far north. Haciendas like this were the backbone of the colonial economy, supplying food, animals and shelter to the endless traffic of the road.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Former hacienda of Ciénega de Mata is where the day begins. Next is Historic ensemble of the Town of Ojuelos.
2. Historic ensemble of the Town of Ojuelos
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.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Historic ensemble of the Town of Ojuelos comes up about 37 km into the recorded legs. Next is Bridge of Ojuelos.
3. Bridge of Ojuelos
The silver carts of the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro needed to cross streams on the high plain between Mexico City and Zacatecas, and at Ojuelos, in the northeast corner of Jalisco, a stone bridge was built in colonial times to carry the road. It is part of the World Heritage listing of the royal road, along with the historic centre of Ojuelos, which grew around a presidio, a fort built to protect travellers on the road from the Chichimec peoples who resisted Spanish expansion.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 60 km into the recorded legs you reach Bridge of Ojuelos. Next is Chapel of San Nicolás Tolentino of the for.
4. Chapel of San Nicolás Tolentino of the for
On the high plateau of southern Zacatecas, close to the border with San Luis Potosí, the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro passed through a dry landscape of grassland, yucca and nopal cactus, linking Mexico City with the silver mines of the north. Haciendas grew up along the way, and the former Hacienda of San Nicolás de Quijas, with its chapel dedicated to San Nicolás Tolentino, is one of the sites inscribed on the UNESCO list in 2010 as part of the royal road. The chapel, with its simple façade, bell gable and adobe walls, stands in a small village surrounded by fields and open range.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Chapel of San Nicolás Tolentino of the for, about halfway. Next is Town of Pinos.
5. Town of Pinos
Pinos was a silver town before most of Mexico had towns at all. Founded in the late sixteenth century, after silver was found in the hills, it grew into an important mining centre on the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, the royal road that ran north from Mexico City toward Santa Fe in New Mexico, carrying silver south and supplies and settlers north. The town is part of the UNESCO listing of the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, and it is also a designated Pueblo Mágico, with colonial churches, cobbled streets and old mining buildings.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
The route ends here after 273 km.
Leg by leg
Former hacienda of Ciénega de Mata to Historic ensemble of the Town of Ojuelos
Former hacienda of Ciénega de Mata → Historic ensemble of the Town of Ojuelos is 37 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Historic ensemble of the Town of Ojuelos to Bridge of Ojuelos
Historic ensemble of the Town of Ojuelos → Bridge of Ojuelos is 23 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Bridge of Ojuelos to Chapel of San Nicolás Tolentino of the for
Bridge of Ojuelos → Chapel of San Nicolás Tolentino of the for is 49 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Chapel of San Nicolás Tolentino of the for to Town of Pinos
Chapel of San Nicolás Tolentino of the for → Town of Pinos is 27 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Town of Pinos to back through Chapel of San Nicolás Tolentino of the for
Town of Pinos → back through Chapel of San Nicolás Tolentino of the for is 28 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Chapel of San Nicolás Tolentino of the for to back through Bridge of Ojuelos
back through Chapel of San Nicolás Tolentino of the for → back through Bridge of Ojuelos is 49 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Bridge of Ojuelos to back through Historic ensemble of the Town of Ojuelos
back through Bridge of Ojuelos → back through Historic ensemble of the Town of Ojuelos is 23 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Historic ensemble of the Town of Ojuelos to Former hacienda of Ciénega de Mata
back through Historic ensemble of the Town of Ojuelos → Former hacienda of Ciénega de Mata is 37 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.