The Mythical Town of San Sebastián Bernal
Due to the global shortage of rental cars, I decided early on to rely entirely on public transportation for our recent trip to Central Mexico. From the get-go, I was determined not to take any day trips. Instead, we opted to stick with four cities: Querétaro, Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende, and Mexico City. Each city is packed with fascinating sights and rich history and worth several days of sightseeing. But as soon as I saw a picture of the town of Bernal, I was instantly intrigued. I knew instantly that if we were to do a day trip on this trip, it would have to be Bernal.
Located 35 miles northeast of downtown Querétaro, this little town of less than 4,000 is known to be the most popular day trip destination from Querétaro and San Miguel de Allende. The main attraction that draws so many visitors is Peña de Berna (or just Peña)l, a massive monolith that is 433 meters tall. It is said to be one of the highest monoliths in the world. Personally, I have a hard time telling the difference between a rocky mountain outcrop and a monolith. According to geologists, Peña was formed as the relic of a volcanic eruption from the Jurassic Period. The lava from the volcano's center is harder than the surrounding crater. Over the millennia, the softer rock eroded away, leaving us with the hardened lava. Regardless of the science, there is no doubt Peña looks incredibly handsome or “heroic” even.
Even the OXXO convenience store is built to fit into the beautiful surroundings.
On our third day in Querétaro, we decided it was our chance to visit Bernal. Even though Brian was under the weather, I convinced him to accompany me. To make the journey as comfortable as possible, we opted for a 50-minute Uber ride instead of taking the local bus from the central station on the outskirts of Querétaro. The idea of a long Uber ride seemed almost unthinkable in New York. Because Bernal is not big enough to sustain Uber service, the ride from Querétaro is calculated as a round trip and costs more than a similar-length trip within the city. But at $500 pesos, it is still a steal by American standards. We certainly were not accustomed to traveling by private transport for long-distance.
As we approached Bernal, Peña emerged out of the horizon. Compared to the surrounding landscape, the monolith is quite a sight. You could see it from just about every corner of the town. The driver dropped us off at Calle Mesón. From there, it was only one block from the center of town. More than any other Mexican town I have visited so far, Bernal is perhaps the most fairytale-like of them all. Bernal was inscribed as the fifteenth Pueblos Mágicos of Mexico in 2005. For those unfamiliar with Pueblos Mágicos, it is a government program to promote the cultural heritage of Mexico’s smaller towns. Similar to the UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites program, the Pueblos Mágicos designation brings both coveted publicity and financial assistance.
Following continuous warfare between warring tribes in the 17th century, the town started out as a small military barracks. Formally known as San Sebastián Bernal, the town is dedicated to Saint Sebastian, the patron saint of soldiers. Nowadays, the town is under daily siege, not by soldiers but by hoards of tourists. I have to admit that I was not prepared by just how touristy this place is. Maybe it was New Year’s Eve, but I have been to another place in Mexico that is so Disney-like. The Christmas tree and nine-pointed star piñatas add to the town’s magical atmosphere.
Among Bernal’s popular attractions is its famous blue corn gorditas. The gorditas here are black, rather than in typical blue. The most popular appears to come from El Negrito Gorditas y Micheladas. Given that we just had a big breakfast an hour ago, we opted to come back around lunch. Little did we know that the line was a hundred people deep by then. So I am afraid to say that we missed out on this iconic dish of Bernal. However, we did have to do a double-take on the stand’s black-faced mascot and logo. This was actually not the first time we saw black-faced characters in Mexico. I suppose they must have a very different sensibility on this particular issue in Mexico.
The best way to enjoy the dramatic monolith was from a rooftop. For a town of its size, there are many rooftop restaurants and bars. Given Brian was still under the weather, we opted for a relatively early lunch at Restaurante Milo's. While the food may not be the best we have ever had, the views made it the best dining experience on this trip. According to our trusted guidebook, many believe Peña possesses special mythic power from the Earth. I suppose it was the same logic of how people think the same for the crystal. Bernal is particularly popular on the spring and fall equinox when it is believed the spiritual forces are the strongest.
All contemporary new age practices aside, many indigenous Otomí-Chichimeca people historically believe Peña holds some special healing powers. On the 4th of May each year, a well-organized pilgrimage took place to the top of the monolith to ask for water and divine protection. Pilgrims would carry a 187-pound wooden cross to the top. The practices mix Christian beliefs with indigenous practices like ancestor worship. The pilgrimage event and the associated rituals were inscribed on UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2009. The celebration of the indigenous culture could be observed throughout the town. My very favorite of them all would be the Saint Sebastian's Temple, right at the center of the town. In particular, the stone cross in front of the church is just endlessly fascinating to look at. Motifs of skulls and handprints are strikingly pre-Columbian.
After lunch, we decided to scout out the Peña to see whether we were up to summitting the monolith. Honestly, I was definitely skeptical due to Brian’s physical discomfort. To make our life easier, we opted to take one of the numerous tuk-tuks, which ferries visitors from the town center to the trailhead at the base Peña. At $50 pesos, the ten-minute ride was definitely worth it. We were surprised how steep the streets were and it may take us almost an hour just to cover that distance. Much to our delight, the trailhead is well organized with plenty of amenities and a beautiful musical fountain. Oddly, from the base of the monolith, the Peña seems a lot more foreboding than it was back in the town center.
Because it is a monolith, there was relatively little shade to shield us from the intense sun. Luckily, we had the straw hat we bought a few days ago at Teotihuacán. Along the trail were numerous vendors selling everything from gorditas to local crystals. But what caught my attention was the blender-size jars of margaritas. However, we understood that might not be best on my way to a major hike under the intense afternoon sun. After a ten-minute hike, we looked at each other and concluded that neither of us was ready to commit. We can better understand the scale and see the hikers up at the top as we get closer. It was clear that it could take us two hours just to summit.
There is a little sadness in us, but it did give us a good excuse to make a return visit. At the end of the day, there was no reason to push ourselves beyond our limit on vacation. For anyone who wishes to climb to the top of the Peña, I recommend staying overnight and getting an early start in the morning. Another reason to stay the night is to enjoy the night view. The town turned on the floodlight and made the Peña even more dramatic than it was already. Based on the pictures online, Peña at night looks amazing!
Overall, our visit to Bernal was quite brief. I honestly wish we had stayed overnight and enjoyed the tranquility of the small-town ambiance. Despite its small size, Bernal has plenty of interesting boutique shops showcasing regional crafts and artworks. We bought a couple of amazing pieces by noted ceramist Javier Servin. Although this type of ceramics is not to my taste, the craftsmanship and price point of these pieces make them a steal. And if you have no more room in the luggage, there are quite a few specialty stores for local wine and cheese. Who knew Querétaro has a thriving artisanal wine and cheese industry?
With Brian feeling progressively worse, we decided to head back to Querétaro City well before the sunset. Because Uber is generally not available from Bernal, we opted to take the bus back. As far as I am aware, no published bus schedule was available. All I knew was that they were supposed to run somewhere between 30 to 60-minute intervals. And like many Mexican small towns, bust stops are often unmarked. Since we took the Uber here, we had no idea where the pickup point was. All I knew was that it was somewhere along Calle Benito Juárez.
We spotted a Flecha Azul bus just as we got to Calle Benito Juárez by serendipity. In that instance, we felt like the luckiest guys in the world. Otherwise, we may have to stand on a busy road for up to an hour. The bus ride was quite comfortable and only a fraction of the cost compared to private transport. Well, we will certainly return next time we are in Querétaro.
