When I arrived in San Miguel de Allende 25 days ago for a nine-week journalism internship with Mexico News Daily, I set out to try and figure out why more Americans do not come to central Mexico, and if they should visit.
Every experience throughout my first three weeks affirmed the idea that Mexico should be a vacation destination. I had been exploring the colonial streets of San Miguel de Allende and had ventured down to Mexico City to witness 1.5 million people celebrate El Tri’s World Cup win over Ecuador. It was magical.
I have been savoring the food and drinks while relishing the fact that I get to intern abroad in what is sold as a haven for international tourists and expats. Everything had confirmed to me that central Mexico was a place that Americans should flock to.
Then I went to Querétaro, and my opinion changed.
It was just a day trip on a Sunday to explore parts of the city. I went with my coworker, María Ruiz, who went to college in Querétaro and lived there for eight years.
I had never heard of Querétaro before I booked a flight to its small international airport on my way to San Miguel. I imagine most Americans (who are not particularly praised for their knowledge of geography) have not heard of it either. After I got to San Miguel, I learned that Querétaro was one of the wealthiest cities in Mexico and a rapidly growing tech hub. Yet it remains practically unknown to its northern neighbors.
Arriving downtown, I was immediately in awe of the colonial center, which felt like a bigger version of San Miguel. Around every corner was a plaza with a fountain and people enjoying the weather. A lively Sunday market crowded the Andador Madero leading to the towering Temple of San Francisco. The Convent of Santa Clara de Jesús featured some of the most ornate gold-plated architecture I had ever laid eyes on, and the detailed walls of the free Art Museum of Querétaro added to the already impressive exhibits that fit so well with the city center.
So why did this objectively beautiful city make me change my tune?
No matter where we went, from a viewpoint of the iconic Querétaro Aqueduct to the crowded Alameda Hidalgo, there was a distinctive lack of Americans.
Last week I would have returned from the trip and sat down in the office to whip up a column on why more Americans should discover Querétaro. This week, however, I chose to think about it a little more.
American tourists have a reputation abroad for coming off as loud and obnoxious. Americans often do not put an emphasis on respecting local cultures or speaking local languages. Many take the time to research and make an effort to be respectful, but many do not. In Barcelona, so many vendors have begun catering exclusively to tourists that the city is becoming unlivable for locals. That’s why Barcelona’s mayor capped international visitors per year at 16 million, claiming that he wanted to see “not one tourist more.” The Catalan metropolis is also taking action to phase out short-term housing rentals that have sparked gentrification and forced locals out of the city. If the much smaller Querétaro stays hidden, it can avoid a similar fate.
The lack of Americans admiring Querétaro’s UNESCO world heritage sites felt incredibly refreshing. In San Miguel, I have been finding myself staying inside and away from the main touristy areas on the weekends just to avoid the massive crowds and swarms of visitors. Why explore the streets on a packed Saturday afternoon when I can do it on a Monday evening and feel like I have the city to myself?
It really is different here. A World Cup dispatch from MND’s summer intern
The weather was a perfect 75 degrees Fahrenheit and partly cloudy when I was in Querétaro. Its religious and cultural traditions were on display around every corner. Querétaro is a city of history, where French emperor Maximilian was killed in 1867 by Mexican resistance forces. It’s a modern city, where new glass high rises dot the surrounding hills and where the Antea Mall is regarded as one of the best in the country. So of course, there were Mexican tourists and locals walking around and enjoying the scenery, but it never felt cramped or crowded.
Tourism can be a good thing. It brings thousands of people to a single destination — people who will spend money at hotels, restaurants and attractions. Millions of Americans visit Mexico City annually, which has fundamentally changed the city’s international reputation. But too much tourism can quickly lead to overcrowding and gentrification. Querétaro is developing quickly as an economically prosperous hub for Mexicans. Americans should avoid what they often do — coming in unwanted and taking it for themselves.
So if you are already in central Mexico or already planning a trip to Querétaro, you should go! The plazas, churches, viewpoints and food make for an unforgettable excursion. But it is probably best if you do not tell your American friends. Querétaro deserves to remain a city by Mexicans, for Mexicans.
Jared Tucker is a summer intern at Mexico News Daily in San Miguel de Allende and a rising senior at the University of Washington in Seattle, where he is the sports editor for The Daily UW. He was previously a fellow at TheFulcrum.us, where he covered public participation in American democracy.
