the smack dab geographic middle of Mexico, aka the 'ombligo' (belly button) of Tequisquipan, Querétaro. While the pronunciation of the name is hard to remember (te- keys- kya -pon), a visit to this pueblo magico is hard to forget. Considered one of the top wine and cheese regions in the country and filled with affordable food, markets, and almost constant beautiful weather, this is definitely an ideal travel destination that doesn't take much planning. If you want to spare yourself from saying the whole name everytime, "Tequis" works for short :)
GETTING THERE
Tequis is a common getaway for folks from the city, since it is only about 3 hours north of CDMX or an hour from Queretaro city. The sunny skies, picturesque centro, and the small size of the town make it just so easy and relaxing and I would say the best thing to do here is just take your time to stroll around, aka pasear. In my case, I also live just a mere hour away so I've enjoyed getting to know this spot better whenever I am passing through.
Coming into the Tequisquiapan bus station by public transport is easy from Queretaro or CDMX, then you will arrive about a 15 minute walk from the centro. If you are craving a coffee when you enter town, you gotta make a stop at the funkiest cheugy cafe Blu Coffee. It's located in this beautiful chapel-like building, has an incredible high-end drink selection, and free games to play while you plan out your day!
GOING TOURIST MODE
From here, you just gotta walk along the main road until the streets become increasingly colorful and you start entering the touristic zone. Take your time and window shop if you like, but know the best prices are yet to come at the market. Allow yourself to wander down the colorful streets and enjoy the rainbow papel picado and other decorations strung over the streets. You will quickly see why Tequis is one of the most well-known pueblos magicos because it is all so beautiful and photogenic.
If you are walking in from the bus station, you'll pass by the official middle of Mexico which is marked with a swinging pendulum monument. (Listen, being a big fan of the ocean and a coastal gal, I can't say the middle of Mexico is my most favorite thing BUT enjoy as you please.) Anyways, now you'll be passing into the main plaza and the arches that surround the kiosko and church. Enjoy the Tequis letters and the pretty pink church which might be the cutest one I've yet to see in Mexico
SHOPPING
If you've taken enough photos by now, you're likely ready for the mercado. Well, the mercados is a better way to put it, because there are many markets here all within close proximity. From my time in the state of Queretaro I've singled out Tequis as the place with the most traditional, highest quality, and best priced handicrafts in the region so make sure you fully aprovechar of the market.
*I realize every blog post is increasingly being written in Spanglish. I am sorry I live in Mexico what can you do ?!*
Some of my favorite finds have been a good priced sombrero, some $10 pretty leather sandals, and the most stunning handpainted magnets of the traditional regional dresses of Mexico. Have fun with it and make sure to grab a few souvenirs.
FOOD
Once you've done your shopping, there are so many yummy restaurants to try just around the corner! My favorite ones that I have been to are this cafe/brunch spot called Cafe Marroquino that is very cottage vibes. I really like their menu which has fresh local products and yummy breads.
If you're looking for something heavier, I highly recommend eating Italian food at Camino a Bremen (the sign says pizza, pasta, y pan, what more could you ask for?) Good Italian food is hard to come by in this part of Mexico, and the ambiance is really cute as well! While you're at it, you can grab a glass of wine that hopefully is sourced from one of the many local wineries.
Assuming you've made it to the mid afternoon and you are ready to experience a change of scenery, hop over to the local Parque La Pila which is a refreshing little green space with recreational space for kids and a wide open lawn to have a picnic or siesta. A park might not seem like a huge deal but its surprisingly hard to find a nice lawn to lie on in this part of Mexico, so find your own little spot under the trees or near the arcos and vibe out.
If you've seen your share of pretty colonial buildings, arches, and cute restaurants, congratulations you have enjoyed Tequisquiapan! There aren't any glaring "things to do" here so when you think you've got your fix of the pueblo you might want to head out a little ways either to one of several balnearios (water parks!) or vinedos (wineries!).
THINGS TO DO NEARBY IN TEQUISQUIAPAN
To get to the water parks which are situated between Tequis and Ezequiel, you can hop on a 25 peso/person colectivo taxi ride which is about 10 minutes. Just tell the taxi driver when you want to get off. It appears to me the taxi pick up is from this street corner.
To get to the wineries, I probably recommend a private taxi from Tequisquiapan which shouldn't cost more than 150-200 pesos and take a 20 minute ride.
The three wineries I have visited and recommend (in order of price point) are
La Redonda
Donato
Freixenet
Bodegas de Cote
La Redonda is one of the most well-known Queretaro wineries with great prices, selection, and picturesque vineyards. They have very affordable winery tours lasting an hour, but we chose to just enjoy ourselves and drink on a large picnic table area. The bottles of wine start at $175 pesos (<$10 USD) but the only catch is you MUST purchase some food to buy wine. We got the cheapest cheese platter, which was subpar, but that let us enjoy all the wine we wanted for the rest of the afternoon. In the future, I've heard the pizza is a good price and covers the necessary food purchase. We really enjoyed the fun painted doors and pretty botanical garden that make this spot perfect.
Donato is a more family friendly option, with bottles starting from about 200-250 pesos and some snacky options. There is a big lawn with picnic tables for kids to run around, and there are guided tours through the vineyards. When I went on a weekday, we didn't need a reservation or tour.
Freixenet is famous for its bubbly wine and champagne and is in a pretty, laidback hacienda setting. The property wasn't that big for vineyard tours although I think there are tours to see the wine cellars and horse riding. I am sorry I cannot elaborate much on these places because I am a youngin with zero experience visiting wineries (the irony of being from Northern CA and never visiting Napa LOL).
Bodegas de Cote is right around the corner in a more upscale and commercial setting. You enter through a huge building where the wine is produced. Walking up to the balcony you will get a beautiful view of the vineyards and can enjoy a couple hours trying the pricier wines, cheese, and even some delicious vegan tacos in my case.
Getting between these places, it is nice to have a rental car or with a taxi driver ahead of time, or if you stick to those last two they are within walking distance of each other. Wherever you end up going, the odds are you will be greeted by very nice warm weather and blue skies (así es Queretaro!) And if you are inspired to come visit these places, I am in the neighborhood so you have a hostess awaiting you :)
