The Cobblestone Road
Todays ride from Saltillo to Real de Catorce was going to turn into an interesting one for the last 30 kms. The road leading off of the main highway, is a 28 km cobblestone road that takes you though the mountains ending at the entrance to Tunel de Ogarrio. This is the 2km tunnel leading right into Real de Catorce.
Highway 57 from Saltillo to the cobblestone road turn off was very long and straight, but in great condition. We took a rest stop in the middle of cactus country. Francis commented that these look like “Dr. Suess trees”.
We pulled over right after turning onto the cobblestone road. The bikes got a going over looking for any loose items. And the GPS’s were taken off and put away.
At first the road felt slippery and my Rebel skittish. After a few kms I got settled in and relaxed with the feel of the road. I found the speed I was comfortable with. The 28 km distance passed by quickly and before I knew it, we had arrived at the tunnel entrance.
The Tunel de Ogarrio
The Tunel de Ogarrio is a single lane tunnel. So we had to wait about 30 minutes for our turn. It was a bit like getting on the B.C. Ferry system, motorbikes were lined up at the front of the line. First in, first out. Note the cobblestone road in my selfie pic lol.
Emerging from the darkness of the tunnel, your eyes needed a moment to adjust to the bright sunshine. Ahead of you is a wide open parking lot for traffic to line up. Then the road leading up into Real de Catorce, and yes, cobblestone streets.
In the end, I was grateful our hotel, Hotel Hacienda Encantada, was at the beginning of Real de Catorce, up only one steep street, and had some parking. We were soon to find out that many of the other hotels we read about were located up many steeply inclined streets without parking available on site.
After settling in, a bit of exploring the town, it was time to get some sleep and rest for tomorrow’s adventures in the area.
Next…exploring and adventures in Real de Catorce…
2 thoughts on “The Cobblestone Road”
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Loving the pics, loving the architecture. And also the tunnel. Brap
Thank you so much! Real de Catorce is an amazing, historic place to visit.