INCIDENTALS Hotel Address Calle Morelos 3 Zona Centro Mineral del Chico, Hidalgo, México Hoteles Ecoturísticos (Corporate Offices) Ibsen No. 43 Desp. 601 Col. Polanco México, D.F., México Tel. (5) 281-60-50 Fax (5)281-57-87 Reservations (771)54-812, 50-190; Fax (771) 55-659 paraiso@mexline.com La Peña del Cuervo Restaurant Comfortable lobby with fireplace In-room safes Child-sitting services Environmentally friendly housekeeping options OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES Guided hikes Mountain Biking Sport Fishing* Rock/Mountain Climbing* Rappelling/Tyrolean Traverse* Automobile Tours* *additional charge POSADA DEL AMANACER A tiny former mining town, quaint street lamps lining cobblestone streets, fine food and four-star accommodations. They were in heaven. One couple had been travelling for weeks on end, the other couple lived in Mexico City. Both found just what they were looking for. Posada del Amanecer. Situated in the heart of tiny Mineral del Chico, in the Parque Nacional El Chico. With more than half a dozen outdoor activities to choose from, our travel weary couple slept in their first morning, accompanied by a slowly burning fire in the fireplace. Our Mexico City folks opted for sport fishing in the morning, and for the guided rock climbing adventure in the afternoon. The husband of our room-bound couple felt a little out of the loop, and decided to bone up on the local history. Reading to his wife, they learned that, Mineral Del Chico is roughly 20 kilometers from Pachuca, Capital of the state of Hidalgo, and an hour and a half from Mexico City. The town was founded by the Spaniards in the late 1560s and had as many as 100 active mines in that period. Currently the town has a population of roughly 500 with an economy which relies primarily on agriculture, crafts and eco-turism. El Chico National Park is located on the eastern side of the Sierra de Pachuca mountains and ranges in altitude from 2,320 meters to a height of 3,090 meters above sea level. In 1898 it became the first national park decreed a natural reserve. The park covers an area of 2,739 hectares and is popular with hikers, mountain bikers and rock-climbers who come to scale its rocky peaks, including "La Ventana", the highest point in the park, just outside of Mineral del Chico. Both couples, one exhausted from their vigorous afternoon, one still not out of bed, opted for room service from the hotel restaurant. Maybe tomorrow, we'll find they've traded their choice of daily activities… Sandcruiser Sez (1 shell=very bad, 3 shells=average/expected, 5 shells=it doesn't get any better than this) Cleanliness Location Value Atmosphere Service Activities Relaxation Potential Overall Rates (as of 7 Feb, 2001): Room $70 single/dbl - rates lower on weekdays, slightly higher during Christmas season, rooms with fireplace add $10 (worth it!!) Posada del Amanecer is a small, quiet place to rest and enjoy the clean mountain air of Mineral del Chico- you won't be hearing your neighbors' phone or TV, there aren't any. Situated right off of the main plaza of the small town, the Posada is an ideal place from which to base your strolls through the cobblestone streets or hikes into the surrounding national park. The recently remodeled rooms all have private baths and comfortable, modern furniture. The attached street side restaurant/cafe offers an small but excellent menu and the service is what you would expect of a four-star establishment; wonderful. For a larger, more luxurious experience further from the center of town, try the Hotel Paraíso, under the same ownership.