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Last Updated on February 7, 2021 by Natalie

Ever heard of the Peña de Bernal in San Sebastian Bernal? ? I hadn’t! I didn’t even know exactly what we were doing. Was it a crater? A mountain hike? Or some other natural phenomenon? Mexico is full of natural wonders and the Peña de Bernal, located in Bernal, Queretaro, Mexico is one of them.

Fun fact: Sometimes, while flying into the Queretaro airport, the Peña de Bernal can be seen from the airplane. I was once lucky enough to be sitting at the window seat on the correct side of the plane and got to see it from the air!

Peña de Bernal, Queretaro, Mexico

Peña de Bernal is the world’s third tallest monolith. Hiking is allowed, however you can’t get all the way to the top. To get to the highest accessible point, you will need to have climbing gear and hire a guide. What a cool adventure!

To top it off, Bernal is surrounded by one of the coolest little towns in Central Mexico: San Sebastian Bernal. Of course, if you say Bernal, everyone knows exactly what you mean.

Fun fact 2: You may have searched for Pena de Bernal to find this page, but pena means something different than peña. It’s correctly spelled Peña de Bernal.

We finally got ourselves moving one Saturday morning in July and headed to Bernal. It’s around a 45 minute drive from Queretaro (the nearest large city and as always, that timing depends on the traffic). After a harrowing trip through the city, we drove into the much calmer Mexican countryside.

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All about San Sebastian de Bernal, Quertaro

San Sebastian Bernal is a village located in the state of Queretaro, Mexico. Why this particular place is on the map is due to the monolithic rock that graces its skyline. The Peña de Bernal is the third highest on the planet. Apparently, you can trek to the chapel on the rock and many people do this hike on Sundays. The town itself is a touristy place, but it seems like it isn’t well known outside of Mexico.

Peña de Bernal dominates the views in Bernal, which is really saying something, since the town is surrounded by mountains. Fun fact, central Mexico is beautiful, especially in the tail end of the rainy season (July and August). In July, that means the mountains surrounding the valleys are brilliant green.

Visit Peña de Bernal with Kids

We’ve visited twice now. Our first experience was during our first year as expats and our children were 4 and 5. We were also living a little farther away in Celaya, Guanajuato.

We should’ve planned to leave for Bernal earlier in the day. It was quite hot when we arrived and the first thing we did was stop for food. The place we stopped was basically a large food stall. We sat at a neat little table, but it was next to the back where they clearly dumped their food refuse. Every once in awhile, a nauseating smell wafted past our noses. The food was okay. We’ll stop somewhere else next time. As usual, one child refused to eat (and yes, this child was also understandably grumpy for the majority of this visit).

On our walk up, we stopped by an ice cream place. I also bought some earrings for my mom in one of the little shops. We never did find the path you can hike to get to the church at the highest point (you have to keep going up and then up some more). We did meander up the city streets and through all the wonderful tourist-y shops. I found my awesome flower shirt and belt there and for much less dinero than they were charging in Guadalajara.

Visiting Bernal with older kids

We visited the second time in late 2020, with children ages 7 and 8. Driving from our home in Queretaro was a breeze. We parked in the same spot, so we were essentially starting from the bottom and walking our way up. It is around a mile from  the parking lot to the entrance to Bernal.  We finally got to the top where the entrance to the hike is located and we were turned away due to the children. So, the kids and I still haven’t climbed it.

Can You Climb the Peña de Bernal with Kids?

Yes, but in 2020/2021, kids aren’t allowed to climb it. Solely due to a virus, not skill level concerns.

My husband took a second trip to Bernal to attempt to climb it in 2017. He made it to the highest point you can get to without using mountain climbing equipment.

“I’m at the top. It rained, so it was slippery. And it’s foggy, so I can’t see a thing,” he said. “Nat, I don’t think the kids will be able to do this yet.” At this point, our kids were 4 and 5 years old. We did determine that during the dry season, we’d take them and see how high they could/wanted to climb.

Even with the rain and fog, he did take this fantastic picture:

It makes me think “Peña de Bernal, International Mountain of Mystery.”

This is a tough climb and the path looks like this:

The path isn’t really a path. It’s more of a climb. My husband decided to bring gloves, which he said was really helpful. Older kids may be able to do this without an issue. He did see young children climbing with their families.

What to Bring

I recommend:

• Sunscreen or wearing a long sleeved shirt
• Hat
• Sunglasses
• Water
• Hiking boots or solid shoes (no sandals or flip flops)

If you are planning on hiring a guide to do the actual climb, follow the instructions of the person you hire.

Reasons to visit the Pueblo Magico, Peña de Bernal

San Sebastian de Bernal is a Puebla Magico town. Pueblo Magico towns are towns with significant cultural riches, natural beauty, or historical relevance. Bernal was my first visit to a town with this designation (San Miguel de Allende was removed from the list in 2009). It definitely meets the criteria for natural beauty!

It’s touristy, but not overrun with people. Sundays are likely to be busier, given that people do the pilgrimage to reach the church at the highest point. It also isn’t polished like the Puerta Vallarta waterfront. It feels almost undiscovered.

There are shops, more shops, restaurants, and at a certain point, you get to start climbing the monolith. Lesser known towns are awesome places to grab souvenirs, because they are less expensive. There were so many things to choose from! Yes, I like souvenirs. When I am back there, I would like to get something that says “Puebla Magico” on it.

How to get to Peña de Bernal from Queretaro

The closest city is Queretaro. Visitors can fly into the QRO airport and arrange transportation to Bernal from there. There are buses available. Car rental is another option. It’s actually a pretty easy drive from the airport or anywhere in the city of Queretaro.

Map from the airport to the parking lot that we usually use is below. There are hotels and yes, you can drive to a different parking lot at the top, but it’s usually a busy village and the driving can be irritating. There are also people in small motorized vehicles who will be happy to drive you up to the hiking entrance for a price. Bring pesos!

From the parking lot we usually use to the entrance to the hiking trail:

In Conclusion

Mexico is full of wonderful, off the beaten path places like the Peña de Bernal. This particular destination gives you both the charm of a small, Mexican village combined with an amazing nature hike. There’s something for everyone, from those who just want to meander through an awesome town to those who want to tackle the monolith with professional climbing equipment.

Have you ever climbed the Peña de Bernal? The best feedback comes from my readers. Please leave a comment. Thank you!

 

 

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