Travel Dates: January 2019 for 2 days
We took a quick weekend trip to the city of Querétaro from Guanajuato. The Primera Plus buses offer quick, cheap and comfortable rides and the trip is only 2.5 hours. Querétaro is a fairly large city recognized for its safety and quality of life. From afar it very much has the big city feel which isn’t the most charming. However the Historic Center (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) is lovely and walk-able. We were impressed by the number of beautiful buildings, excellent museums, and extensive food options all in the small historic area. We spent most of our time here.
Like most Mexican cities we love, the plazas and tight streets are constantly lined with people strolling and watching the world go by. It makes it feel right to wander with no endpoint in mind. We organically found our way to several noteworthy places. One being the Querétaro Regional Muesum. There is a vast collection of artifacts and the building itself is stunning with its various colorful courtyards.
From looking online, we were excited to go to the Museo de Bichos (Insect Museum). Upon arriving we were surprised to find the museum is in a shack in the back of a courtyard, much smaller than we expected. However, once inside, you’re greeted by a seriously impressive collection of specimens both dead and alive. The owner, named Jesus, has spent his career acquiring the collection and he can tell you everything about it. He gave us helpful guided tour and at the end he let us (or made us?) hold a tarantula! The museums is totally worth a visit.
Another surprising gem we found is the MUCAL Museo de Calendario (Calendar Museum). I know what you’re thinking…how could that possibly be interesting? Well the building itself is beautiful with colorful lush courtyards, and there is an amazing collection of art from calendars throughout history.
Being in a constant pursuit of tasty craft beer, I just had to check out Cervecera Hércules. It’s about a 20 minute taxi ride east, and well worth the visit. The brewery, along with other small shops, is set in an old converted textile factory. It is large, open-air, has outdoor games, a stage, and plenty of seating. It’s the kind of place I wish we could have in Portland but alas, rain and cold are a reality of Oregon. The beers proved to be some of the best craft beers I have tried in Mexico, and the food is great as well.
Because we only had a long weekend in Querétaro, our adventures were limited to the city. I have read that there are plenty of outdoor and hiking activities outside the town, so if we ever return we’d be sure to see what the rest of the area has to offer. But even with the time we had, Querétaro proved to be a vibrant city we truly enjoyed!