El Oro de Hidalgo

El Oro de Hidalgo is one of two magical towns often visited as part of a trip to the famous Monarch Butterfly refuge on the border between Michoacán and Mexico State. El Oro is just about 30 minutes to the north of the sanctuary. 

The town was long famous as one of the richest and most productive mining areas, and today it retains much of the ruddy mountain charm and character of that long past. The mines, evocatively called La Esperanza, El Consuelo, and La Providencia are still fondly recalled by the roughly 40,000 residents in the town. That remains quite a bit bigger than the neighboring magical village of Tlalpujahua about 10 kms directly west and across the state line in Michoacán.

Today people visit for the butterflies, but also for the majestic waterfall El Mogote. The Tepetongo aquatic park is some 30 minutes drive directly north of town. And the dams at Brockman and Villa Victoria both provide lakeside adventures in a cool mountain atmosphere. The old town is set up around the Guadalupe Church. But in El Oro, the church competes pretty directly for prominence with the Municipal Palace. The town is wonderful, walk-able, and loaded with cultural centers, the old Train Station, now a museum, and the Mexico State Mining Museum. 

People eat well too. Barbacoa is big. But carnitas and red or green mole are served in all the best places in and around the Historic Center. It\'s a big ceramics town with just some of the Christmas ornaments being smuggled over from Tlalpujahua where the industry runs everything.  

The town is about two and a half hours west of Mexico City. That\'s surprisingly close for how culturally distant it can seem. The Caminante bus line runs regular buses from Terminal Poniente - Observatorio terminal in Mexico City. The same busline also runs buses south from Queretaro. You may have to change buses at Atlacomulco. The trip takes about three and a half hours. Those driving from Valle de Bravo should expect a little more than two hours on the road.