A free Puebloteca guide Querétaro's Pueblos Mágicos

Free Querétaro travel guide

All 7 of Querétaro's Pueblos Mágicos on one printable page. Free when you sign up for our weekly email.

All 7 Pueblos Mágicos, with a photo and what makes each special
A map of Querétaro with each one on it
Road trips that join the pueblos close together
The best months to go
How far each is from the nearest city
The sights not to miss
The fiestas worth planning around
The fiestas month by month
Where to stay in each
Made to print or save as a PDF

The 7 Pueblos Mágicos in this guide

Most visited first. The full guide adds the sights not to miss, the fiestas, how far each is by car, and a layout made to print.

1

Tequisquiapan

A colonial town in Querétaro with a pink-stone plaza and church at its center. It is a hub for the region's wine and cheese route and is known for wicker crafts and hot-air balloon flights.

When to go: Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov
2

Bernal

Bernal sits at the foot of the Peña de Bernal, one of the tallest monoliths in the world, which towers over its colorful streets. Visitors hike partway up the rock, eat gorditas in the plaza, and explore the surrounding Querétaro wine and cheese country.

When to go: Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov
3

Cadereyta

Cadereyta de Montes sits at the edge of Querétaro's semi-desert, where the plains begin to rise toward the Sierra Gorda. Its main plaza is anchored by the church of San Pedro and San Pablo, and the town is known for its cactus and desert plant collections, including the long-established Finca Schmoll greenhouse and several botanical gardens. There is also a planetarium, old haciendas in the countryside, and a local cuisine that people travel for.

When to go: Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov
4

Jalpan

Jalpan de Serra sits in the heart of Querétaro's Sierra Gorda, a green and mountainous ecological zone. Its centerpiece is the Santiago Apóstol mission, the first of the five Franciscan missions of the Sierra Gorda that UNESCO listed as World Heritage in 2003, with a facade where Pame and Catholic imagery mix. The tree-filled plaza in front is the town's meeting place, and across the street a 16th century fort houses the Sierra Gorda history museum. Jalpan is also the usual base for visiting the other missions.

When to go: Jan, Feb, Mar, Dec
5

Pinal de Amoles

Pinal de Amoles is a small mountain town high in Querétaro's Sierra Gorda, inside the biosphere reserve. Its narrow cobbled streets climb and twist past houses painted red, ochre and yellow with bright balconies, and fog often rolls in from the surrounding pine forest. People come for cabins in the woods, canyons and waterfalls, the Sunday tianguis, and local food like cecina, pan de pulque and fruit liqueurs.

When to go: Feb, Mar, Apr, May
6

Amealco

Amealco is a cool highland town in the south of Querétaro and the home of the Otomí rag doll, stitched from poplin and bright ribbons by women of the surrounding communities. The Doll Museum and the crafts house show them alongside embroidery and weaving. Around the plaza stand the neoclassical church of Santa María and a market where turkey mole is the local dish, and beyond town there are forests for camping, mountain bike trails on Cerro de los Gallos, and Otomí villages such as Santiago Mexquititlán and San Ildefonso Tultepec.

When to go: Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov
7

San Joaquín

San Joaquín is a small mountain town high in Querétaro's Sierra Gorda, where brightly painted houses stand among pines and oaks. It is known for its mining past and as the home of huapango: every April since 1970 it has hosted the National Huapango Contest. Visitors hike, bike and camp at Campo Alegre, walk to the Maravillas waterfalls, tour the Los Herrera cave, and explore the Ranas archaeological site.

When to go: Feb, Mar, Apr, May