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MayaDoc

Jun 28, 2014, 1:05 PM

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Is Queretaro a good idea?

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Hola! We're thinking about checking out Queretaro and would appreciate comments regarding the old town, where to stay, and what are the most important places to visit that are day trip destinations or that merit at least a one night stay. We like to stay in the historic old town or walking distance from it.

Compared with San Miguel de Allende and Guanajuato, how does Queretaro differ? Is it calm in the area going from Queretaro to Mexico city? I'm referring to drug cartel activity or other similar events. We'd be travelling on buses.

Thank you for your help.

MayaDoc

chinagringo

Jun 28, 2014, 5:03 PM

Post #2 of 18 (28720 views)

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Re: [MayaDoc] Is Queretaro a good idea?

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We are in a similar situation to yourselves having never been there. We have reservations at the Hotel Hidalgo 8/20 - 8/22. If your planned trip is after that we will be glad to provide our observations. We have been to both Guanajuato (and are going again this trip) and also San Miguel de Allende. Since we have a somewhat callused and negative view of San Miguel, I will withhold comments. Guanajuato is a gem and we do enjoy ourselves when visiting.

As for drug cartel activity, it is something I have tried to watch closely in recent years. At this point in time, I am quite comfortable with our decision to drive a rental car from Puebla to Queretaro and then on to Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato and then returning to Guadalajara.
Regards,
Neil
Albuquerque, NM

geoffbob

Aug 10, 2014, 4:47 PM

Post #3 of 18 (28183 views)

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Re: [MayaDoc] Is Queretaro a good idea?

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I am booked into Queretaro's Home B&B this coming Wednesday. I too wanted to be right in the middle of the historic district. It'll be my first time there as well and am going out of curiosity. I understand it's the second largest city in Mexico and that means millions of residents whereas Guanajuato, even though it's the state capital, is a much smaller town that makes one feel the Porfiriano influence in architectural style. I felt at times that I was in Italy or France. Unfortunately it is honeycombed with polluted transit tunnels and it's not set up for serious walkers on a long term living basis. Definitely worth a visit though; college town with lots of students. SMA has been home for 8 months and I feel pretty relaxed here. I lived more than half my life without enough exposure to the gringo culture and craved that contact. So from that point of view it's just what the doctor ordered. There are lots of gringos to mix with. You might visit YouTube under Queretaro. I found high quality video tours of the historic district. The lady who owns the B&B says there are many museums right in the district.

La Isla

Aug 10, 2014, 5:03 PM

Post #4 of 18 (28171 views)

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Re: [geoffbob] Is Queretaro a good idea?

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FYI: Guadalajara is the second largest city in Mexico and Monterrey is number three.

citlali

Aug 10, 2014, 5:05 PM

Post #5 of 18 (28171 views)

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Re: [geoffbob] Is Queretaro a good idea?

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The second largest city in Mexico is Guadalajara and the third Monterey..

RickS

Aug 10, 2014, 5:10 PM

Post #6 of 18 (28171 views)

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Re: [geoffbob] Is Queretaro a good idea?

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"I understand it's (Queretaro) the second largest city in Mexico...."

Sorry, but Queretaro is waaaaay down the list of the largest cities in Mexico. But it is nice... as are Shelley's breakfasts. I think that Ecatepec, a suburb of DF, is officially the second largest municipality but almost everyone says Guadalajara is second.

I think that Queretaro is definitely worth a visit. Nice clean central area is fairly small and you will see a lot of nicely dressed business folks scurrying around. You won't be far from the nice aqueduc. http://www.queretaroinfo.com/the-aqueduct-of-queretaro.html

(This post was edited by RickS on Aug 10, 2014, 5:19 PM)

Sonia Diaz

Sep 5, 2014, 5:44 PM

Post #7 of 18 (27840 views)

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Re: [MayaDoc] Is Queretaro a good idea?

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Greater Queretaro area is about 1 million people and growing as fast as likely any city in Latin America. Known for engineering and research. It is clean and safe. There are not a lot of expats. Buses to Mexico City about every 20 minutes and a high speed train will be built, tenders now out.

Totally different than Guanajuato and SMA.

Centro is beautiful and somewhat a European feel.

Enjoy

Sonia
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sonia/252211011634302

chinagringo

Sep 5, 2014, 7:49 PM

Post #8 of 18 (27822 views)

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Re: [MayaDoc] Is Queretaro a good idea?

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We just made our first visit to Queretaro about two weeks ago. Like many "colonial cities", centro is good to great but the surrounding area is extremely industrial. One thing that really jumps out at you is: just how clean centro is! We were there for two nights and a full day and will definitely be returning at some time in the future. Some photos we took in centro:

https://plus.google.com/.../6053494490003013729
Regards,
Neil
Albuquerque, NM

RickS

Sep 6, 2014, 2:31 PM

Post #9 of 18 (27779 views)

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Re: [chinagringo] Is Queretaro a good idea?

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Nice pics, Neil.....

chinagringo

Sep 6, 2014, 2:47 PM

Post #10 of 18 (27775 views)

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Re: [RickS] Is Queretaro a good idea?

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Thanks Rick!

We stayed at a hotel with some of the most striking architectural detail we have ever experienced:

https://plus.google.com/.../6050166738348040481

Also enjoyed dinners at:
https://plus.google.com/.../6050025362581513777
and
https://plus.google.com/.../6053524795789168817
Regards,
Neil
Albuquerque, NM

RickS

Sep 6, 2014, 2:52 PM

Post #11 of 18 (27774 views)

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Re: [chinagringo] Is Queretaro a good idea?

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I too was struck, a few years ago, with the cleanliness of the centro area. It is kind of small but wonderful.... full of business people in their best dress. And WONDERFUL music at the outdoor restaurants.... bands didn't compete/overlap but waited politely while one group performed and then another added their renditions. I'll be back again soon.

chinagringo

Sep 6, 2014, 3:04 PM

Post #12 of 18 (27772 views)

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Re: [RickS] Is Queretaro a good idea?

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Having never been to the State of Queretaro, we drove a side loop when driving from Puebla via Tequisquiapan and Bernal. Again the cleanliness was striking and we decided that Tequisquiapan rates a longer visit. Bernal, on the other hand, was less impressive to us. We are interested in checking out the Sierra Gorda and some of the other towns & villages in the area at some point in the future possibly using the City of Queretaro as a base.
Regards,
Neil
Albuquerque, NM

tashby

Sep 6, 2014, 3:55 PM

Post #13 of 18 (27758 views)

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Re: [chinagringo] Is Queretaro a good idea?

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You stayed at the Marquesa??? Not exactly the Hotel Hidalgo...

The historic center of Querétaro city is all you guys said, though I confess I get a little tired of the orange monotony. Tequisquiapan is a sweet touristy spot lively on weekends, pretty quiet during the week. That area was one of my favorite Mexico vacation trips before moving here. Need to go back.

chinagringo

Sep 6, 2014, 4:23 PM

Post #14 of 18 (27753 views)

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Re: [tashby] Is Queretaro a good idea?

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Actually, we did try the Hotel Hidalgo for one night. Not exactly horrible but someone could do the history of this hotel a favor with some upgrading and refurbishing! Great location but parking is about a long five block hike. In the case of the Marquesa, they allowed us to park right in front with the bellman juggling the car forward as spots started opening up. We got an excellent rate using booking.com that was much less than we were quoted walking in. Doesn't make much sense to me that the hotel was willing to allow a booking engine to provide a substantially lower price and then pay a commission but not my decision. Since the Marquesa was in the same block as the Hidalgo, we just rolled our suitcases down the block.

As for Tequisquiapan, we were there on a Wednesday afternoon and it was really to our liking. The small mercado was fun and the town had a nice variety of shops with better quality merchandise:

https://plus.google.com/.../6050759463887639265

We had read where it was quite popular on weekends and would probably be inclined to enjoy it on weekdays in the future?
Regards,
Neil
Albuquerque, NM

tashby

Sep 6, 2014, 5:59 PM

Post #15 of 18 (27743 views)

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Re: [chinagringo] Is Queretaro a good idea?

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Pretty sure Tequisquiapan has a wine and cheese festival at some point during the year. No doubt a good time.

All your photos from Querétaro make me want to return. Thanks for posting.

(This post was edited by tashby on Sep 6, 2014, 6:00 PM)

chinagringo

Sep 6, 2014, 6:18 PM

Post #16 of 18 (27739 views)

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Re: [tashby] Is Queretaro a good idea?

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We were surprised by the number of wine and cheese shops. Since you brought it up, the National Wine and Cheese Fair was held from May 23 to June 8th this year:
http://queretarotoday.com/...r-2014-tequisquiapan

Learn something new every day if you are not careful!
Regards,
Neil
Albuquerque, NM

tonyburton / Moderator

Sep 6, 2014, 6:20 PM

Post #17 of 18 (27739 views)

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Re: [tashby] Is Queretaro a good idea?

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Indeed it does!
I used to go to Tequisquiapan and the surrounding area several times a year; see this ancient article of mine on MexConnect http://www.mexconnect.com/articles/3107-tequisquiapan-queretaro-a-delightful-spa-town,
and you might also enjoy these Geo-Mexico pieces on Tequisquiapan and surrounds:

Raul

Sep 29, 2014, 1:18 PM

Post #18 of 18 (27460 views)

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Re: [MayaDoc] Is Queretaro a good idea?

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I would say that Queretaro is a hidden gem for most american tourists. Although it is very modern with lots of international industries operating there, it still takes great pride in safe-guarding its rich cultural heritage by providing a clean, safe and beautiful ambiance in its Centro Historico in the downtown area.

My wife is from the state of Guanajuato and I've traveled to Mexico to see family at least twice a year for 37 years and I would say that I've never felt more comfortable and relaxed as I do when I go to Queretaro. My wife has family living there for several years and that is now our arrival point in Mexico for all of our trips.

On a final note, the region of La Sierra Gorda de Queretaro is about a 3-hour drive north east of the city and an absolute must see if you are one who enjoys nature at its best.