Real del Monte, Mexico.

A historic mining town with lots of history nestled in the Sierra de Pachuca mountains.

Every February, Mexico celebrates the Día de la Candelaria (Candlemas in English) and this year, that meant the Monday right after it was national holiday. Offices and school were closed for the day, and the option of leaving Mexico City for a three-day weekend, a puente as they say here, was too good to pass up.

We didn’t want to go too far so I went looking for a charming pueblo mágico within three hours of Mexico City. Pueblos Mágicos, or Magical Towns, are 177 small Mexican cities recognized by the government as places of historical or cultural interest. I already visited a few, like Bernal, Tequisquiapan or Tepoztlán, and my wild dream is to see every single one of them at some point.

I quickly narrowed down the search to the state of Hidalgo – it was one of the states close to Mexico City I hadn’t been to yet. More specifically, one town grabbed my attention: Real del Monte. Also called Mineral del Monte (don’t let that confuse you, I’ll explain later why it is so), it is one of the highest magical towns in the country, at 2700m, and yet it felt easy enough to reach.

Off we went on a Saturday afternoon, thinking most of the heavy puente traffic would have abated by then. Of course it hadn’t, and the outbound trip took a lot longer than anticipated. After almost three hours, we got to Pachuca, Hidalgo’s capital, where we transferred to a colectivo that got us to Real del Monte (as always, practical information on how to get there, with Google Maps pointers, sits at the end of the article). It was nighttime and the rain was falling, so we decided to grab a quick dinner and headed back in quickly.

The following morning (after a glorious ten-hour sleep, courtesy of a surprisingly quiet hotel room), we set off to discover the town. Our hotel was located just a few steps off the entrance of the historic center, which was closed to car traffic.

Real del Monte’s beating heart is built around its core artery, Avenida Hidalgo, beginning at the small plaza framed by the Art Institute which serves as the informal bus station for combis to and from Pachuca, and the Plaza Principal at the other end, probably the town’s most picturesque area. Starting from the Art Institute meant we would leave the best for last.

For a second, you may think you are in a very colorful part of Switzerland.

Walking in Avenida Hidalgo, on this somewhat sunny Saturday morning, felt like a respite from the noise and the pollution of Mexico’s capital. The car-free center was dedicated to pedestrians and many boutiques and vending stalls were offering anything from food to artisanal souvenirs.

Real del Monte is also known as Mineral del Monte for a very simple reason: the town is rich in mineral resources, which the Spanish conquistadores started extracting, with indigenous manual labor, in terrible conditions, in the 16th century. It’s no mistake that one of the first big strikes to ever occur in the Americas happened in 1776 in Real del Monte, as the local population protested working conditions.

After independence from Spain in 1821, a group of British investors from Cornwall bought the mines and set off to increase mineral production using new techniques born during the industrial revolution, with higher pay and better working schedules for locals. The local population felt very grateful for the Britons takeover, and this is something you can still feel as many things Cornish are still very present in Real del Monte’s everyday life.

As a matter of fact, the Britons brought with them football (as in, European soccer), and it is said that the first soccer game in Mexico happened nearby, in Pachuca, around 1900, thanks to them.

They also introduced a delicious dish which has become an icon of Real del Monte: the pasty, or paste in Spanish. Originally a baked pastry, it consists of a filling, typically meat and vegetables, baked in a folded and crimped short-crust pastry circle. Of course, Cornish minors sought to find a local version of the pasty in Mexico, and the Spanish take, the paste (pronounced pass-tey), was born.

It is not entirely dissimilar from an empanada, which itself originates from Spain, but its filling and cooking method differ. Also, technically, a paste can only be made with a meat-and-potatoes filling.

Curious about this slice of British history in the middle of Hidalgo, we decided to visit the Pasty Museum, or Museo del Paste. I usually avoid these local museums for fear of getting into a Disneyfied version of local history, but this time, I am glad I didn’t.

After paying a nominal entry fee and waiting in a cute garden until our guide fetched us (visits are hourly), we (and fifteen or so others) got to enter a large kitchen where we actually got to make our own paste, and yes, it was as fun as it sounds. It took about fifteen minutes, with easy-to-follow instructions in Spanish. While our creations baked, we exited the kitchen and got into a few rooms full of historical artifacts, while listening to the story of the paste and of Real del Monte and its mines (still in Spanish). About thirty minutes later, we were welcomed to enter the cafeteria, grab our own work of art and eat it there. Needless to say, ours tasted amazing.

However, we were still hungry, so we grabbed a few more pastes and empanadas at the bakery near the museum. These weren’t freshly baked (see, who’s a paste professional now?) and while good, they weren’t as delicious as the ones we made ourselves.

We headed back to town a little after that to continue exploring – to be fair, you can stroll the main street and see most sights in half a day, but we wanted to take our time. After checking out the old British hospital, a beautiful building now housing a medicine museum, we took a few minutes to enjoy the panoramic view from Calle del Hospital, then headed down to Real’s main square.

The aptly named Plaza Principal sits at the end of the town’s main street, and is framed by the beautiful Church of our Lady of the Rosary. Rebuilt in the 18th century with one tower in typical Spanish style, it also features a British-inspired southern tower that was built in the 19th century with mining donations.

The square offers a beautiful view over the southern part of Avenida Hidalgo. If standing in front of the church looking at its towers, turn your head to the right and, for a second, you may think you have been teletransported to a very colorful part of Switzerland. The mix of angled red roofs and bright walls is stunning, and probably what gives its charm to this little town in the mountains.

Real del Monte is much more than a beautiful high-altitude colonial town.

Beyond the square sits an impressive, blue, colonial building housing the Hotel Portales. Under its covered walkway, beyond beautiful stoned arches, you’re likely to encounter more souvenir stalls, but also a great address for traditional pastes, Pastes El Portal. Unless you come just at opening time on the slowest day of the week during low season, there will be a line to be served, so be prepared – also note, the takeout line is usually much shorter, and nothing beats eating freshly made pastes on a bench on the main square.

We actually sampled El Portal’s pastes on our second day, when the line was a little less crazy. As we sat down to enjoy them, a cute four-legged creature came by (we saw a lot of street dogs in town, and all of them seemed well taken care of and well fed). That little white-nosed doggie was very interested in our pastes, and did enjoy a chunk of our traditional meat-and-potatoes one… but refused to eat anything else. Paste de mole? Nope. Paste de cajeta? No thank you. Who would have thought local dogs would take the defense of culinary traditions so seriously!

Real del Monte felt like a beautiful high-altitude colonial town, but there is more to it. Beyond its fascinating history and the cultural impact of both Spanish conquistadores and Cornish immigrants, the town isn’t really on the radar yet, and while it was busy during this three-day weekend, most if not all the tourists were locals. It means getting a true Mexican experience, non-inflated prices and authentic cuisine.

I would recommend you check it out and try to enjoy and respect its amazing Mexican authenticity.

If you do, all the info you might need (and then some) is listed below so you can start planning.

Want to check out another cute pueblo mágico in the Mexican highlands? Have a look at good-vibes-town Tepoztlán, less than 90 minutes south of Mexico City, or Bernal, famous for its gigantic monilith, about 3h30 away to the north.

Practical information (updated as of February 2025)

Getting to Real del Monte

-       From the US: Mexico City’s main airport, MEX, is the most convenient airport to fly into (if not the closest, that would be Mexico’s Santa Lucia airport, NLU, but it has fewer flights from the US). From MEX airport, you can head to Estacion del Norte, Mexico’s Northern Bus station and pick up a bus service from there (see below), but there is a shortcut: instead of heading towards the city center, stay in the airport and take a Futura Select bus. They leave once an hour from the terminal 1 bus station, a few steps from T1 International Arrivals, and will take you to Pachuca in two hours. From there, follow the instructions below in the “from CDMX” section to finish your trip. To note: your origin point for Futura’s search engine is “Ciudad de México, Aeropuerto T1”. Ignore the other options. One way fare costs around MXN400 as of writing (about USD20).

-       From CDMX: a few bus companies offer direct service from Mexico City’s Northern Bus station (Terminal de Autobuses del Norte) or even Mexico City’s TAPO station (less options but it could be easier to reach depending on where you’re based). You can get there by subway or Uber or bus from anywhere in the city. Best choices for first class buses would be either ADO or Futura. One way ticket costs around MXN175 (a bit less than USD9) and the ride takes around 2 hours. You may book ahead of time or just show up at the station and take the first available service. For reference, ADO offers a bus from Mexico City’s Terminal del Norte to Pachuca every 15 minutes so you won’t have to wait long. Once in Pachuca, hail a cab right outside the bus station (MXN70, cash only, be aware cab drivers may try to charge you more so agree on price before getting in) to the Mercado Primer de Mayo, where the colectivos for Real del Monte leave. Just ask the driver to drop you “donde salén los combis para Real del Monte”, which is technically here. Upon getting there, you’ll notice several small white Toyota HiAces (or similar vehicles) parked, each of them with a destination marked at the front. Look for the one that says either Real del Monte or Mineral del Monte (we have established above this charming village has two names). One way cost is MXN13, cash only. The drive is pretty but space is tight and calling it comfortable would be a stretch, but in a little over twenty minutes, you’ll be dropped here, at the edge of Real del Monte’s historic center.

Safety

-       The US State Department labels Hidalgo 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 Sweden, 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 Real del Monte.

Restaurants, hotels and souvenirs

-       We stayed at Hotel J&E El Serranillo. It’s a traditional 3-star Mexican hotel, fairly basic, with great reviews on most booking sites, and located right by the informal bus station where combis to and from Pachuca depart. It’s also on the edge of the historic center, so we felt very close to the action without being deep into it (Mexican Magical Towns can get busy and noisy on weekends). Room cost was around US50 per night. Caution: rooms are not heated, which was a little bit of an issue for us in February – however thick blankets made our night very comfortable (and the very hot shower with lots of pressure was nice, too).

-       Make your own paste and learn about Real del Monte’s history at the town’s pasty Museum (Museo del Paste). Tours start every hour, entrance is MXN60, and that includes the cost of making and eating your own paste.

-       Feeling lazy? The pastes at Pastes El Portal, off the town’s main square, are delicious and freshly baked, but you’ll have to wait in line to sit down (if you’re in a hurry, the takeaway line is usually just a few people deep, inside the restaurant, and you can eat your pastries on the main square). Pastes are a little over MXN20 each (two or three should be quite filling for one person).

-       We won’t judge if you want to eat something else than paste at some point during your visit. If so, Panaderia El Chino, on the main street, has incredible traditional pastries. I especially recommend the cocoles, a diamond-shaped sweet bread that’s one of the oldest types of bread in Mexico (its name is from the indigenous Nahuatl language). It has a strong anise flavor and is dense without being heavy. It’s typical from the wider region.

Photos, from top to bottom: Real del Monte’s main square, Avenida Hidalgo, Plaza Juarez, Real del Monte’s main church, our own handmade pastes, the local dog who refused to eat any paste that wasn’t a traditional one, Calle Aldama, ADO buses about to depart from the Pachuca bus station.

All photos are mine.