Hidalgo is a mountain state just north of Mexico City. Its pine-forested sierras were among the richest silver-mining areas in the world, and the British miners who came from Cornwall in the 19th century left behind pastes (pasties) and Mexico’s first football matches. Today it is a favourite weekend escape for its Pueblos Mágicos, forests, canyons and hot springs.
Why visit Hidalgo
For cool mountain air, hiking and rock formations, charming mining villages, turquoise thermal rivers and ancient ruins, all within two hours of the capital.
Top places to visit in Hidalgo
Mineral del Chico and El Chico National Park
A small mining village in a valley of pines and great rock outcrops, inside El Chico National Park, one of the oldest protected forests in Mexico. Trails, viewpoints, climbing and trout ponds surround it.
Real del Monte
A Pueblo Mágico of steep streets and red roofs, with a mining museum, an English cemetery and bakeries selling pastes with every filling.
Huasca de Ocampo and the basalt prisms
Huasca, Mexico’s first Pueblo Mágico, has old haciendas, and nearby the Prismas Basálticos are columns of basalt with waterfalls pouring over them.
Grutas de Tolantongo
A canyon where a warm turquoise river flows from a cave, with natural pools on the cliffside. It is very popular at weekends.
Tula
The ancient Toltec capital, crowned by the Atlantes – four tall stone warriors standing on top of a pyramid.
Best time to visit Hidalgo
October to May is dry and sunny; winter nights are cold in the sierra, with frost in Mineral del Chico. June to September is rainy but green. Avoid long weekends and holidays at Tolantongo if you prefer quiet.
Getting to and around Hidalgo
Pachuca, the capital, is about 95 km (1.5 hours) from Mexico City, with frequent buses. Felipe Ángeles International Airport (NLU) is on the way. Buses and colectivos reach Real del Monte and Mineral del Chico from Pachuca; a car is the easiest way to combine the prisms, Tolantongo and Tula.
What to eat in Hidalgo
Pastes filled with potato and meat or mole, barbacoa (pit-cooked lamb) on weekends, mixiotes, escamoles (ant eggs) in spring, trout from the sierra and pulque.
Hidalgo travel tips
- Bring a warm jacket: the sierra is around 2,400 metres high.
- Arrive early at popular spots on weekends.
- Carry cash: small villages and stalls often don’t take cards.
Hidalgo FAQ
Is Hidalgo a day trip from Mexico City?
Pachuca and Real del Monte work as a day trip; for the forests and Tolantongo, stay a night or two.
Why are there pasties in Hidalgo?
Cornish miners brought them in the 19th century, and they became a local tradition.
