General Zaragoza
General Zaragoza is a quiet small town in the southeast of Nuevo León, Mexico. It has been designated as one of Mexico's Pueblos Mágicos.
Understand
[edit]The town is remote, with no other towns for many hours in any direction. Yet it has a cool mountain setting with natural beauty at its doorstep. Nearby are forests, rivers, and waterfalls.
Get in
[edit]
By bus
[edit]General Zaragoza is off the beaten path with no regular commercial bus service. The closest town with a bus station is Vallecillos, which is served by Transportes Frontera buses twice daily from Monterrey. The 4-hour trip will cost about M$200. Once you're in Vallecillos, it's 40 km to General Zaragoza on a poorly maintained rural road. The trip will take well over an hour and will likely cost M$500.
By car
[edit]Driving to General Zaragoza from Monterrey is a 320-km to 340-km trip (depending on the route you choose) and will take about 4 to 5 hours. From the southern part of Monterrey, you can drive south on the Carraterra Nacional (MEX-85) to MEX-58 west, then Nuevo León state highway 61 south. The other way is to drive to Saltillo, then south from there.
From Saltillo, drive south on federal highway MEX-57 (a modern highway in good condition, but with tolls). When the road ends at Nuevo León highway 61, turn north to General Zaragoza.
Get around
[edit]See
[edit]Do
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- 1 Parque El Salto (El Salto Park), Carr. a El Salto. Daily 08:00 - 20:00. Natural area with hiking trails through the forest on the banks of the Rio Blanco. Rustic wood and stone cabins are available for rent. The park has two waterfalls, the namesake El Salto and the park's star attraction, a 30-meter high waterfall called El Velo de Novia (Bridal Veil Falls). M$40 (adults), M$15 (kids), M$20 (parking).
- 2 Las Presitas La Chingada, Carr. a el Salto. Daily 09:00 - 19:00. Enjoyable recreational park with calm, shallow green pools of water where swimming is allowed, nature trails for hiking or mountain biking, and camp sites. Water and restrooms are available.
Buy
[edit]Eat
[edit]- 1 Antojitos Mexicanos Doña Norma, Benito Juárez, Centro. Daily 08:00 - 15:30. Small traditional restaurant serving regional northeastern Mexican cuisine. Handmade tortillas use locally sourced heritage corns. Stewed meats are excellent. Locals recommend the cortadillo. M$100.
- 2 Mi Tierra, Aquiles Serdán 4, Centro. Daily 10:00 - 23:00. Light casual dining spot serving traditional Mexican foods like tacos. Known for their homemade tortillas de harina and for their steak tacos. M$150.
- 3 Restaurant Ramirez, Aquiles Serdán 4, Centro, ☏ +52 826 213 3095. Daily 08:00 - 22:00. Traditional restaurant inside a hotel. Serves homemade regional northeastern Mexican cuisine, including guisados, full breakfast, and light antojitos. M$200.
Drink
[edit]Sleep
[edit]- 1 Cabaña El Palo Blanco, Al Aserradero La Encantada, Diecinueve de Enero, ☏ +52 818 123 5669. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Rustic wood cabins for rent. Well-maintained cabins have hot water, electricity, and cable TV. Outside are fire pits and barbecue grills.
- 2 Hotel Plaza, Francisco I. Madero Sur n, Centro, ☏ +52 826 213 3010. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Moderate hotel with very clean but basic rooms. No air conditioning. On-site parking.
- 3 Hotel Reyna, 5 de Febrero s/n entre Mina y Morelos, Centro, ☏ +52 826 126 6630. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Basic budget hotel. Small, minimally furnished rooms. On-site restaurant.