You may have never heard of this region as an adventure destination, but it is. But the small town called San José Iturbide turned out to be the nerve center for endless fun activities.
Taking Highway 57 (which goes from Querétaro to San Luis Potosí) just 30 minutes from Querétaro, we arrive at San José Iturbide, which may not stand out for its beauty, but is already well known as “La Puerta del Noreste”, without However, along a walk through its quiet streets, one can find surprises, some typical crafts such as candles, wooden puzzles and regional sweets.
Mineral de Pozos, the "ghost" town
We took the road again and in 40 minutes we were in this town considered to be one of the Historical Monuments of the Nation. It has a very peculiar architecture, ruins of houses and farms, all dyed in ocher and red colors. The solitude that is breathed in its alleys transported us back in time, perhaps years ago, when Mineral was a prosperous town that shone thanks to the thousands of tons of metal (mainly gold, silver, mercury and copper) that lay under the lands of almost 300 mines. On all sides you can see semi-destroyed and worn adobe houses, large houses that keep traces of sumptuousness, and a large temple that is still being remodeled.
Its history tells that since the time of the Chichimecas it was a mining town, since they already made small excavations four or five meters deep to extract metal. With the arrival of the Spanish, a small fort was built to protect the "Ruta de la Plata", which went from Zacatecas to Mexico, but the mining boom was around 1888. However, throughout its history, Pozos has suffered several periods of decline that depopulated and reoccupied it. The last began with the Mexican Revolution and continued in 1926 with the appearance of the Cristero movement. By the middle of the last century, the population reached 200 people and it is currently estimated at 5,000. By this time, my fellow travelers and I were wondering, "So what is attractive?" Well, here the mouths of the mines still remain intact and a journey through the bowels of the earth in the "old way" does not taste bad.
Towards the center of the earth
The remains of the most important estates such as the former Hacienda de Santa Brígida and that of Cinco Señores remain standing, as well as other mines that were later established such as El Coloso, Angustias, La Trinidad, Constanza, El Oro, San Rafael, Cerrito and San Pedro, among others.
Holding on to some ropes, we got lost in the darkness that dominated everything under our feet, we descended several meters illuminated from time to time by a weak spotlight that let us see our faces and the shot of the mine, which by the way, continued to descend almost 200 meters!
As we went down, the heat and humidity increased, suddenly, we heard the noise of water and with the dim light of the environment, we distinguish that the shot culminates in a pit of water. As we approached with the lamps, several flashes were seen through the liquid crystal, is that currently the people who come there, make their wishes by throwing a coin into the water. If more people came to visit, there would be a fortune in the place.
After our underground experience, we returned to the surface and were welcomed by the sound of the wind that sifted between the worn walls of the place and cut through the absolute silence. During our return to town, we made a stop at a small place where some antiques and stones of all types and colors are sold. But we still had the surprise in Pozos. In front of the main square, from the small bedroom of a house, a soft melody is heard. As we got closer we saw four people playing instruments. Their smiles were the invitation to come and witness the performance. It was the Corazón Deiosado group, who make music with pre-Hispanic instruments, and they ended up capturing our attention for a long time.
El Salto, touching the clouds
Then we went to the municipality of Victoria. We had already been underground, and to compensate, we wanted to go up a bit. El Salto Vacation Center is a place frequented by lovers of adrenaline. Every weekend kites and hang gliders gather here to paint the sky with their colorful sails. El Salto is at the top of a hill, over the beautiful semi-desert valley, so the view is spectacular.
For those who do not have experience or have the equipment to fly, there is the possibility of doing a tandem flight together with an instructor, and the truth is that the feeling is almost as exciting as flying alone. We all wanted to live it, first the sail unfolds, the gust of gentle and constant wind is expected and with a pull back, you stand firm and run forward. When you realize it, your feet are already stamping the air. The trees and the road become very small. I asked my “compa” if he could do a few pirouettes, and I didn't even finish saying the phrase, when the kite shook everywhere, like my stomach.
From the top, the landscape of Guanajuato was perceived in a different way, each time more extensive and spectacular. Below us, some other paragliders and several buzzards were flying, curious to know what we were doing on their “terrain”. The journey took about half an hour, but it seemed like a few minutes. The truck took us back to El Salto, but this time we took a path that, instead of taking us to the take-off area, left us in front of a waterfall that is what gives the place its name. On the other side of this ravine, known as the Cañón del Salto, there is a sector of stones and other rock formations that are a paradise for rock climbing. There are several equipped routes there and some drops from where you can rappel. But there are also many options for settling in, camping, and hanging onto the stone for a weekend.
Among giants
We took the road again and in some sections the driver came to a complete stop and the car, parked on flat ground, began to move by itself. Believers from the "beyond" attribute this phenomenon to supernatural forces and the most skeptical to the simple magnetism prevailing in the area. In the municipality of Tierra Blanca we made a stop in the community of Cieneguilla to visit Doña Columba and take a bath of tematic bath. Between steam, the heat of the stones and the infusion of 15 different herbs, we enter the interior of our body and mind.
Having already traveled the earth, the air and even our spirit, we take advantage of the last hours of light to witness a spectacle without equal. A few kilometers later, we arrive at the Arroyo Seco community to visit its Cactaceae Ecological Reserve. A path marks the route between the tall thorns and some bushes. We were immediately greeted by a cactus 2 meters high and one in diameter. Then we perceive the special of the place; is that in addition to size, some of these plants have more than 300 years of life. Behind "the big man" there were more and other greats; round, tall, of different shades of green. Framing the stage, the Cerro Grande was dyed in colors to complete a show in this forest of giant cacti.
We said goodbye to the people of Arroyo Seco and started our return to San José, but not before taking the opportunity to buy some souvenir of the giant cacti. In the reserve you can get shampoo, creams and some other toiletries made with derivatives of cacti, herbs and other natural compounds.
As we went along Federal 57, from afar we could make out the lights of the San José and some fireworks; Iturbide was celebrating. So after leaving the suitcases at the hotel, we took the last walk through its streets and said goodbye to its beautiful parish, its quiet streets and our surprising adventure in the northeast of Guanajuato.
