recommendations for trip to Sierra Gorda without a car

[mheller]

My husband and I would like to visit the Sierra Gorda bio-reserve in Queretero next weekend, but don't have a car and would prefer to not do a big organized tour. Is it possible to take a bus or other public transportation to get near any of the eco-lodges (where we'd like to stay Saturday night)?

We enjoy seeing wildlife and hiking so staying in a more remote location (not right in Jalpan) would be ideal, and we wouldn't mind having to hike a little ways to get there. Also, if we need to hire a guide for a short hike, that would be fine, we just didn't want to do an organized 2-day tour that includes everything.

Thanks for any advice.
Megan

[mr bill]

Megan, I think your trip and time frame are maybe too ambitious. The Sierra Gorda make the mountains around GTO seem like ant hills.
If you had a car it would be a minimum of 5 hours [see SCT Traza su Ruta] but probably more. In the 2-3 times I've driven to Jalpan I always seem to arrive in late afternoon. By bus you'd have to go from here to QRO and find a connection to Jalpan
On Primera Plus you could travel
08:00 LOCAL 1 10:30 but after that I'm blind as I do not know which company goes to Jalpan - correct that PP does:
12:00 LOCAL 2 15:15 and then you'd have to find a way to get to your eco-lodge.

If you can try to give yourself 2-3 days extra time. Its great country and the missions are interesting. I've gone up there with my mountain bike and used Jalpan as a base to visit a couple of the nearby missions and then driven to the others as well as Las Pozas the Edward James site

[mheller]

Bill - thanks so much for your thoughts. After the information I was able to gather, I was beginning to think this trip was too ambitious for just a weekend, and without a car. I knew we'd be able to get to Queretero by bus, and then onto Jalpan by bus, but from there it seemed tricky. It does sound like a gorgeous area, but I think we'll have to save it for another time. It's really helpful to hear about your experiences and get the perspective of someone who has been there before. It makes me feel more decided that this probably isn't the right trip at this time.

Thanks so much for your advice.
Megan

[raquelita]

you might want to check with Ariel at aventourmexico@prodigy.net.mx. He has done moderately priced trips to the Huasteca and other places in the past. He's ecologically savvy, Spanish speaker, owns a comfortable van.

[mheller]

thanks so much for the suggestion - that's good to know.
Megan

[mr bill]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nG3dBFDTiW0

[barryevans]

Megan, just want to second what Mr Bill sez about getting there--maybe 4 hours by 2nd class bus from Queretaro to Jalpan. Then another hour (maybe a bit more) by bus on to Xilitla. Definitely not a weekend jaunt.

FWIW, we spent a couple of nights at Jalpan, taking local buses and hitching (easy!) to the five Junipero Serra misiones. We thought they were pretty wild until we went to Los Pozos, a 40-minute walk from the center of Xilitla. Do not miss! Totally amazing. We went two days in a row to see all 30-odd structures. (There's a museum in Xilitla next to the Plutarco family's hotel--he was Edward James foreman--well worth a visit.)

When I think of the Sierra Gorda, I think of Los Pozos. Great swimming there, too.

barry

[mheller]

thanks for the recommendations Barry. It's great to have a better sense of how long a trip like this will take (to really do it justice). Bases on your suggestions and the video that Mr Bill posted, we definitely have to find time to visit the Sierra Gorda at some point - it sounds really special and looks incredible.
thanks!