Santiago de Querétaro is a great place to visit

Jacqueline Mateo Sanchez, Staff Reporter

Going on trips is exciting especially if it’s a country you haven’t visited before. On most occasions an itinerary isn’t used, so what if you don’t know where to begin? Well, if you want to visit Mexico, specifically Querétaro, here is a small list of places or things to do while you’re there. 

My personal favorite place that you should visit is the geyser water park. When I got in the pool the water was blazing hot; it was reaching temperatures over 140 degrees fahrenheit! It took me a good 15 minutes for my body to get used to the scalding water. Most people who go to the water park go swimming at night because it’s cooler outside. Besides the pools, there are other activities you can do such as getting a massage and going ziplining. Going ziplining was an amazing experience. This zip line course was not like the others I have done. It took about an hour to complete and you also had to cross a shaky bridge to get to the other side. 

First stop: the capital of Queretaro, Santiago de Querétaro. It has a downtown that is a must-see. There you will be fascinated. From people dancing to the clowns performing, the place is full of tourists wandering around. Unlike Harrisonburg, by the time it’s 8:00 p.m., Querétaro’s downtown is crowded. Inexpensive, quality food can be found on any street downtown. Botanas de frutas can be found anywhere as well which is a platter of mixed fruit of your choice topped with chile, chamoy and a squirt of lemon. If you walk further along, you will eventually get to the Mirador de Los Arcos, a man-made aqueduct that is better viewed at night. 

Peña de Bernal, or Bernal Peak is only an hour away from Santiago de Querétaro. It is a humongous boulder that you are able to hike. Although it doesn’t appear big, it took us approximately 90 minutes to climb. Once I got up there, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing; the view was absolutely breathtaking. Around the skirts of the rock, there are stores that sell all sorts of goods. I ended up buying a kaleidoscope that had rocks that came from Bernal Peak. 

Overall Querétaro is a beautiful state that has many places that you can visit. From relaxing by the pool to hiking up the Peña de Bernal, these experiences will be once in a lifetime.