Mexico Guide
The Bajío
Xilitla
Travelling through the Sierra Gorda is a joy in itself, but really doesn't prepare you for the picturesque small town of Xilitla, sprawled over the eastern foothills some 320km northeast of Querétaro. With limestone cliffs all about it, it is a dramatic location, and at 600m, it is warmer than the Bajío and with a lusher feel. There are tremendous views over the surrounding temperate rainforest, which is thick with waterfalls, birdlife and flowers, particularly wild orchids. It is mainly of interest as a place to relax, though you might devote a few minutes to admiring the beautifully preserved interior of the sixteenth-century Ex-Convento de San Agustín, which overlooks the central plaza, Jardín Hidalgo.
The real justification for the lengthy journey to Xilitla is to visit Las Pozas (roughly 9am–6pm; M$30), some 2.5km east of town along a dirt road: head down Ocampo on the north side of the square, turn left and follow the signs. It is a pleasant walk downhill on the way there, or you can grab a taxi for around M$60. Here, English eccentric Edward James spent the 1960s and 1970s creating a surreal jungle fantasy full of completely useless concrete buildings. Sprouting beside nine pools ("pozas") of a cascading jungle river you'll find a spiral staircase that winds up until it disappears to nothing, stone hands almost 2m high, thick columns with no purpose, a mosaic snake and buildings such as the "House With Three Stories That Might be Five" and "The House Destined To Be a Cinema". Only one is in any sense liveable, a hideaway apartment four storeys up where James spent much of his time. With so little complete, there are all sorts of unprotected precipices: take care.
Mildew now ages the concrete beyond its years, and in places it is crumbling away revealing the reinforcing steel beneath, but it all adds to the enchanting quality of the place. You could see everything in an hour or so, but plan to spend the better part of a day here bathing in the pools and just chilling out; best bring your own lunch.
Back in town, call at the Museo Edward James, behind the Posada El Castillo (nominally daily 10am–6pm, but actually open when they feel like it; M$30), which showcases James's life and particularly his work here. Photos of the construction are particularly worth perusing.
Getting to Xilitla isn't difficult, but it can be time-consuming. Eight twisting hours through the Sierra Gorda from Querétaro (7 buses daily), it's perhaps most easily accessed from the unexciting but sizeable town of Ciudad Valles; hourly; 1hr 30min), some 60km north. There are also one or two services direct from Tampico and San Luis Potosí: all pull up outside one of two bus company offices close to Jardín Hidalgo. There's no tourist office, but everything else (including several banks with ATMs and the post office) is easy to find on the streets nearby. Here, too, you'll find several serviceable restaurants, and simple and clean accommodation.
The place to stay in Xilitla is 
Posada El Castillo, Ocampo 105, half a block down from the plaza ( 
489/365-0038, 
www.junglegossip.com/castillo.html ; no credit cards; Price: M$500-750), in the house where James lived when he wasn't ensconced in his hut or apartment at Las Pozas. His spirit still inhabits the eight highly individual guestrooms, designed by Esquer and harmoniously blending Mexican, English and Moorish styles. There's a lovely pool, meals are served and the hosts not only speak English but also have produced a documentary on James's life and work, which they screen for guests. If your budget can't stretch this far, stay at Hotel Dolores, Matamoros 211 ( 489/365-0178, www.hoteldoloresxilitla.com ; Price: M$200-250), a modern and very clean hotel featuring rooms with TV and fan, some also with a/c and fine mountain views (Price: M$350-500). A pool is in construction. To get there, follow Hidalgo east from the main square for one long block, head straight across the road and down a long flight of stairs. At the bottom of the steps turn left. The cheapest rooms are at Hotel Casa María Mercado, Guerrero 103, tucked in behind the market ( 489/365-0049; Price: M$150-200). They're all decent, clean and ranged around a modern central courtyard. Those on the top floor have more air and limited views.