An hour north of Mexico City there’s a different Mexico far from the mega-resorts of the coasts. It’s here near the tiny town of San Agustin I found gently rolling hills of green farmland and red dirt roads lined with wildflowers and agave plants, where everyone greets you with a friendly “Hola, buenas dias!”. This Eden is where springtime temperatures last the entire year, the silence is only broken by the sounds of songbirds and waterfalls and horses are a way of life. This is Rancho Las Cascadas.
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Just over an hour’s ride from Queretaro airport (a great option if you don’t want to deal with the traffic near Mexico City) I got my first glimpse of Rancho Las Cascadas, driving through the gates I was welcomed by a fountain backed by the hacienda, a decorative garden to the right and beyond that a corral where the Rancho’s herd of over 30 horses reside. The simple exterior of the hacienda belies the beauty of what lies behind those thick lava rock walls, the front door opens onto a peaceful courtyard with guestrooms to the right and the kitchen and dining room to the left.
Guest rooms are comfortable, with cushy beds and simple bathrooms decked out in pops of bright colors. The Mexican decor extends to the common areas, a library filled with books and board games, tequila and margaritas are always available at the complimentary bar and Frida looks over everything.
Just past the veranda where a generous buffet breakfast is served is the gorgeous pool that looks over a small canyon and the waterfalls that the ranch is named for. In all truth you could spend your entire trip at the pools, margarita in hand and being spoiled silly by the friendly staff, but what makes the ranch special is the surrounding countryside that can be explored by horseback or your own two feet. I did both.
Within five hours of arriving in Mexico Steve and I found ourselves hiking to waterfalls with Mexican cowboys.
As one does.
Having visited during the rainy season the ranch’s canyon was lushly green and the cascades were voluminous. Cacti were heavy with prickly pear (which the locals call tuna, like the fish), butterflies floated among wildflowers and water bubbled over limestone rocks. It’s easy to see why the beauty of the canyon drew owner Uchi, a Swiss expat, to build her ranch here. In fact it’s pretty common for visitors to the ranch to become enchanted by the area; manager Jenni vacationed here, loved it so much and ended up making this her home for the past 8 years.
After spending the day hiking or horseback riding Ranch Las Cascadas offers plenty of ways to relax, the most popular of which is lazing in the pool with margarita in hand and gazing out over the horizon. While I didn’t have time to take advantage of them on this visit, the ranch also offers yoga, a wide range of holistic spa services and a traditional Mexican temezcal or sweat lodge.
Food is also a big deal at Rancho Las Cascadas with homecooked meals based on what’s fresh and in season. Lunches are served al fresco and always start with an all-too-addicitve guacamole. Evening brings about four-course dinners that include local grass fed steak, farm fresh vegetables and homemade desserts.
What really brings people to Rancho Las Cascadas is the horses. American cowboy culture actually has it’s roots in the Mexican charro heritage that started in the 1500’s in Central Mexico and is as vibrant as ever today. These aren’t your average nose-to-tail rides either; Rancho Las Cascadas tailors rides to each rider, whether you want to enjoy the scenery on a slow leisurely ride or feel the wind in your hair galloping across the Mexican plateau. Rancho Las Cascadas also has everything needed to outfit you for your ride, from boots to chaps to cowboy hat.
We met just after breakfast for our first ride of the day with our wrangler Luis, a young man who had spent most of his life in the saddle. Steve had a grayish steed named Navajo while I initially had Calypso, a gentle roan giant often used for horse yoga. Luis led us through the ranch on Vivaldi, a quick chestnut horse, and then down the road past tidy homes with yards full of free-range chickens and turkeys. Crossing a small stream we made our way through some of the most beautiful farmland I have seen; corn taller than me, the landscape intensely green and punctuated with cacti and agave, the only sounds the wind and our horses. It was here we attempted to canter for the first time and I discover that as nice as Calypso was, he was just too big of a horse for me. Each bounce I gained some major airtime as I just couldn’t put my weight through the stirrups for control. Luis stopped to switch horses with me and Vivaldi was a much better fit.
I was too gun-shy to try cantering again immediately so we just enjoyed a leisurely ride through the countryside. We stopped briefly in the small village of Colorado to buy drinks at a local shop, and we were instantly greeted by a canine welcoming committee that consisted of a sweet German Shepard and the most lovable pit bull on the planet. After three hours we returned to a well-earned al fresco lunch of tostadas and guacamole.
After our first ride in the morning we were hooked and ready to get back in the saddle. This time we were joined by a group of Luhftansa flight attendants who came up from Mexico City just to ride for the afternoon after seeing pictures from friends who were there previously. I again was matched with Vivaldi having enjoyed my ride with him in the morning. Again we rode out through the gorgeous farmland surrounding the ranch but this time our path started heading upward. Luis led us up to the Puerta del Sol, a small mountain that offered spectacular views in all directions. The lush green of the grass was broken by pops of yellows and pinks from emerging wildflowers and everything was capped by the brightest blue sky. Taking in the view from atop Vivaldi I was honestly surprised more people weren’t aware of just how beautiful this part of Mexico was.
Making our way back to the ranch Luis asked if I wanted to try to canter again. Having spent several hours riding I was much more confident of my abilities in the saddle so I nodded yes. This time I was able to sync my movements with Vivaldi, riding out over the green expanse with the wind in my hair and the sun at my back was both exhilarating and freeing. It was at this moment I understood the real allure of Rancho Las Cascadas and I know one day I’ll find my way back to this truly special part of Mexico.
Saakshi Kumaraswamy says
The place looks beautiful! It must have been a great day!
HorseWeb says
Nice place! I would like to repeat your trip and wonder if I could. Maybe because of COVID-19, many places would be closed.