Ruta Misiones de la Sierra Gorda Voyage Tips and guide

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Ruta Misiones de la Sierra Gorda is an itinerary that visits all five historic missions that make up the Missions of the Sierra Gorda UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is an official itinerary promoted by the State of Queretaro.

The Sierra Gorda mountains of eastern Queretaro is a dense, rugged region full of high mountain peaks, deep valleys, cliffs, rushing rivers, canyons, and forests. Parts of the range were traditionally inhabited by the Huastec indigenous culture, as well as Chichimec, Otomi and others. As other regions of Mexico gave way to colonial expansion from the early 16th century through the early 19th century, the Sierra Gorda remained a difficult area for the Spanish to tame. The challenging terrain was certainly an obstacle to many Spanish expeditions, and the resistance to Spanish colonization on the part of native populations. (Today, the area remains lightly inhabited and can be challenging to traverse.)

In the 18th century, Franciscan priest Junipero Serro led missions into the inhospitable region, determined to build missions, spread the gospel, and tame the savage natives. The Franciscans built large, fabulously ornate churches and monasteries in the highland communities, but after Serro shifted his attention to evangelizing the California coast and building missions in that part of the country, the missions of the Sierra Gorda declined and were fairly soon completely abandoned. They remained that way, lost to the modernizing world, until the 20th century when they were accidentally re-discovered by an INAH project team that had gotten lost. They were subsequently renovated as national historical treasures and declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 2003.

Despite its fame and historical and cultural significance, the historic missions remain lightly visited and are an ideal destination for travelers seeking an "off the beaten path" experience.

The missions of the Sierra Gorda all borrowed layout, construction techniques, and stylistic embellishments from various styles used in 16th century and 17th century churches. They are sometimes described as baroque, and they certainly have boroque elements, but they were built at a later period than most classic baroque Mexican churches. The churches are also noteworthy for including artworks that are a fusion between European catholic themes with elements from the native indigenous cultures. The hybrid style is called New Spanish Baroque or Mestizo Baroque. In addition to the ornamentation and stylistic elements of classic baroque, the indigenous influences include the use of the colors red, orange and yellow, and of sacred native figures, such as the rabbit and the jaguar. Look for these elements and the ways that they are incorporated into the elaborate facades and in murals and ceiling paintings.

Each mission is unique in its architecture, interior artworks, and local history. Plan to spend about an hour at each mission. (Longer if you stay for mass.)

• 21.217094-99.4740081 Misión Santiago de Jalpan (Santuario Del Santo Niño De la Mezclita Y Del Apóstol Santiago), Jardin Principal, Centro, Jalpan. First of the five missions, established in 1750. The ornate facade includes a portal piece decorated with images of Our Lady of the Pillar and the Virgin of Guadalupe, (both figures with strong Mesoamerican connections). 

• 21.399366-99.3297342 Misión de Nuestra Señora de la Luz de Tancoyol, Tancoyol. The church has an elaborate facade with images of corn. The interior features a number of sculptures including St Peter and St Paul with bearing Franciscan shields. 

• 21.44444-99.6364133 Misión San Miguel Concá (Misión Concá), San Juan. The San Miguel Conca mission was completed in 1754 and is dedicated to the Archangel Michael. It is the smallest of the five Sierra Gorda missions. It is decorated with carvings and paintings of flowers and foliage as well as a double-eagle symbol representing the merging of cultures and rabbit and jaguar figures representing the Mesoamerican indigenous influences. 

• 21.164091-99.1914934 Misión San Francisco de Asís del Valle de Tilaco, Plaza Principal, Tilaco. The church was built between 1754 and 1762 by Juan Crespi. It has the most ornate facades of the five churches and features images of angels, ears of corn, and mermaids. The bell tower is separated from the main body of the church by a baptistry and is constructed as a buttress to support the walls of the main church. The church is somewhat odd in that it has small chapels at the corners, called capillas posas. 

• 21.187023-99.3222285 Misión Santa María de la Purísima Concepción del Agua de Landa (Misión Landa), Landa de Matamoros. Built in the 1760s by Miguel de la Campa, Mision Landa is the "newest" of the five Franciscan missions. The interior dome features murals of three archangels: Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. The facade is noted for its large number of detailed sculptures. 

Map of Ruta Misiones de la Sierra Gorda

The Sierra Gorda is about 3 hours east of Queretaro. You will find hotels, restaurants, and a bus station in Jalpan (along with one of the five historic missions).

Jalpan is an easy drive from Queretaro. Simply leave Queretaro on highway MEX 120 and continue for 3-1/2 hours until you get to Jalpan. Use Jalpan as your base and drive to the different missions.

From Queretaro, it's a direct 4-hour bus trip to Jalpan. Flecha Amarilla buses run hourly to Jalpan and cost M$300 (June 2024). Once in Jalpan you may want to rent a car or hire a guide to take you to the missions that are in more remote areas.

There are no services for travelers at any of the missions in the Sierra Gorda, but a good selection of hotels, restaurants, and shops can be found in the towns of Pinal de Amoles and Jalpan. Most visitors to the region will stay in one of those towns and visit the missions on day trips.

The Sierra Gorda is a very safe region of Mexico with few reported crimes. Nonetheless, it is remote and lightly populated and cell service may be sporadic. When driving the backroads it is best to carry water, blankets, and reflectors or signal flares in case of a breakdown, just as you would in any other remote area anywhere in the world.

• Huasteca Potosina
• Pinal de Amoles
• Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve
• Jalpan