Amealco de Bonfil is one of the oldest towns in the state of Queretaro and is one of the newest on the list of pueblos magicos. Founded in 1538, Amealco de Bonfil is a place of history and tradition, agriculture and waterfalls. Amealco de Bonfil is located a few minutes from the state border of…
The historical area of Queretaro is a UNESCO World Heritage site studded with beautiful architecture and monuments. Queretaro has grown from an agricultural region to the birthplace of the Independence movement, and helped shape Mexico into what it is today. The museums of Quertaro are an easy way to learn about the history and…
We did quite a bit of research before selecting the greater Queretaro area to relocate to. One thing we did not look into was what are the local food specialties? Call it dumb luck but we were fortunate enough to stumble onto some fairly remarkable local delicacies, most notably carnitas and barbacoa. Carnitas Santa Rosa…
Queretaro is home to one of the largest growing cities in Mexico, but just outside of the “big city” you’ll find the entrance to the Sierra Gorda mountains, a growing wine region and farmland stretching over the green hillsides. Roads are lined with cornfields, hot houses, and dairy farms with grazing animals watched over by…
Did you know that Mexico produces and supplies 45% of the world’s avocados? And did you know that Mexico grows 14 varieties of mangoes? One of the highlights of traveling around the world is visiting local markets. Now that we live in Queretaro, the Mercado La Cruz isn’t a tourist attraction for us. It truly…
Deciding where to stay in San Miguel de Allende can be a tough decision. Location isn’t much of a problem since many choices are within a kilometer of the Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel, the pink church in the heart of San Miguel. Beautiful boutique hotels are on every street, all with their own particular…
In the 1970s, Tom spent a few of his summer vacations visiting his grandmother in San Miguel de Allende. Back then the roads were not as convenient as they are today, nor was the bus transportation. Roads were not always paved and potholes could swallow a small car easily. The bus was what you…
Most people are familiar with French and California wines. Oenophiles will rave about Italian and Spanish wines. Chile is known for its cheap, but very delicious wines. And Mexico? Yes. Mexico makes great wines, too. The country of Mexico may not be in the top 10 (or even 20) for producing wine, but that doesn’t…
Queretaro’s landscape and climate might not seem like ideal growing conditions with its summer hail storms, but if you look around the world, some of the best wines come from semi-arid climates and high elevations. Queretaro wineries plant their vineyards between 6200-7000 ft elevation which leads to hot days and cool nights. This drastic swing…
San Miguel de Allende has been named the Best Small City in the World in 2017, 2018 and 2020 by Conde Naste Traveler readers, and rightly so. Its location in the heart of wine country probably had something to do it. You can’t beat a combination of colonial architecture, colorful festivals, fine dining and wine…
The boutique hotel La Casa de la Marquesa is a landmark in Queretaro. It is one of the premium boutique hotels in the Colonial Highlands of Mexico, and it all began with a love story. You can ask any local and they will give you a slightly different version every time, but the foundation of…
Buyer beware, you get what you pay for… During my thirty-five years in the wine business, I often came across instances where you didn’t get what you pay for. Fifteen-dollar wines were often just as good as twenty-five-dollar wines. Sometimes fifty-dollar wines were better than one hundred- and fifty-dollar wines. But there is one area…