The fifth tallest in the world. 
Actopan is a small town near Pachuca, the capital of the state of Hidalgo. 
To get there, you just get on anything that goes to Pachuca (very frequent), then you get another bus for only MXN$20 (50 minutes). 
The ex-convent is one of the town’s main attractions. 
The convent is next to the cathedral. It’s similar to many others you can find in Mexico. 
The barbecue is the speciality in this town, which isn’t really barbeque at all. It’s nice, but the consume behind is the one that’s really different. I couldn’t taste the chicken at all. It’s a very rich soup. 
The ex-convent has a tower. 
Whilst artwork is not abundant, the murals here are great! 
The market where you can find the food court for the barbecue. 
The obelisk is in a park. 
View from the convent. 
The historic centre with President Juárez’s bust. 
The garden behind the convent. 
A school of some sort? Everything felt like Veracruz here. 
hidalgo
Real del Monte, Hidalgo, Mexico
Real del Monte, officially Mineral del Monte, is a small town near Pachuca, the capital of the state of Hidalgo (named after the Catholic priest who led the initial independence movement). It’s easily accessible by frequent colectivos ($10) from the centre of Pachuca ($8 collectivo from its coach terminal).
It’s known as a “Little Cornwall”, as it was one of the first places where miners from The Duchy of Cornwall came. Cornish pasties, often with creative fillings, is the specialty food in this area. The restaurant pictured above is hugely popular among the locals, and there is always two long queues – one for sitting, one for takeaways. The pastries are only $15 each and there are like 10 different options to choose from.
As a mining town, its main attraction other than its small historic centre, is the now abandoned Mina de Acosta.Â
It has now been revitalized as a museum.Â
The historic centre.
The museum isn’t very big. It houses several buildings, with some tunnels. There is always a guided tour (only in Spanish).
The cathedral. Not that impressive.
The tunnels are not too short, but there’s nothing much to see inside. Although it’s still nice to visit.
Tula, Hidalgo, Mexico
Tula is a small town in Hidalgo (named after the priest who started the independence war), reasonably close to the capital.
It was an ancient town (these were the only things left) built by the warrior race Toltec.
jagged little earth 