¡El Tour
Budget Bicycle Tours in Mexico
www.BikeMexico.com
The Complete Archive · 2000–2020
High Deserts & Pine Forests 2006
Season 2006 · all tours that season
This CHALLENGE difficulty tour starts in Queretaro, central Mexico, a spectacular colonial city. We start off on fairly gentle terrain but later in the tour we encounter very challenging remote mountains. One minute we're silently sliding through the fog shrouded pine forested mountains and the next a breathtaking vista of desert landscapes bursts open before us. We end our tour in the north east end of the state in Jalpan de Serra. Highlights include 18th century Fransiscan missions, diverse cactus, quiant old mining towns, a winery tour and much more.
Archive note: NEW summer tour.
| Dates: | Sat Jul 22, 2006 to Sun Jul 30, 2006 (1 week - 6 cycling days) |
| Distances: | Average/day: 69 km Maximum/day: 97 km Total Approx: 414 km |
| Route Type: | CHALLENGEChallenge DifficultyYou need to have excellent fitness and good cycling experience. Distances generally average about 70 - 110 km per day (depending on hills), and are always less than 150 km. Roads range from flat to Sierra Madre (mountainous!). We may climb up to 3000 metres in a day.WeatherThe Weather: MountainsLate fall and winter in the Mexican mountains is dry and cool. The sun warms things up during the daytime, but expect freezing temperatures overnight. High volcanoes can be snowcapped around this time.Spring is warmer, and in the summer it will often rain in the afternoon. RoadThe Road: MountainsThe road is generally in excellent condition. There are some sections of dirt road, and rough pavement. In the mountainous areas, the road rarely flattens out and occasionally climbs at more than a 10% grade, however in the high plateaus the road can be fairly flat to rolling. Traffic is generally light to non-existent, except of course close to larger towns and cities. The surface is generally wide and the drivers are courteous.LandThe Land: MountainsAltitudes generally range between 1500 and 2500m, however on some tours we may climb up over 4000m. The high volcanoes are snow-capped in the winter. The mountain vegetation varies greatly from humid cloud forests to cool dry pine forests or dry desert shrub. |
| Highlights: | Highland desert landscapes. Colonial cities and towns, quaint mining towns. Winery tour. Pine forests. Challenging mountains. 18th century missions. |
The Route
Itinerary
Itineraries were always subject to minor changes.
WhenWhereDistanceHighlights
Day 0Meet in Queretaro-Meet the group. Spectacular colonial city.
Day 1Queretaro to Bernal (via Tequisquiapan)97 kmEasy but long day. Colonial towns. Spectacular scenery.
Day 2Bernal to Cadereyta (via Tolimán)95 kmHills, desert landscapes, Otomí lands, quiet roads, winery tour .
Day 3Cadereyta to San Joaquín63 kmInto the REAL mountains, misty pine forests, quiet roads, mining town.
Day 4San Joaquín-Rest day. Otomí ruins.
Day 5San Joaquín to Peña Miller69 kmBack to the desert and more quiet roads.
Day 6Peña Miller to Pinal de Amoles51 kmUp, up and up some more, another mining town
Day 7Pinal de Amoles to Jalpan de Serra39 kmAnd doooooowwwwwn we go
Day 8Bus back to Queretaro-Return to Queretaro
What it cost that season
| Guides' Fee | + Accommodations | + Food & Drink | + Misc. | = Approx. Total Land Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $380 | $115 | $110 | $120 | $725 |
All figures in US dollars, as published at the time. Riders paid their own accommodation, food and entrance fees on the road — the Guides' Fee was the only charge from ¡El Tour. Full history: price of High Deserts & Pine Forests through the years.
Photo Album
