Introduction

This gem just two and a half hours north of Mexico City is famed for its numerous colonial attractions: tree-shaded plazas, baroque churches, and historic landmarks, such as a monumental 74-arch aqueduct built in the early 1700s to supply the parched city with freshwater. But today, getting pampered at an exclusive spa, dining out at a glam hilltop restaurant, and wine tasting at regional vineyards can be as much a part of your visit to Queretaro as a stroll through its Historic Center, a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site.

This city of nearly a million residents is also capital of the state of Queretaro, which encompasses numerous other attractions for the visitor, from a monolith to Franciscan missions and archaeological sites.

Queretaro’s central location made it an important crossroads in Mexican history. The area was first inhabited by the Otomies and later the Purepechas and Mexicas. The name “Queretaro” is believed to be Purepecha for “site of the ball-game” or “place where there are rocks.” If the second translation is true, perhaps the rocks the Indians were referring to were the opals, amethysts and other semiprecious stones found in rich supply throughout the mountainous region. Even today Queretaro and the nearby towns of San Juan del Rio and Tequisquiapan are Mexico’s gem-cutting centers, where opals and other semi-precious stones are cut and polished. Many stores carry the stones loose or worked into jewelry.

During Spain’s rule, Queretaro’s prominence was acknowledged with the designation “Third City of New Spain.” It later played a leading role in both the struggle for independence and the revolution. The city’s most prominent landmark is an eight-kilometer-long aqueduct built in the early 1700s to supply the city with water. A fountain in the city’s main square, the diminutive Plaza de Armas, pays tribute to the man who financed the 12-year project (1726-38).