The Sierra Gorda
The Tail of the Dragon pales in comparison.
Eighteen kilometers. Three hundred and eighteen curves. In the United States, that’s enough to create a legend. Yet, compared to the road through the Sierra Gorda—the "Fat Mountain Range"—it is merely a mild tease.
Today, I’m heading to Jalpan de Serra. Put that way, it doesn’t sound particularly spectacular. Except that the road leading there is one of the most winding and extreme in Mexico. Motorcyclists and truck drivers speak of an unbroken succession of tight mountainside curves, hairpin turns, and steep climbs and descents. The former speak of it with stars in their eyes; the latter, with perfectly understandable fear.
My adventure begins in Tequisquiapan, at an altitude of 1,900 meters with a semi-desert climate. It is this combination of altitude, sunshine, and microclimate that has made the region the heart of the Querétaro Wine and Cheese Route.
I head to El Campamento, the gateway to the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve. There are no official figures, but between that village and Jalpan de Serra—a stretch of less than 80 kilometers—the road winds through more than a thousand curves. The average speed rarely exceeds 50 km/h. And even then, in several places, that is too fast... At least, it is too fast for me.
The landscape changes quickly. Semi-desert gives way to cloud forest, with its pines and oaks. The air grows humid, and the temperature drops by at least 10 degrees.
Just before the village, the road crosses the legendary Puerta del Cielo—the "Gate of Heaven"—pass. At over 2,700 meters, it is the highest point on the state’s road network. Two mountain walls. The sky in between.
credit: Escapadas.mx
Pinal de Amoles appears at an altitude of 2,400 meters: a temperate, cool, and very humid climate, with cloud forests. Sometimes the village vanishes into a sea of mist. Today, the sky is clear. It is magnificent.
The road through the Sierra Gorda is also a place that demands total vigilance. Sudden fog. Steep slopes. Livestock. Oil patches. Obstacles on the road. Anything can happen.
Then comes the long, winding descent to Jalpan de Serra: dropping to an altitude of 760 meters into a tropical climate, where the temperature rises by 15 degrees. In just a few hours, you traverse three different worlds—starting among vineyards in a semi-desert landscape and ending in tropical heat.
Church of Jalpan de Serra
The Sierra Gorda is not just a tour; it is a lesson in humility. It is the master and I am the student, and it reminds me that every day, my time is more valuable because I have less of it left. That is why I fully cherish the good fortune of living in this magnificent country.
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