I visited Mexico’s most colourful city for a lively, cult...

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Caribbean and Central America
Mexico

I visited Mexico’s most colourful city for a lively, culture-filled getaway

Querétaro is bursting with beautiful gardens, incredible restaurants and a thriving music scene, as Phoebe Harper discovers

Saturday 22 November 2025 13:05 GMTComments

open image in galleryThe up-and-coming city is becoming known for its new nightclubs, bars and cafes (Getty Images / iStockPhotos)

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It’s Friday night in a dance hall on the outskirts of Querétaro. The crumbling walls of the old textile factory that once employed this entire neighbourhood reverberate with the pulse of cumbia music.

Under a vast disco ball, pretty young things flock like birds of paradise. Outside, punters gather under festoons of fairy lights to quaff craft beers, a Cervecería Hércules (a Mexican brewery) speciality. They spend their evenings at open-air cinema nights, listening to live music, or brushing up on bachata moves at the Salon Salvaje.

This happening spot embodies the new wave of energy that is taking over Querétaro. Pronouncing the name of this central Mexican state and its capital, Santiago de Querétaro (known as Querétaro), is the first hurdle. It’s supposed to roll off the tongue: kay-reh-tar-o.

For a city you may never have heard of, it boasts a significant legacy, having twice served as Mexico’s capital due to its pivotal role in the struggle for national sovereignty.

As the nexus of Mexico’s data centre industry, Querétaro has become one of the fastest-growing cities in the northern hemisphere, its vast industrial urban sprawl slowly encroaching on the semi-arid plains.

Yet the city preserves an undeniable charm. Often overlooked for its charismatic northwestern neighbour, San Miguel de Allende, or dwarfed by the appeal of CDMX (Mexico City) to the southeast, Querétaro’s star is now in the ascendant.

Last year, state tourism grew by 17 per cent and that’s set to continue with the launch of an electric passenger train from CDMX to Querétaro planned for 2027.

open image in galleryQuerétaro is a postcard-perfect patchwork of buildings (Phoebe Harper)

A welcome antidote to the frenzied vibes of the megalopolis, its charming centro histórico is a postcard-perfect patchwork of buildings with flaking facades in faded pastels, crowned with blazing bougainvillaea.

The city’s skyline is dotted with the elaborate domes of vast Baroque churches, each one as opulent as the Quinceañera dresses hanging from shop windows downtown.

I spent an afternoon ambling along street art-emblazoned avenues, browsing antique bazaars and artisanal markets. There are a wealth of quirky cafes to sit in (try La Compania) while admiring the local penchant for vintage Volkswagen Beetles.

The Jardin Zenea is a central spot to press pause and visit a Saturday market for some street food. Do as I did and try the local delicacy of chapulines (grasshoppers), or head over on Thursday evenings to catch free dance classes with live music on the quaint bandstand.

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Despite the peaks of the Sierra Gorda silhouetted in the distance, Querétaro is mercifully flat, walkable and compact, following a simple grid layout initially devised during Spanish occupation. Strike up a conversation with any local and they will tell you how safe it is compared to other parts of the country, while questioning why more tourists don’t visit.

A city centre with a small-town feel, traffic lights flash the neon silhouette of Lele – the colourful handmade doll that’s native to the region and a state icon.

open image in galleryThe weekend markets are a great place to find entertainment and good food (Phoebe Harper)

A vast pink-stone aqueduct straddles the city at nearly one mile long and 75 feet high. This marvel of 18th-century engineering once delivered Querétaro’s clean water. Its origins are tied to the legend of a local nun who promised her hand to a wealthy marquis on the condition that he deliver water to her convent.

Feet firmly back on modern soil, cross the river to Alamos, an industrial neighbourhood that’s having a cultural makeover. Discover cute cosmopolitan cafes, like Brecco Panaderia, browse aesthetic independent bookshops like Punto Y Coma, catch a live jazz show at Cafe Moser, or take in a theatre performance and pop-up market at eclectic cultural venue La Fabrica.

If learning about history is more your thing, the Museo Regional peels back the layers of Querétaro’s role in the fight for national independence. Housed in a former Franciscan monastery, its exhibits include the desk where the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed, thereby ending the Mexican-American War and sentencing the short-lived Austrian Emperor Maximilian to his death.

open image in galleryThe grand Museo Regional de Queretaro (Phoebe Harper)

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A short journey away, the Cerro de las Campanas (the Hill of the Bells) is a scenic spot where giant green butterflies float serenely and a small chapel commemorates the location of Maximilian’s execution. The hill takes its name from the endemic volcanic stone, which produces an unusual metallic clink when struck.

Or you can wind back the clocks even further to pre-Hispanic Mexico with a visit to El Cerrito, an ancient pyramid and museum complex. Sure, it’s no Chichen Itza, but it offers a fascinating insight into a nationally significant ceremonial centre (and is only a 15-minute Uber ride away.)

open image in galleryEl Cerrito is a 15-minute Uber ride away (Phoebe Harper)

Roughly an hour’s bus ride away, the small town of Bernal also offers respite from the city. This sleepy place is one of Mexico’s Pueblos Magicos, a place that offers “cultural richness, historical relevance, cuisine, art crafts, and great hospitality”.

A hike to the summit of its monolith will invariably lead to stories of mysterious alien encounters. Nearby, you can enjoy Querétaro’s status as Mexico’s second-largest wine-producing region with a tour along its renowned cheese and wine route.

Querétaro can get a bad rap for its food, but the city serves up an eclectic selection. I found the best way to start the day is with bread or pastries from Panico and a pour-over from El Apapacho, a bastion of quality Mexican coffee.

Meanwhile, trendy Monono Cafe caters to the city’s thriving digital nomad scene – you won’t regret a slice of their signature avocado pie, paired with a local glass of orange wine.

open image in galleryBernal is a ‘pueblos mágicos’, or place of special cultural richness (Phoebe Harper)

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When taco cravings strike, factor in an evening pilgrimage to celebrated local stall El Feo – you’ll spot it by the queue winding round the block on Calle Corregidora and the mouthwatering smell of chorizo.

Although this is Central Mexico, there is surprisingly good seafood to be found; try PalMar for exceptional aguachiles and a decent clamatos for a reliable hangover cure.

Sundays in Querétaro mean barbacoa – a kind of pit-roasted lamb that’s Mexico’s answer to a Sunday roast – or carnitas.

For an authentic experience, visit Don Chamorro at the Mercado de la Cruz if you can stomach the meaty aromas and an unhealthy amount of pork. Don’t be surprised to get a few curious looks and be prepared to dust off your high school Spanish.

Back at Hércules, the night is just beginning, as the reggaeton call of the city’s newest nightclub beckons. Next to me, a group of revellers pick up a long pole leaning against the wall, reach for the disco ball to roaring cheers and send it spinning.

How to do it

Querétaro’s international airport (QRO) is well-connected, with direct flights from major US hubs and Mexico City. American Airlines flights from London Heathrow, via Dallas Fort Worth, start at £773 return.

Within Mexico, the city can be easily reached by coach (roughly three hours from CDMX) and has good connections with other destinations, including Bernal, Guanajuato and San Miguel de Allende.

The centro histórico is best accessed by taxi, Uber or Didi (the latter is usually cheaper) from either the airport or central bus station.

Where to stay

The design-forward, five-star Hotel Hércules is located a 15-minute taxi ride from the centro histórico. Here you can enjoy the Buenavista Social Club and easy access to the beer garden with great dining options. Prices start at £130 per night.

For somewhere more centrally located, Hotel Criol has a contemporary feel with various room options, pool access and great rooftop views. Prices start at £140 per night.

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