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Town in Querétaro, Mexico
Photo: Mariodavidpedraza, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Pinal de Amoles is a small colonial era town deep in the forested mountains of the Sierra Gorda range in eastern Queretaro. Naturalists will enjoy the dense forests, especially the spectacular range of wildlife inhabiting the nearby Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve. History buffs will want to explore the nearby five Franciscan missions of the Sierra Gorda that make up a . The town is designated as one of Mexico's Pueblos Mágicos.
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18th century with clean lines and a relatively sparse facade, the church is a peaceful oasis with a brightly colorful exterior and a main entrance directly on the Plaza Principal. A downtown landmark.
Memorial sculpture commemorating the region's historic role in building Mexico's mining industry.
Museo Gral. Tomás Mejía Camacho
Small regional history museum with exhibits that cover the Sierra Gorda region, including its early settlements, natural resources, colonial era events (with axplanations of evangelization in the region and the role of the historic Franciscan missions. There are also some interesting natural history exhibits including fossils and minerals found in nearby mountains, and an aquarium with a rare axolotl. The museum hosts occasional readings and special events.
Small Huastec archaeological site deep in a forested area. The site has not been restored and is not maintained. It has suffered vandalism from ignorant locals and foreigners alike. It does have a Mesoamerican ballcourt. (If you want to see a good Huastec site, visit Tamuín and don't expect to get much out of visiting Quiramba).
Small homey restaurant with traditional Mexican dishes at reasonable prices.
Super casual place serving traditional Mexican dishes and some regional favorites like the enchiladas queretanas. The gorditas de mijaja are recommended.
Despite the name, it's not really a Chinese restaurant. The food is traditional Mexican seafood with a preference for spicy dishes, like camarones al diabla.
Casual family-run restaurant serving traditional Mexican dishes. The chilaquiles are recommended.
Barebones budget hotel with minimal service and minimally furnished rooms. Location on the outskirts of town.
Modest hotel with clean, but basic rooms.
Basic hotel with off-street parking available.
By car
From Queretaro, it is a 145-km trip to Pinal de Amoles. Most of the ride is on a modern toll highway (QRO-100) that will take about 2 hours 20 minutes.
The town is very small but a bit of a maze to navigate, with windy roads wrapping themselves around hills. It's cobblestone streets are enjoyable to walk and explore.
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Querétaro · International · QRO
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