Bustamante is a small magical town in Nuevo Leon. It is a 1 hour 35 minutes drive north of Monterrey. A perfect city escape and an excellent opportunity to experience the small-town lifestyle of Mexico.
Bustamante is classified as pueblo magico, which means translated as a magical town. In the whole of Mexico are 132 magical towns. These extraordinary towns represent a historical value and/or natural beauty. Nuevo Leon, the state I have been living in, has three magical towns, namely Bustamante, Linares and Santiago.
How to get to this magical town of Mexico?
Bustamante is not easy to reach if you don’t have your own vehicle. I chose public transportation and hitchhiked a part of the way to get there. Public transportation that leaves Monterrey ends at Salinas Victoria. From there, it is just about following the highway, that leads goes north in almost a straight line. The landscape is magnificent in some parts of the way. Watch out for the holes in the streets, they are enormous.
Once you arrive in Bustamante, it is easy to get an overview of the town, as it is pretty small. There is the main square with the Bustamante letters. The main street with shops and restaurants. And accommodation facilities spread around the village.
Where to sleep in Bustamante?
I chose a budget accommodation and stayed in Hostal Bustamante. Probably the only hostel in town. The rooms were big. They have around four 12-bed-room dorms. When I visited the magical town, the hostel was almost empty and I had a room for myself. They also have a kitchen and an absolutely lovely garden.
A different accommodation option is the Hotel Ancira, which was recommended to me for its restaurant. While eating there, I could look at their courtyard, which looked gorgeous.
Bustamante is also suitable for camping. Along the “Cañon De Bustamante”, which is a valley road, there are pitches to park and camp. For everyone looking for more comfort, there is the option of staying in a cabin.
The significant attractions of Bustamante
The eye of the water
“Cañón Ojo de Agua Bustamante,” a natural spring, directly translated “eye of water”. This natural spring has a crystal clear blue color, which it gets from the minerals it contains. At the beginning of the canyon road, there is a gate where you need to pay for entrance, which is around 250 Pesos. But to be honest, I’m not sure if that might also include camping. I went with some guys that work for the town, so we went for free. At the gate, there are some pools to relax in (for swimming, it is too shallow). As well as at the end of the road are more natural held pools and BBQ facilities. Don’t miss this drive along the canyon and seeing the beauty of nature and don’t forget your swimsuit. 😉
Las Grutas de Bustamante – The Caves
That’s something you shouldn’t miss, alone for the drive up the mountain and the views getting better and better with each curve. The price to visit Las Grutas de Bustamante is 40 pesos. Busses drive up the hill to the caves’ entrance from the parking lot. From there, a tour through the stunning natural spectacle begins. Unfortunately, the tour guide only spoke Spanish, but my companions tried to translate a bit. It is fresh in the cave but not too cold. It simply feels like natural air conditioning.
It’s hard to describe the cave which isn’t the only one in Nuevo Leon, so let the pictures speak.
Foodies! What you need to try at pueblo magico
In town, you can find bakeries on every corner. So make sure you try the famous Bustamante bread. Pecan nuts are growing at this extraordinary place. There is a shop at the main beginning of the road where you can get them cheap. If you go further into the town, the nuts are more expensive (especially in the bakeries). Pecan nuts look like walnuts, but they don’t taste that intense.
Best time to visit the magical town Bustamante
It can be visited all around the year. However, I would recommend it in October/November or around springtime. I saw this town in Mexico in September and it was sweltering. For me, it was even hotter than Monterrey. I would not suggest going from November to February when you plan to go camping as it can get pretty cold.
