Real del Monte, also known as Mineral del Monte, is a cute Magic Town of the Mexican state of Hidalgo. We present you its complete tourist guide so that you do not miss any attraction of this Magical Town of Hidalgo.
1. Where is Real del Monte located?
Real del Monte is the head of the Hidalgo municipality of the same name and is located in the south-central area of the state, very close to Pachuca de Soto. He lived from the mining of precious metals, which allowed him to erect beautiful buildings that were the main reason for being designated a Magic Town. The capital of Hidalgo is only 20 km away. from Real del Monte and many people who visit the town use the infrastructure of tourist services of Pachuca. Mexico City is also very close, only 131 km. Heading north from the capital on Highway 85D. Other cities near Real del Monte are Puebla (157 km.), Toluca (190 km.), Querétaro (239 km.) And Xalapa (290 km.).
2. How did the town arise?
The deposits of gold, silver, copper and other metals in the current territory of Real del Monte were already known in pre-Hispanic times by the Toltecs and later by the Mexica. The first Hispanic settlement was called Real del Monte; "Real" by the Spanish crown and "del Monte", for being located in the Sierra de Pachuca, at 2,760 meters above sea level. The exploitation of the great silver veins began in the 18th century with the mines and companies of Pedro Romero de Terreros. In the 19th century the English arrived, bringing the steam engine, pastes and soccer to the area. Although the official name of the town is Mineral del Monte, it is generally known as Real del Monte.
3. What weather awaits me in Real del Monte?
The altitude above 2,700 meters above sea level gives Real del Monte a great climate that will allow you to feel comfortable and relaxed for your walks and to enjoy restaurants, bars and other places of interest. The average annual temperature varies between 12 and 13 ° C, and in the less cold months, which are April and May, it does not reach 15 ° C on average, although there may be times when "it is hot" because the thermometers read 22 ° C. There can also be extreme cold, close to 2 ° C, so you cannot forget a good jacket and appropriate clothing. In Real del Monte 870 mm of rain fall per year, mainly between June and September; then it rains a little in May and October and in the remaining months there is almost no rainfall.
4. What to visit in Real del Monte?
The architecture of Real del Monte is dominated by its sloping streets and alleys and the large houses built during the mining boom times. These include the Casa del Conde de Regla, the Casa Grande and the Portal del Comercio. As testimony, both of the splendor and the decadence, are the Acosta Mine, the site mining museums and the Museum of Occupational Medicine. Some monuments, such as the one commemorating the first strike in America and the one dedicated to the anonymous miner, recall the suffering of local workers. In the religious architectural landscape, the Parish of Our Lady of the Rosary, the Chapel of the Lord of Zelontla and the English Pantheon stand out. The tasty note is given by the Real del Monte festivities and the culinary tradition of pastes.
5. What is the town like?
Real del Monte is a town with the trace of the old mining towns, which were being formed according to the construction needs around the exploited mines. In the Main Square located in the center of the town, the mestizo style and the English influence contributed by the British culture of the administrators and technicians of the mines coexist. On the steep slopes, some interesting buildings have survived, located in front of the Main Square and in other streets of the town.
6. What is the interest of the House of the Count of Regla?
The Spanish nobleman Pedro Romero de Terreros, Count of Regla, was probably the richest man of his time in Mexico, thanks to the Pachuca and Real del Monte mines. In the middle of the 18th century, Don Pedro bought this immense house from the San Bernardo school of nuns, next to the San Felipe Neri oratory. It was known as the Casa de la Plata, since the Count of Regla filled it with a large number of objects of this precious metal. The upper floor of the house was for private rooms and the lower floor for services (patio, stables, barn, garage). The documentation left by the Count of Regla in the house allowed us to know several of the customs of the time in Real del Monte.
7. What is the Big House?
The Casa Grande was an important residential building erected by commission of the powerful Company of Adventurers of the Mines, during the mining boom of Real del Monte, serving first as a rest house for the Count of Regla and later as a lodging for the highest level personnel of the mines. It is a solid house in the Spanish style, which stands out for the wide interior patio with colonnade and the Baroque decorative motifs. It lost its original spirit when it was transformed to make it more functional during a period when it was home to educational institutes, but it regained its former glory thanks to a recent restoration.
8. What is the Commerce Portal like?
Next to the temple of Nuestra Señora del Rosario there is a building that was the main commercial center of the old Real del Monte. It was owned by the wealthy merchant José Téllez Girón, who had it built in the mid-19th century. It had residential rooms and was the place of lodging of the Emperor Maximiliano when he visited Real del Monte in 1865. Another interesting building is the Municipal Presidency, with stonework in which Tezoantla stone was used, commonly used in the buildings of Real del Monte.
9. Can I visit the Acosta Mine?
The first kilos of silver from the Acosta Mine were produced in 1727, remaining a marginal operation until 1985. Now tourists can visit the mine wearing mining safety clothing (overalls, helmet, lamp and boots), passing through the old room of machines and traveling through a 400 meter long gallery. One piece that has been preserved in excellent condition is the fireplace and you can also see a vein of silver.
10. What can I see in the Site Museums?
In the Acosta Mine there is a site museum that is worth visiting for its industrial archaeological heritage. The museum installed in the old warehouse area traces the history of mining in Real del Monte, started by the Spanish; followed by the English, who introduced the steam engine, and continued by the Americans, who brought electricity. You can also visit the House of the Superintendent (head of mine operations), which preserves the original English-style furniture. In the La Dificultad Mine there is another sample that walks through the technological changes in mining equipment throughout the exploitation period.
11. What is the Museum of Occupational Medicine like?
The Real del Monte hospital opened its doors in 1907 after an investment made by the Compañía de las Minas de Pachuca and Real del Monte, with the collaboration of the barreteros, the men who worked with pickaxes in the mines, who were the most interested parties, for the accidents and illnesses they suffered while carrying out their work. Currently, the Museum of Occupational Medicine operates in the former hospital, which preserves the original instruments and furniture, constituting an excellent example of the history of occupational medicine in the country.
12. What is the history of the first strike in America?
In 1776, Real del Monte marked a historical milestone in America as it was the scene of the first labor strike that took place on the continent. Working conditions in the Pachuca and Real del Monte mines were atrocious but there was always an opportunity to improve them. The wealthy employer Pedro Romero de Terreros came up with a reduction in wages, while increasing workloads, so the strike broke out on July 28, 1776. On the esplanade of the La Dificultad Mine there is a monument that commemorates this historical fact. The allusive mural was painted by the Sinaloan artist Arturo Moyers Villena.
13. What is the Monument to the Anonymous Miner like?
Real del Monte was forged by its miners, many of whom died anonymously in terrible accidents that occurred in the depths of the mines or from illnesses contracted during arduous work. Just as unknown soldiers are honored throughout the world with monuments, so are its miners at Real del Monte. The statue was unveiled in 1951 and depicts a worker carrying a real drilling tool, placed in front of a commemorative obelisk. At the foot of the monument is a coffin with the remains of an anonymous miner who died in the Santa Brígida vein.
14. What is the Parish of Nuestra Señora del Rosario like?
The most important church in the town was initially consecrated to Our Lady of La Asunción. The temple was designed by the New Spanish Baroque master Miguel Custodio Duran at the beginning of the 18th century, who conceived it with a single tower. The building has the architectural curiosity that it has two towers of different styles, one Spanish and the other enters. The tower on the south side has a clock and was built in the mid-nineteenth century at the initiative of the miners from Real del Monte, who financed the construction. Inside the neoclassical altars and some paintings stand out.
15. What is the story of the Lord of Zelontla?
This small temple is architecturally modest, but it is of enormous historical and spiritual importance in the town, since in it the Lord of Zelontla, also called Christ of the Miners, is worshiped. The image is that of Jesus Christ as the Good Shepherd, carrying a carbide lamp of the kind that miners used to illuminate the dark galleries in the depths of the earth. A popular legend indicates that the image was on its way to Mexico City and its bearers spent the night in Real del Monte to continue their journey the next day. When trying to resume the trip, the Christ had acquired such a weight that he could not be lifted, so it was agreed to erect a chapel and venerate him on the spot.
16. What is the English Pantheon like?
Cemeteries are not usually places frequented by tourists, but there are exceptions and the English pantheon of Real del Monte is distinguished by its originality and cultural aspects little known in Mexico. It was built during the 19th century so that the English dead, important people of the mines, were buried in accordance with British overseas customs. The graves of nationals who perish outside of Great Britain should be oriented towards the British Isles. Also, epitaphs written in English can be very poetic.
17. What are the main festivals in town?
When Christ arrived at Real del Monte and refused to continue his journey to Mexico City, he was not yet a "miner." The miners of the town adorned him with a cape, hat, staff and placed a miner's lamp on him, making him the Lord of Zelontla, which is now celebrated with the most anticipated festivities of Real del Monte, during the second week of January. Another colorful traditional festival in Real del Monte is that of El Hiloche, which takes place on Thursday in Corpus Christi, 60 days after Easter Sunday. It is a typical Mexican fair, with cattle jockeying, horse races and other charrería events, closing with a popular dance.
18. What stands out about gastronomy?
The food that symbolizes Real del Monte is paste, an English culinary contribution that arrived in the 19th century with the British who worked in the mines. It is a type of pie similar to that eaten by the English miners in their country, with the particularity that it is fried with the raw filling, unlike the traditional pie, in which the filling is pre-cooked. The dough is made of wheat flour and the typical filling of the miners was a mince of meat with potatoes. Now there are also mole pastes, cheeses, fish, vegetables and even fruits. The paste has its museum in Real del Monte, in which they show its preparation with utensils from the 19th century onwards.
19. What can I bring as a souvenir?
True to the village tradition with precious metals, Real del Monte's goldsmiths and artisans make beautiful silver objects, such as small-scale reproduction of monuments, bracelets, chains, bracelets and other jewelery. They also delicately work with wood and make leather products, such as halters, ropes, muzzles, reins, muzzles, as well as pig shawls and artisela pieces.
20. What are the main hotels and restaurants?
Villa Alpina El Chalet is a nice hotel, very conveniently located, as it is close to Real del Monte, Pachuca and El Chico. In the center of town you will find the Hotel Paraíso Real, with very friendly people who will make you feel like you are. Hotel Posada Castillo Panteón Ingles is on top of a mountain, with excellent panoramic views. When the hunger bug bites you in Real del Monte, we recommend you go to El Serranillo or Real del Monte, both for Mexican food; to Pastes El Portal, where you can eat the typical pie of the town; and to BamVino, where they serve delicious pizzas.
We hope that your next visit to Real del Monte will be a success and that you can write us a brief note about this guide. If you think something was missing, we will gladly add it.
