Santa María del Río

Santa María del Río is a town in San Luis Potosi. It calls itself the cradle of the rebozo, staking a claim to one of Mexico's most well known textile handcrafts. The town is one of Mexico's Pueblos Mágicos and has a charming city center with two large plazas, some beautiful colonial churches, canoeing and kayaking on the river, and some fascinating remains of colonial-era haciendas.

Understand
The town's populations is about 12,000 people. If you include all the farms and villages of the greater municipality, the population of the whole area is almost 40,000.

History
Santa María del Río got its name from a Spanish viceroy in 1589, when it was still a small, young town. The area was originally home to the Guachichil, but experienced an influx of Otomi people following the conquest. The first group of Spaniards to make an imprint on the area were the Franciscan missionaries who evangelized the area in the early 16th century. The Franciscan convent was built in 1604.

During the 18th century, several haciendas developed the area's agricultural industries, as well as the mining industry. The town was known for its cinnabar (mercury ore) deposits.

Geography
The town lies along the Santa Maria River in a dry, mountainous area on the western edge of the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range. It is a scenic area with waterfalls, slow moving waters, caves, and woodlands. Thermal springs at Balneario de Lourdes are a source for bottled mineral water.

Get in
The easiest way to Santa Maria del Rio is by car, either taxi or on your own. A taxi will cost about M$400.

By car
From San Luis Potosi, it is an easy 40-minute drive to Santa Maria del Rio. Simply take federal highway MEX 57 (Carr. Matehuala-San Luis Potosi) south for 52 km and you'll be there.

Get around
The town is fairly compact and easily walkable, but you'll want a taxi for touring the haciendas or visiting waterfalls or other natural sites outside the town itself.

Do

 * Hacienda tour - you can visit several 17th century haciendas near the town in some of the surrounding villages, haciendas include: Hacienda de Lourdes, Hacienda Badillo, Hacienda Labor del Rio, Villa Quemada



Festivals

 * Feria Regional del Rebozo (Regional Rebozo Fair) - happens each year in early August, one of the biggest events of the town's social calendar, the main attraction is the runway show featuring work of the area's best artisans and showcasing their latest designs, other attractions of the fair are folk dancing, music, food, and fireworks.

Eat
Santa Maria del Rio has a small, tight-knit Chinese-Mexican community, many of them 4th generation. Several restaurants in town serve Chinese-Mexican cuisine, a happy marriage of two great cuisines.

Go next

 * San Luis Potosi
 * Real de Catorce