surreal gardens and silver mines
photo by BlackTomato

Surreal Gardens And Silver Mines

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The Facts
Flight time10 hrs
Ideal length8 days
LocationMexico
Pricefrom £2,099 per person based on two sharing.
When to goAll year round

Wild silver mining towns, arty sculpture gardens and stunning colonial cities: Mexico has so many secret gems it's hard to know where to start. Head deep into the heart of Mexico’s cultural and artistic centre with your own private guide. Intrigued? Read on.

the monolith at Bernal Village

cutting-edge cities and pre-colonial pyramids

After kicking off in Mexico City you’ll be whisked to colonial Queretaro, for lush landscapes dotted with world heritage pyramids and churches.

En route,  admire the second largest monolith in the world at Bernal village: impressive, to say the least.

Deep in the Queretaro valley, you'll feel like you've stepped back in time. See two-thousand year-old pre-colonial pyramids, grand 17th century aqueducts and the viceroyal city of Queretaro,  before heading to your home for the evening: Jalpan de Serra (nearby a huge, baroque mission building, no less).

Try the local coffee: a must, as it’s grown nearby, and see the sugar cane scattered on the town’s roads as it is transported around the continent.

Edward James

exotic surrealist gardens and las pozas

Next, head to the mountains of the Sierra Gorda, and Xilitla, tosee Edward James' world-famous exotic surrealist garden.

Explore the 80 ethereal acres of waterfalls and pools dotted with towering surrealist sculptures. Trust is, this place is as mysterious as you can get. Look out for over thirty concrete palaces, temples and pagodas. Our favourite is the ‘House on Three Floors Which Will in Fact Have Five or Four or Six’. Catchy, eh?

surrealist sculptures in Xilitla

real de catorce: mexico’s wild west

The walled town of Real de Catorce is only accessible through a 2,300 metre-long tunnel: and for good reason. This spot (your next stop), historically attracted crowds of miners and adventurers in search of fortune. From it’s anarchic beginnings and silver fever to today’s sleepy town, learn about the struggle to survive which has made Real de Catorce what it is today.

Real de Catorce

Heading out in early October? Don’t miss the Saint’s Day celebrations. All year round, visit the roman amphitheatre cock-fighting ring, the silent Ghost Town and the old Concepción’s Mine of Mexico’s own wild west.

san miguel de allende

And finally, time to relax Mexico-style (no sombrero included). Once a boho hangout, San Miguel de Allende is now the holiday destination for the local and international jet set. Protected by UNESCO, you won’t see a single new building or traffic light in this town.

San Miguel de Allende

Stroll through winding alleys, stop at the many art galleries, and see the cities' picturesque red rooftops and domed churches, before a spot of live classical music in town.

You’ll return home enlightened, educated and full of Mexico’s real flavour. And as for your photos? Not a single plastic lilo in sight.

Mexico

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BlackTomato

This travel guide also includes text from Wikitravel articles, all available at WikitravelView full credits

This travel guide also includes text from Wikipedia articles, all available at WikipediaView full credits

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