The 15 things you cannot miss or do in the beautiful Magic Town of Queretaro Tequis.
1. Stay comfortably
The comfortable hotel infrastructure of Tequis has been conceived in accordance with the atmosphere and the wine tradition of the Magic Town, so that you feel at ease both in the hotel and in the places of interest. The Hotel Río Tequisquiapan is an accommodation located in the Niños Héroes 33 walkway where you will find yourself in the middle of cozy gardens and green areas, with total tranquility. On Calle Morelos 12 is the Hotel Boutique La Granja, a lodging with first-class services and conveniently located in the center. La Casona is located on the old road to Sauz 55, where you will receive careful attention in a very clean place. There are also other accommodation options in Tequis, such as Hotel Maridelfi, Hotel La Plaza de Tequisquiapan, Hotel Villa Florencia and Best Western Tequisquiapan.
2. Visit the main buildings in the historic center
The central square of Tequisquiapan is named after Miguel Hidalgo and is between Calles Independencia and Morelos. It is surrounded by the most emblematic buildings of the city, such as the Church of Santa María de la Asunción and large houses with the typical hospitable portals of the town. Around the central square there are places where you can sit and enjoy a coffee or a snack.
The parochial temple of the Virgen de la Asunción, in front of the Plaza Hidalgo, is dedicated to the invocation of the Virgen de los Dolores. The pink and white tones of its neoclassical facade give the building elegance and beauty. Inside the church, the chapels of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and of San Martín de Torres stand out.
3. Enjoy the Cheese and Wine Route
Tequis is located in the wine-growing area of the Mexican shoal. In the Route of Cheese and Wine of Tequis there are wineries with great tradition, as well as companies with years of experience in the transformation of the creamy milks of the region into the best cheeses. Some names that have already made history in the local dairy industry are Quesos VAI, Bocanegra, Quesería Néole and Quesos Flor de Alfalfa. The most prestigious names in the breeding of the nectar of the gods are La Redonda, Viñedos Los Rosales, Finca Sala Vivé and Viñedos Azteca. In Tequis you have an operator that will optimize your time on a tour of the vineyard and cheese route. It is about Travel and Wine Tourism, which has guided walks through different options of wineries and cheese shops. The tours include tastings of the best wines, accompanied by excellent cheeses and artisan bread.
4. Tour the Cheese and Wine Museum and attend the National Cheese and Wine Fair
In this museum located in the historic center of Tequisquiapan, behind the temple of the Virgen de la Asunción, you can take an entertaining educational walk through the history of wine, learning about the ancient implements and tools that were used in the elaboration of the biblical drink. from harvesting and pressing the grapes to packaging. You will have the same knowledge of the art of making cheeses, both fresh and ripe, and other dairy specialties.
The best time to get to know Tequis is during the National Cheese and Wine Fair, held regularly between the end of May and the beginning of June. There are tastings, tastings, concerts, tours of wineries and cheese factories, musical and cultural shows, and learning workshops. It is an excellent opportunity for you to become an expert in these two gastronomic delights, while having a great time.
5. Get to know the Mexico I Love Museum and the Living Museum
They are two other museum experiences, curious and fun, that you cannot miss in Tequisquiapan. The Museo México Me Encanta exhibits popular prints of Mexican life through small-scale figures. There you can admire, for example, a Mexican funeral or a quesadilla vendor. Both the figurines and their wardrobe are beautifully made. This picturesque museum is located on Calle 5 de Mayo N ° 11 downtown.
The Living Museum began as an environmental project headed by a group of women ecologists who set themselves the task of recovering the banks of the city's river for the enjoyment of locals and visitors. Large juniper trees grow on the banks of the river, shading paths along which it is a delight to walk or ride a bike.
6. Enjoy La Pila Park
It receives its name from a large basin that was the main point of arrival and supply of water for the inhabitants, which was carried from the nearby springs through an old aqueduct built during the viceregal era. Currently La Pila is a park with streams and small bodies of water where people go to walk, rest and have picnics. Lovers of sculpture and history can admire images of Fray Junípero Serra and Emiliano Zapata; there is also a roundabout dedicated to the Niños Héroes. In La Pila Park, public shows and various cultural events are held.
7. Take a photo at the Monument to the Geographical Center
Various sites in Mexico vie for the privilege of being the mere central point of the country. The hydrocalids claim that it is the city of Aguascalientes and there was even a plaque that indicated it. The people of Guanajuato say that the national center is located in the Cerro del Cubilete. Defining where the geographic center of an irregularly shaped territory is is somewhat complicated, but the only place that boasts such honor through a monument is Tequisquiapan. It was Venustiano Carranza himself who decreed in 1916 that Tequis was the center of the Mexican Republic, we do not know if after consulting a geographer or surveyor, and now the allusive monument is a point of tourist interest. The monument is in the historic center, on Calle Niños Héroes.
8. Visit the Opal Mines
Opal is a stone of great beauty that has been worked since ancient times by Mexican goldsmiths, carvers, and artisans, turning it into beautiful ornaments and objects for practical use. In La Trinidad, a community located 10 minutes from Tequis, an open-pit opal mine is in operation that we recommend you visit through a guided tour. There you will be able to observe the place where the beautiful variety called fire opal is extracted, with a great capacity for light irradiation. In addition, you can pick up a piece of unpolished opal to take as a souvenir. You will also visit the carving and polishing workshop, where you can buy a finished piece. Likewise, you can buy these and other souvenirs in the Craft Tourist Market located near the entrance of the town, in the Handicraft Market in the center of town, and in shops in the town.
9. Get to know Tequisquiapan from the air
The places offer from the heights some perspectives impossible to appreciate from land. Balloon trips have become fashionable for their safety and comfort and in Tequis you can do several formidable rides with the Vuela en Globo operator. You can fly over the vineyards and cheese shops, the Peña de Bernal and other places of interest. The trip lasts between 45 minutes and an hour and you can book a private flight or go on an open one. Departures are generally early in the morning, to take advantage of the optimal weather conditions.
Now that if what you want is something stronger, look for Flying and Living, who rides you on an ultralight to fly over Tequis, Bernal, the Opal Mines, the Zimapan Dam and the Sierra Gorda. The flights depart from the Isaac Castro Sehade aerodrome in Tequis. All trips include flight insurance. Don't forget your mobile or your camera.
10. Relax in the water parks and temazcales
At km. 10 of the road to Ezequiel Montes is the Termas del Rey Water Park, the most complete in Tequis, with slides, swimming pools, children's pools, wading pools, palapas, grills and sports courts. The most daring prefer the highest slide, called Torre del Rey, while the most fun is the Tornado, due to the number of laps it takes. Another local water park is Fantasía Acuática, also on the way to Ezequiel Montes.
If what you prefer is the relaxation of the temazcales, in Tequis you can expel bad humors and purify your body with this ancient steam cure of pre-Hispanic medicine. In houses like Tres Marías, located on Calle Las Margaritas 42; Tonatiu Iquzayampa, in Amado Nervo 7; and Casa Gayatri TX, located in Circunvalación N ° 8, Colonia Santa Fe, give you everything you need to feel like new in body and soul. For example, Mayan massages, peels with walnut shell and beeswax, cleanses with mud and snail slime, aromatherapy and chakra alignment.
11. Get to know the Magic Town of Bernal
Only 35 km. from Tequisquiapan is also the Queretaro Magical Town of Bernal, with its famous rock, the third largest monolith in the world, only surpassed by the famous Sugarloaf in front of the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro and the Rock of Gibraltar, in the entrance of the Mediterranean Sea. The huge Tequis stone is 288 meters high and emerged 10 million years ago. La Peña de Bernal is one of the Mexican sanctuaries for the exciting sport of climbing, being frequented by climbers of national and international stature. On the day of the spring equinox, a festival of ancestral reminiscences with mystical and religious components is held at the rock. Other places of interest in Bernal are the parish temple of San Sebastián, El Castillo and the curious Museum of the Mask.
12. Visit San Juan del Río
This is the second largest city in the state and is only 20 km from Tequisquiapan, with a beautiful architectural heritage. Among the civil buildings of San Juan del Río the Plaza de los Fundadores, the Plaza de la Independencia and the Puente de la Historia stand out. The most outstanding religious buildings are the Temple and former convent of Santo Domingo, the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Church of the Lord of Sacromonte. In San Juan del Río it is also worth visiting the old haciendas that were founded near the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro from the seventeenth century.
13. Meet Cadereyta
One of the entrances to the Sierra Gorda de Querétaro is the small town of Cadereyta, very close to Tequisquiapan. There, attractions such as the Cactaceae Museum, botanical gardens, several farms and buildings in the historic center await you, particularly those with religious architecture. Strolling through Cadereyta is a delight for its cozy streets lined with colonial houses and its natural spaces with vineyards and dams. Fans of hiking, archeology and speleology will enjoy its caves and pre-Hispanic sites.
14. Delight yourself with the culinary art of Tequis
In Tequis, all you have to do is buy a few pieces of cheese, a couple of bottles of wine and a few loaves of good artisan bread to make a practical, delicious and unforgettable dinner. If you want something more elaborate, you can order a succulent turkey mole, a lamb barbecue or some pork carnitas, with a good garnish of gorditas flavored with corn and some beef chicharrones to make stomach while the main course arrives. Bernal's famous custards are also highly appreciated in Tequis and other nearby towns. Among the main restaurants in Tequisquiapan are Uva y Tomate, and K puchinos Restaurante Bar. If you fancy a good pizza, you should go to Bashir. Rincón Austríaco is run by its own owner and pastry chef, who prepares a delicious strudel. Sushi lovers have Godzilla, but don't expect monster servings.
15. Have fun at their traditional festivals
Apart from the commented National Cheese and Wine Fair, Tequis has other festive dates that are an excellent occasion to visit the Magic Town. The anniversary of the city is June 24, whose celebration begins with a religious act in the Magdalena neighborhood, the scene of the first mass in the history of the town. August 15 is the peak day of the patron saint festivities in honor of the Virgin of the Assumption, a festival that harmoniously mixes Christian and pre-Columbian events. The Magdalena neighborhood dresses up on September 8 to honor its eponymous saint.
