Quick answer
From Pachuca to Real del Monte by car is just about 12 kilometers, 15 to 20 minutes uphill. From there, Huasca de Ocampo —the first Magic Town in Mexico, named in 2001— is about 20 km more, with the Basaltic Prisms very close. And on the other side, Mineral del Chico and El Chico National Park are about 29 km from Pachuca. These sierra towns are close to each other but poorly connected by public transport: with your own car you chain them in a single day, at your own pace. This is the getaway that pairs best with a rented vehicle.
Why do the Hidalgo sierra by car and not on a tour?
Hidalgo's mountain corridor gathers several Magic Towns a few kilometers from one another, but public transport between them is limited and on loose schedules. A tour takes you to one or two points with fixed times and group rush. With your own car, instead, you decide: you arrive early in Real del Monte when the paste shops open, go down to the mines when you like, and continue to Huasca or El Chico without waiting for anyone. That freedom is exactly what a rented vehicle gives you and a tour doesn't.
Real del Monte: pastes, mines, and the English cemetery
Real del Monte, officially Mineral del Monte, is a Magic Town and perhaps the most endearing stop on the route. About 12 km from Pachuca, this old silver center holds a strong English mark: in 1824 a mining company from Cornwall, England, arrived, and with it the pasty, ancestor of the Hidalgo paste. Here you try the original paste —potato with meat, and also sweet ones— and visit historic mines like the Acosta Mine or La Dificultad, with its roughly 400-meter tunnel now turned into a museum. Up high, the English cemetery holds the graves of the Cornish miners who gave the town its identity.
Huasca de Ocampo and the Basaltic Prisms
Huasca de Ocampo has a place in history: it was the first Magic Town in Mexico, named in 2001, when the Ministry of Tourism's program began. Its great attraction is the Basaltic Prisms of Santa María Regla, basalt columns between 30 and 50 meters tall formed by the slow cooling of lava, in a ravine where waterfalls fall. The naturalist Alexander von Humboldt already promoted this spot in 1803. Around it, former haciendas, dams, and the town with its legend of duendes round out the plan. From Real del Monte it's about 20 km, and with the new road opened in 2025 the trip between the two Magic Towns is shorter.
Tip
The Basaltic Prisms and several haciendas charge entry, almost always in cash. Bring pesos, comfortable shoes for the ravine's trails and walkways, and something warm; by mid-afternoon the sierra's weather changes fast.
Mineral del Chico and El Chico National Park
On the other side of Pachuca, about 29 km away (around 45 min), is Mineral del Chico, another Magic Town of the sierra, surrounded by El Chico National Park. This park has a notable fact: it's the first protected natural area in Mexico, decreed in 1898, with pine, oak, and fir forests, trails, overlooks like Peña del Cuervo, and areas to camp or climb. It's the green complement to the loop: if Real del Monte and Huasca are mines and pastes, El Chico is mountain forest. With your own car you can add it the same weekend without depending on long transfers.
“The Hidalgo sierra isn't measured in kilometers but in stops: a paste at dawn, a mine at midday, some prisms in the afternoon. The car is what threads them together.”
— KORU RENT
One day or two? How to plan your trip
It can be done in a single long day from Pachuca: get up early for Real del Monte for pastes and mines, eat on the way to Huasca de Ocampo, and close at the Basaltic Prisms. But if you have the weekend, sleeping a night in Real del Monte or Huasca makes the trip more enjoyable and lets you add Mineral del Chico and El Chico National Park without rushing. With your own car, the decision is yours and you can change it on the fly; with a tour, you can't. That's why this loop is among those that make the most of a rented vehicle.
Car rental in Pachuca: the complete guide
How to arrive and get around the Bella Airosa with your own car
Car rental in Pachuca with delivery
Get the car at your hotel and start your sierra route
KORU in Pachuca: destination and waitlist
Follow the launch in the city
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
Your sierra route, whenever you want
Real del Monte, Huasca de Ocampo, and Mineral del Chico are the best argument for driving yourself in Hidalgo: towns close to each other, linked stops, and no one else's rush. When KORU RENT arrives in Pachuca, we want this sierra route to be as simple as picking up the keys. Join the waitlist and we'll notify you as soon as we launch.
KORU Team · Pachuca to Real del Monte and Huasca de Ocampo route guide · 2026