If you are about to take one of the flights to Monterrey, México and want to visit a place with a colonial and romantic touch, then you must know Santiago, also called the tourist heart of Nuevo León. This villa offers a great architectural wealth and charming corners that combine with the landscapes that surround the magical place, besides that its proximity to the city makes it a perfect option to walk because it is only 30 minutes away by car. The best thing is that already in the place, it is possible to stay there, to get to know the surroundings and new ways of doing adventure tourism.
The village is part of a canyon where the natives of the northern cultures called Quachichiles settled, who called the place Cuarisiezapa “where water abounds”. Santiago, despite being a few kilometers from the accelerated city of Monterrey, contrasts with a calm and naturally clear pace of life.
Imagine yourself in the middle of a colonial town surrounded by greenery and forests, a pleasant climate and provincial atmosphere; it will make you think that you arrived at a place where time stopped. Nothing like sitting on a bench while having a coffee and wake up the senses to perceive the smell of freshly baked bread.
The constructions of the place are historical, they tell us about the facts and life of the ancestors that founded the town, there are countless legends that you would like to hear, such as the rivers that sing songs when passing through Santiago, it is only question to ask any inhabitant or take a night walk through its streets in a walk of legends. Some of the architectural works worth seeing and photographing are the municipal palace and the house of culture, but the 18th century buildings that surround the main square are the best.
Every place should be complemented with excellent cuisine, and Santiago has a wide variety of restaurants where you can find dishes such as pork roast and dry beef stew, but like all northerners, they specialize in roast beef and cabrito. To quench your thirst you can´t miss a refreshing cane mead, and for dessert some glorias or a corn bread.
Moving from the cultural to the natural, the surroundings of Santiago are extraordinary. The dam “La Boca” is a body of water ideal for sports weekends and camping, with activities ranging from fishing to water skiing, there are also rides to ride horses and picnic to eat traditional dishes and seafood. On the other hand, there is “El Cercado”, a series of places to have fun in the middle of nature, the Potrero Redondo, the Arroyo de las Ánimas, the Ciénega de González and the San Isidro Canyon, all ideal for tourism adventure, since it is a zone of canyons, ideal for activities such as abseiling and rock climbing, mountain biking, canyoning and river descent.
This is the magically natural and cultural place that you should know when you take one of the flights to Monterrey, México, as you will be ensuring a series of truly special memories.