If mexico were a human being, Pachuca would be the hat. The city is located at almost the highest elevation of any city in Mexico. Situated atop mountains, it can sometimes be so cold that in winter exposed skin can suffer from frostbite in an ordinary street.

It is the capital of Hidalgo, with about 250000 souls calling the city home. It was inhabited by various peoples in the pre-Columbian era, with the Aztecs being the final owners of the settlement. Eventually, the Spanish conquered and absorbed the population, and the town is a proud part of Mexico today.

Pachuco is not very popular with tourists, but it surely deserves a better reputation. It is the soccer capital of Mexico, and is also home to a number of exciting and interesting buildings including the Reloj Monumental, where a giant bell strikes the hour since 1904.

Tolatongo is a canyon located in the state of Hidalgo, mexico. It is located about and hour and a half north east of the city of Pachuca and about 198 km. or 3 to 4 hours north east of Mexico City.

The place offers different activities to do and natural attractions. Here you can find two main grottos: the first one is a large one from which a river flows and the second one is a  tunnel above it on the same wall of the canyon. as you walk outside the main grotto, you will be able to see some pools in which visitors can swim in the river that comes out of it. The tunnel or second grotto is narrow and about 15 meters long. Inside one part of it, there is also a stream of water where you can swim in as well. both places are good for swimming as the water is usually very clear. In both of the grottos, you will also enjoy listening to the sounds of the waterfalls inside the mountain. Because of the rocky place, this is a good spot for hiking, rappelling, and caving.

The river in the canyon bears the same name; Tolantongo. It is really a pleasure to swim in it because it is warm and because of its nice color. This river gets it’s blue color from the mineral salts that picks up from the mountain.

The entrance to the park costs $2 USD per vehicle and $10 USD per person. With this fee that you pay, you can visit the grottos, the tunnel, the river, the waterfalls, and the camping zone. You can also make use of the restrooms. You can visit this place any day of the week, and it is open from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Make sure to bring comfortable shoes and a bathing suit when you visit this place. Camping is also available even near the river or the grottos.

More Pictures…

Real del Monte is a small picturesque town located in the state of Hidalgo in central mexico. The town lies at an altitude of 2,700 meters (8,800 ft), making it an ideal place for those who enjoy being in a cool weather. This town is the municipality, and it was at one time the richest in the state of Hidalgo when precious metals such as gold and silver were discovered. After the Spanish conquest, this place was famous for its good mining industry especially since the late 1500s when the Spanish began mining. After sometime The mines were abandoned but were once more opened in the late 1730s.

This small town is located not to far from the capital city of Hidalgo; the city of Pachuca. It is actually 14 Km. north of Pachuca. Many of the people from The city of Pachuca have a weekend home in Real del Monte because of the peacefulness of the place and because of the clean air that you can breath here. Real del Monte is a quiet appealing place to wander around in the well-tended streets, and perhaps out into the hills if you are interested in exploring one of the mines.

The town’s architecture is largely Spanish colonial. The architecture of the houses is especially appealing to visitors because of its red roofs. The town became a very important mining industry when an English company started to operate the mines in 1824.  At that time some 350 Cornish miners moved here bringing their food and customs to the place some of which still remain in the town. Among these customs is Soccer, which many people claim that it was played for the first time on mexican soil here in Real del Monte.

As in other Mexican colonial towns, real del Monte offers you a variety of places to see such as monuments, historical buildings, and museums. Real del monte also offers you great Mexican cuisine in a very colonial and relaxing environment as well as different places where you can shop for great handcrafts made by the locals. If you ever happen to be in the city of pachuca, make sure you visit this picturesque small colonial town.

More Pictures…