Bernal, Mexico

Enjoying a few quiet days in an iconic pueblo mágico in the state of Querétaro.

Exploring Mexico is fun. For most people, the country is synonymous with pristine beaches, and it’s true. Lonely Planet’s top 15 destinations in Mexico webpage features eight beach towns, along with metropolitan cities and the famous Chichen Itza pyramid complex in Yucatán.

That being said, the country is so culturally rich that it’s easy to find places sitting far away from the main tourist circuit, which is what I like to highlight in The Roads Not Traveled. The best case for this are Mexico’s 177 pueblos mágicos, small towns dotting the Mexican map, designated as such by the government for their cultural heritage, historical relevance, cuisine, art & crafts, and great hospitality.

I am not sure I will ever be able to get to all of them, but check in with me in a few years! This time, I took four days to head to Bernal and Tequisquiapan, two of the pueblos located in the state of Querétaro, a little over 3 hours from Mexico City. I covered Tequisquiapan in a separate entry.

I visited both pueblos in one trip because they were so close together, but the main focus for me was Bernal, and that’s where I stayed three nights. Why? Because Bernal had a little something else that attracted me. I can’t pinpoint it exactly. Perhaps it was la Peña, the huge monolith that towers over the city and makes its landscape so unique. Perhaps it was the town’s reputation for all things cosmic and paranormal (like another pueblo mágico, Tepoztlán).

In any case, I found myself at Mexico City’s Estación del Norte bus station one crisp morning in November, waiting to board a luxury ETN bus bound for the city of Santiago de Querétaro (referred to henceforth as simply Querétaro), where I would transfer to another service to reach Bernal (as always, all practical information, including how to travel to my destination, can be found at the end of the article).

I showered ETN buses with enough praise in other articles that I don’t feel I need to explain again how great they are and why luxury bus travel represents such fantastic value for money in Mexico, but a headline would be: wide, first-class-airline seats in modern, comfortable buses.

I wasn’t the first person to feel la Peña’s pull.

The ride to Querétaro took about three hours, and as usual, it was super smooth as soon as we left Mexico City and its crazy traffic behind us.

Like many bus stations in Mexico, Querétaro’s is on the outskirts of town, in an area that’s not especially nice to the eyes, but the building itself is pristine, and looks closer to an airport terminal than anything else. I arrived at Terminal A and walked about 100 meters to adjoining Terminal B, from which short haul buses depart. The next bus to leave for Bernal was a Flecha Azul service, so I hopped in. The contrast with ETN couldn’t have been sharper. The bus was in good shape but older, with plastic seats that did not recline and offered a seat pitch that was barely enough for my legs, without A/C (the bus was sitting in the sun, and trust me, you noticed the lack of air right away). The bus didn’t feature a bathroom either.

After about fifteen minutes, the engine started humming and off we went. Beyond the outskirts of Querétaro and its international airport, the scenery became dry, open fields along a road that seemed to have cut straight through them.

Before getting into Bernal, you can see the huge monolith that helped make it famous. La Peña de Bernal is one of the world’s highest monoliths. Many blogs will quote it as the “third highest” or that it is just slightly smaller than the Sugar Loaf in Rio de Janeiro. Both aren’t true (La Peña is one of the tallest in the world for sure, but Uluru in Australia, Ben Amera in Mauritania and El Capitan in California are all taller – and the Sugar Loaf mountain is actually shorter than Bernal’s own). Beyond the size controversy, the is no denying the Peña is huge, and its odd shape stands out among the shorter, softer slopes surrounding it.

La Peña is actually a volcanic plug, or the remains of an old volcano’s crater core. In the US, a similar phenomenon occurred to form Devil’s Tower, in Wyoming. What’s most striking is how it seems such an overpowering presence no matter where you are in town. Because the monolith is so big, it almost feels like the town’s well-being depends on its good graces – it’s quite hard to explain without feeling it, but its sheer size and proximity to town create this overwhelming sensation of being under its spell (and I consider myself a very rational person).

I certainly wasn’t the first person to feel la Peña’s pull. The Otomi people, who inhabited this region of Mexico for thousands of years before the Spanish conquest, believed the rock possessed healing powers and was a guardian of their territory. More recently, many people have claimed to have seen aliens or sighted UFOs around la Peña, claims not unlike some made about Tepoztlán.

While climbing la Peña is, to many, the highlight of their trip to Bernal and the reason most day-trippers come into town, I actually enjoyed the little town even more. Yes, climbing the monolith is fun and rewarding for the views. However, the climb can be intense, without any shade whatsoever, and the path for regular hikers (without mountaineering equipment) stops about two-thirds of the way to the top, making the climb somewhat frustrating for those looking for the ultimate mountain vista. It’s still worth it, and I recommend doing it early in the morning (side note: the access closes before sunset, so no late afternoon treks are possible).

I left the climb for my second day in town. On the first full day in Bernal, I took my time to walk around the picturesque historical center. I had picked a cute hotel close to the center of the action. It was housed in a small hacienda which once belonged to the town’s doctor. I loved its two patios, the colorful decor and the sprawling view over la Peña from its terrace. It was also incredibly quiet.

I should mention I had chosen to visit Bernal during the working week. My trip started on a Monday and ended on a Thursday. It was a very deliberate choice on my part. While day-trippers can come here any day of the week, the proximity of Santiago de Querétaro means that week-ends are packed with locals coming here to relax and party. I wanted to enjoy Bernal with less people, and I am glad I did. Unlike what I had read before my trip, all stores and restaurants were open, and it didn’t feel like the lack of crowd was making my experience any different – save for the actual crowds of course.

As a result, my Tuesday stroll around town felt eerily serene. The streets were mostly empty, ice-cream shops deserted and restaurants had tons of seating available. I sort of felt like I had the village to myself.

Bernal’s historic center isn’t particularly big but it’s laid out in such a way that a Y-shaped road forms its spine, with one leg of it leading you to its main square, via a street called Miguel Hidalgo. This is where you can catch that very Instagram-famous view of the Peña standing over the town. That short street features several well-reviewed shops and restaurants so it’s a nice place to check out. It leads out to Bernal’s zócalo, its main square, which houses the city hall and the San Sebastian church.

It's a tiny central square by Mexican standards but it feels very homey: car-free, with a shaded garden full of benches in its center, and lined up with shops and eateries on two sides. You’ll want to just sit down and sip a coffee from nearby Calú café while watching locals going on about their day.

While Bernal was founded in 1647 by Spanish conquerors, its current main church was finished in 1725. The bright red and yellow exterior is a good example of New Spanish Baroque architecture, although indigenous influences can be noted throughout (especially on the campanile tower). It faces the beautiful, pink and white building housing Bernal’s city hall (which is now an administrative building as Bernal has been attached to the bigger city of Ezequiel Montes since 1940).

Bernal’s most scenic streets stand fairly close to its beautiful main square. Beyond calle Miguel Hidalgo above, you can check out calles Ezequiel Montes, Zaragoza, Aldama, Guadalupe Victoria and Iturbide. Try to see them at different times of the day (or night) as the changing light makes them look pretty different.

My second day was dedicated to climbing la Peña. I woke up super late (the joy of sleeping in a super quiet place, I guess) and started to head towards the trailhead around noon, the worst possible time to climb a rocky, shade-free path. It’s a 20-minute walk from the main square to the actual entrance of the path. On your way, you’ll pass by a welcome plaza with fountains that may or may not be working. The hike is nice, but probably even nicer earlier in the morning. It’s not super easy but it can get done. It took me a little under 40 minutes to get to the end of the trail. During the week, there were very few people climbing at the same time as I did, but I heard weekends can get pretty busy, so plan accordingly.

My stroll around town felt eerily serene.

Once I got to about two-thirds of the way to the top, I got welcomed by a fence preventing me from going any further. I’ll admit it, it felt a little frustrating not to be able to get all the way to the top – also, the view from the end of the hiking trail isn’t the best, because rocks block a part of the panorama, so get your wide angle pics on the way down instead. I’m still glad I did it. I stopped by the food stalls at the bottom of the mountain to drink the best tasting Coke Zero of my life, or almost (did I say it before? There is absolutely no shade on the trail and it gets very hot), and then headed back down to the village to relax for the rest of the day.

My third and last full day in Bernal was dedicated to exploring another pueblo mágico nearby, Tequisquiapan. I made a point to find a way to get there by public transport. It wasn’t easy, but it worked out in the end.

On my fourth day, I checked out of my hotel a little late, and made my way back to Tequis again – the ETN bus company offers direct trips to Mexico City from there, and I liked the idea of not going back through Querétaro.

Tequis’ bus station was fairly small, with limited food options (and the Soriana supermarket nearby didn’t offer much more in terms of grab-and-go) so I made do with enchiladas and water, boarded the bus and watched Netflix shows the whole way back.

Bernal will stay in my memory as a lovely pueblo I would be happy to visit again – it should definitely be on your shortlist if you’re planning a trip to the Mexican altiplano.

Practical information

Getting to Bernal

-       From the US: at time of writing, Querétaro airport (IATA code QRO) has non-stop service to Houston, Detroit, Chicago, Dallas and San Antonio. Once at the airport, a quick Uber ride will get you to the bus station, where you can take a one-hour bus ride to Bernal (see below).

-       From CDMX: the easiest way to get to Bernal is to take a bus to Santiago de Querétaro from the Northern Bus station (Terminal de Autobuses del Norte) which is easily reached by Uber or bus from anywhere in the city. Many companies offer non-stop services between the two. I prefer ETN, the luxury one, but you may choose a first class bus instead. Note that ETN also serves Querétaro from a super central bus station, located near El Angel de la Independencia on Avenida de la Reforma. This would be the most convenient station to take a bus if you’re located in or near Mexico City’s center. Look for “Ciudad de Mexico, El Angél, Tiber” in the drop down menu. ETN offers three buses a day from this station to Querétaro.

Once in Queretaro bus station, head over to terminal B, where local buses depart (you normally arrive in terminal A but the walk is short and steps-free). Two companies reach Bernal: Flecha Amarilla and Flecha Azul. Bus ticket costs MXN70 (about $3.50) one way at time of writing. Buses are second-class services, which means seats with limited seat pitch, not super comfortable, no A/C or restrooms in the bus. It’s an hour ride more or less, and between the two companies, a bus leaves about every 30 minutes.

I suggest to get off the bus at this stop in Bernal, which is the closest to the town’s historic center and most hotels.

On the way back, you can take a bus from the same spot. Google Maps calls it a terminal but it’s just a regular bus stop, and you’ll have to pay the driver for your fare.

As usual, it is feasible to drive from Mexico City, the road is well maintained and safe (it is a toll-road for most of the way). However, I recommend the bus, for cost and convenience.

Safety

-       The US State Department labels Querétaro as a level 2 state, meaning “Exercise increased caution” when you travel. Like most places in Mexico, it is very safe (this level 2 also applies to countries like Denmark or Belgium, which are not known for their crime levels). Behave as you would in a place you don’t know, especially if you don’t speak the language, and you will be fine. I never felt unsafe at any point in Bernal, whether climbing la Peña alone or walking back to my hotel late at night.

Restaurants, bakeries and coffeeshops

-       Veintidós Café – smack in the center of town, this café is one of the only ones I could find that provided healthy breakfast options, so I made it my morning cantina while in town. Inside and outside seating are provided and prices are very reasonable. If you enjoy Mexican pastries, an outlet of the local chain Panaderia Abril with delicious pan de queso is located right across the street (for some reason, it’s not showing on Google Maps, but it’s there).

-       El Negrito gorditas – I’ll admit this is an easy find, as most blog posts about Bernal mention it, but I’ll give them that: the gorditas are delicious. Pick one of the many stuffings and enjoy. The gorditas are made in front of you and you get to sit in a shaded patio alongside one of the most picturesque streets in town, with a view on the main square. Hard to beat that. Cash only.

-       Gorditas y sopes Naty – this one isn’t in the guides, and you could pass it and miss it. It’s a hole-in-the-wall on Bernal’s main street and the choice of stuffing is fairly limited but it’s open late, cheap and delicious. Cash only. 

-       Calú café - in all fairness, you could find this one on your own as it sits on the main square and features and very Instagram-friendly façade. However its location is off on Google maps, it’s literally to the left of this shop. The space is well designed, the coffee is good, and you can enjoy it on a bench right outside, looking out to the main square,

Shopping

-       There is no shortage of souvenir shops in town, on the main square or near the entrance of the path to la Peña. I can’t vouch for how authentic or artisanal they are, so use your best judgement if you see something you like.

Climbing la Peña

-       The hike lasts between 30 and 45mn depending on your fitness level. It is pretty steep at times but not particularly dangerous. Wear good shoes (hiking shoes are not absolutely necessary but forget about flip flops or slippers), bring plenty of water. The path has absolutely zero shade all the way through and the monolith blocks some of the minds making the climb challenging under the midday sun.

-       Entrance cost is 50 pesos, open from 8am until a little bit before sunset. The actual ticket booth is here, a 20-minute walk from town. Before it, you will find a welcome plaza with a food, drinks and souvenir markets. If you didn’t bring water with you, buy some there, you will need it.

Pictures, from top to bottom: la Peña as seen from Miguel Hidalgo street, the face of Calú café on Bernal’s main square, Bernal’s pink municipal building on its main square, the view from the end of the hiking trail on la Peña, Aldama street, Bernal’s church dome as seen from Guadalupe Victoria street.

All pictures are mine.