About Querétaro
The colonial city of Querétaro is beautiful, safe and clean. The historic center is full of colorful colonial buildings from the 16th to the 18th centuries and is ideal for walking around its cobblestoned streets filled with museums, restaurants, shops and tree-filled plazas. Querétaro was named a UNESCO Cultural Heritage Site in 1996.
At an altitude of 6,040 feet above sea level (1,840 meters above sea level) and with an ideal climate averaging 75° F (24° C), Querétaro has become one of the excellent tourist and business destinations.
Geographic Location
Located in the heart of Mexico, 134 miles (215 km) from the northeast of Mexico City.
| To San Miguel de Allende | 63 km | 39 mi. | 0:45 hrs |
| To Guanajuato | 150 km | 93 mi. | 1:40 hrs |
| To Mexico City | 215 km | 134 mi. | 2:15 hrs |
| To Guadalajara | 370 km | 230 mi. | 3:50 hrs |
| To Zacatecas | 412 km | 256 mi. | 4:15 hrs |
History
Founded in 1531, this enchanting colonial jewel, whose name means "place of peaks" in the Purepecha language, is a world class destination that attracts those with an appreciation for beauty and an affinity for Mexican culture.
Querétaro is a state filled with history: the beginnings of Mexican Independence and the promulgation of Mexico's constitution are but two of the happenings of import that define Mexico and originated in this gorgeous colonial city.
Culture
Querétaro is a city full of culture and tradition. There is an infinite range of museums, galleries, music festivals, classical music concerts, dance, theater, libraries, lectures, conferences, courses, workshops and book presentations. A large community of artists, both Mexican and foreign, have found this city the perfect place to live and create their art.
Nearby Querétaro there are particularly magical places for which we can arrange guided tours if you desire. With exception of the Sierra Gorda, they are within an hour of the city.
The Soledad Dam, in Colón, is an ideal place for sport fishing, enjoying the outdoors, boat rides and horseback riding.
The Redonda Vineyards in the hills of Ezequiel Montes, 45 minutes from Querétaro, offer guided tours of the vineyard and wine tasting.
Minutes from San Juan del Río is the Freixenet Winery where you can observe, step by step, the wine making process and visit the cellar 82 feet (25 meters) underground where the stable temperature favors the ageing of wine. The winery hosts interesting events each month.
Bernal es a beautiful colonial town founded in the 17th century and is famous for the enormous rock monolith that is the town's backdrop. The monolith is the third tallest of its kind in the world after The Rock of Gibraltar and Sugar Loaf Mountain. The town of Bernal was recently designated a "Magical Town", meaning it is recognized for maintaining the richness of its history and culture.
La Quinta Schmoll, in the town of Cadereyta, offers an interesting botanical garden with hundreds of species of cactus and succulents. You can see cactus that live 500 years and first bloom at 300 years, and other plants of exotic beauty.
In the Sierra Gorda you can appreciate marvelous landscapes and admirable natural formations, missions founded by Fray Junípero Serra, and archeological sites of prehispanic ruins. Querétaro's Sierra Gorda mountain range has been designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
On your visit you will discover that Querétaro is both a a city full of beauty and culture, and a state full of wonderful towns and unmatched landscapes with many outdoor activities and local festivals.
How to Arrive?
You can fly to the Mexico City International Airport or to the Querétaro International Airports.
The Querétaro airport is 30 minutes from the hotel and has direct flights from Houston on Continental, and domestic flights from Mexico City and Monterrey on Aeroméxico and Aeromar.
There are flights to the Mexico City airport from most of the principal airlines: Aeroméxico, Mexicana, KLM, US Airways, Air Canada, Delta, Lan Chile, Continental, American Airlines, Alitalia, AirFrance, Alaska, Japan Airlines, Taca, Swissair, Lufthansa, United, Varig and Iberia.
There is luxury bus service from the Mexico City airport to the Querétaro bus station leaving approximately every hour and a half until 10:00 pm. The bus trip costs $256.00 pesos and takes 3 hours. The taxi ride from the bus station to the hotel is approximately 10 minutes and costs $37.00 pesos. If you would like us to help you with arranging transportation, please let us know and we will be happy to assist you.