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Peña de Bernal
About 40 minutes away: how to climb it, when to go and what to eat below.
The Peña de Bernal is one of the largest monoliths in the world: some 350 meters of rock above the town of the same name, also a Pueblo Mágico. Since 2009, the places of memory of the Otomí-Chichimeca people of Tolimán, which include the Peña, have been on UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. From Tequis it is the obvious half-day trip.
Getting there
By car it takes about 40 minutes: highway 120 to Ezequiel Montes and from there to Bernal, which belongs to that municipality. The big wineries are on the way, so you can come back via Freixenet or Viñedos Azteca (they are in the wineries guide).
There is no direct bus from Tequis: you would have to go to Ezequiel Montes and take local transportation from there. The practical options are to drive or join a tour.
Climbing the Peña
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Without gear, a trail goes up to the cross, halfway up the rock. It takes between 45 minutes and an hour and a quarter, depending on your fitness; wear shoes with good grip. Above that it is rock climbing, with gear and a certified guide.
The trail was closed for almost a year because of the risk of rockslides and reopened in March 2026, with a weekly visitor limit. Access has gone from a token fee to free; it is open during daylight hours. Check before you go, because this has changed several times.
Start between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m. and come down before 11: from March to May the sun is strong from mid-morning, and from June to September storms roll in during the afternoon. Bring at least a liter of water per person, a cap and sunscreen.
The equinox
From March 19 to 21, thousands of people climb up to welcome spring. If you go on those dates, start before six or avoid the busiest days. In May, the Santa Cruz festival also goes up to the summit.
The town of Bernal
Down in the town of Bernal are the church of San Sebastián Mártir (early 18th century), El Castillo, from the 17th century and with a German clock, the Capilla de las Ánimas and the Museo de la Máscara (Mask Museum).
What people buy here are wool textiles woven on looms more than a hundred years old: rebozos, rugs, cushions and jackets.
Gorditas de maíz quebrado
They are Bernal’s signature food. The corn dough is not ground fine on the metate, and that’s why the gorditas come out crunchy on the outside and soft inside. They are split open, filled and fried. The classic fillings are cheese, queso enchilado or chicharrón crumbs, always with molcajete salsa.
The food market on Benito Juárez street, near the highway, is open every day.
The Peña seen from Tequis
On clear days you can see the Peña in the distance from Tequis. The old train station on the outskirts of town is called Estación Bernal precisely because of that view, although the building is run-down today.