Amealco de Bonfil: dolls, pulque, and Martian dunes

I have a secret agenda. After two wonderful motorcycle trips to *pueblos mágicos*, I’ve decided to visit as many of them as possible. Today, I’m setting off to discover Amealco de Bonfil, perched at an altitude of over 2,500 meters amidst pine and oak trees.

A "Pueblo Mágico" (Magic Town) is an official designation awarded by the Mexican government to localities possessing great cultural, historical, architectural, or natural richness. There are currently 177 of them.

After a lovely motorcycle ride, I arrive at the red dunes. Yes, genuine rust-colored dunes that look as if they were transported straight from Mars to settle quietly just fifteen minutes from the town center. Magic? No, it’s simply an excess of zinc and iron coloring the earth.

• 

• 

• 

• 

I walk along it, and my boyfriend poses for a "budget interplanetary explorer" photo. Not everyone can afford a Rover.

• 

• 

I return to the village and, to rest from my emotions (any excuse is good), I enjoy an artisanal garambullo sorbet, this little blueberry that grows on a cactus.

• 

• 

Next, a quick visit to the municipal museum, where I am greeted by Otomi dolls—the famous Marías (or Lelé, depending on how well you know them). These little ladies made of rag, clay, nopal fiber, and wool have entertained children for generations.

The Otomi are an indigenous people of central Mexico who proudly preserve their language—Otomi, still spoken by thousands of people—as well as their traditions and craftsmanship.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Finally, to end the day on a high note (or a smooth, fermented one), why not have a glass of pulque?

Pulque: A beverage made from agave sap.

For the best one, I choose Pulquería Don Federico, one of the most traditional and iconic spots in Amealco de Bonfil. It is a family-run business that has been around for over a century. Today, it is managed by the third generation: Doña Teresa and her brother Antonio.

I peer over the swinging saloon-style doors, and Doña Teresa, spotting me, invites me in. She welcomes me with open arms and treats me to a quick lesson on the virtues—magical ones, naturally—of this ancient brew. Thanks to natural fermentation, pulque contains probiotics, antioxidants (the trendy buzzword), vitamins, minerals, and even protein. Magical, I tell you.

• 

• 

She serves it to me in a *jarrito de barro*—a locally made clay mug that helps keep the drink cool—and for a moment, I picture a Lelé doll sliding down the red dunes with a mug of pulque in hand, singing "¡Viva Amealco!"

If the dolls start moving on their own after the third mug, that’s normal—it’s magic! It is a *pueblo mágico* (Magic Town), after all. At an altitude of over 2,500 meters, even the dolls get dizzy.

And so do I, a little.