Itinerary for 4 days and 3 nights

DAY 1:

You can travel by bus (Primera Plus, 8:10am) or in your own car. During the first part of the trip you will see a wide variety of cacti, followed by nothing but lush, green vegetation upon entering the reserve. The meeting place is La Cañada (Pinal de Amoles), where you will climb aboard the minibus or suburban train  at 1, having lunch half an hour later in the "El Mirador de Cuatro Palos" café (left) from where we will enjoy the magnificent view followed by a walk along a path to the highest point.

At 1:30 we leave for Chuveje, where we will take a short walk along the river in a shady, cool valley until we reach the waterfall, which is located in a wonderful spot. This long walk gives you the opportunity to see birds and sometimes you can even see the green macaw. We leave at 5 for Jalpan.

AThere, we will visit the Centro Tierra (Earth Center) to attend the “Conservation of the Biodiversity of the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve” program. In the afternoon you’ll go to the hotel or hotel inn, close to the Misión and the Plaza Principal.

DAY 2:

Breakfast is at 9am so that we can leave for Concá, where we will visit the Misión (one of five historic churches in the region erected by Fray Junípero Serra) and the Árbol Milenario (One Thousand Year-Old Tree). At 12:30 we will head for Adjuntas, where there will be some free time to swim, walk along the picturesque river or do some birdwatching. We will then return to Jalpan to spend the night there.

DAY 3:

DAfter breakfast, our trip takes us to Landa de Matarnoros, where we will visit the Misión and the Museo Comunitario (Community Museum). We’ll then leave the carretera nacional and climb an isolated, picturesque mountain range to reach Soledad de Guadalupe, where we will visit the ceramic workshop to see how crafts are made. This is the perfect opportunity to make our own clay pieces and buy products. Then we’ll enjoy a campirana meal in a beautiful, quiet forest.

After lunch, we leave for San Juan de los Durán. Whilst climbing, it is interesting to look at how the vegetation changes - we begin in the valley with plants which appear dry and almost unhealthy (subdeciduous and deciduous tropical forest), reaching the oak forests, then juniper forest, and finally the pine forest. On arrival at San Juan we will each go to our cabañas (wooden lodges). There will be time for a walk before dinner in the hotel inn and finally a bonfire beneath the stars.

DAY 4:

Today, after breakfast, we will take a walk through the forest. By day it is easier to see the different species of birds which can’t be found in the lower areas. Amongst the most notable birdsong is that of the Saltapared Barranquero, which is a series of fluid and sharp notes which go down in scale, and the sad song of the Trogón Mexicano, a smooth hu-hu-hu-hu… We will return to Jalpan for our final dinner.

Contact Us:

e-mail: ecotours@sierragorda.net

Tels. (441) 296 02 42/29 ó (441) 296 07 00

Jalpan de Serra, Querétaro, Méx.