Partners & Family
Vineyards, haciendas and country restaurants in Querétaro: 19 places to go as a couple or a family
By Daniel Santa Ana11 min read
In short
Six vineyards, six haciendas and six country restaurants on the outskirts of Querétaro, plus a special mention: where they are, how to get there, what they offer and what makes them unique, to plan an outing as a couple or a family.
Less than an hour from the city, Querétaro's landscape changes: vineyards, colonial-era haciendas and open-air restaurants where lunch stretches into the afternoon. It's one of the best ways to discover the region as a couple or as a family.
Many of these places are part of the Art, Cheese and Wine Route (Ruta del Arte, Queso y Vino), which runs through municipalities such as El Marqués, Colón, Ezequiel Montes, Tequisquiapan and San Juan del Río. In this guide we suggest 18 places, six of each kind: vineyards, haciendas and country restaurants, plus a special mention. For each one we tell you where it is and how to get there, what it offers and what makes it different.
Transcültural tip
Always book ahead. Querétaro is a very popular destination, especially on weekends and during harvest season, and showing up at a vineyard or country restaurant without a reservation often means waiting for hours or not getting a table at all.
Vineyards
Tierra de Alonso
Colón- Location
- In Purísima de Cubos, Colón municipality, on the Querétaro–Tequisquiapan highway. You get there along the same road that leads to the airport.
- Description
- A restaurant serving dishes with local flavors, paired with the house wines. It offers vineyard tours, tastings and workshops, and has a small stone hotel overlooking the vines. There's a children's area and pet-friendly spaces.
- What makes it unique
- Its stone architecture and picnics among the vines. It hosts events such as its harvest festival, with grape stomping and live music.
Finca Sala Vivé by Freixenet
Ezequiel Montes- Location
- At km 40.5 on the San Juan del Río–Cadereyta highway, Ezequiel Montes municipality, near Bernal and Tequisquiapan.
- Description
- A sparkling-wine cellar with guided tours, carriage rides and rides on its "grape bus", wine workshops and a shop. A very easy outing for families.
- What makes it unique
- Founded in 1979, it's one of the wineries with the longest history in the region and part of the Freixenet group, known for its sparkling wines.
Bodegas De Cote
Ezequiel Montes- Location
- In Ezequiel Montes municipality, about an hour from the city of Querétaro. You'll see the Peña de Bernal monolith on the way.
- Description
- A restaurant with an open-air terrace facing the vineyards and food made for pairing: pizzas, sharing plates and desserts. It offers wine tastings and a bike tour through the vineyard.
- What makes it unique
- Its vineyard views and its picnic area, where you sit on woven mats (petates) on the grass.
Puerta del Lobo
El Marqués- Location
- At km 4 on the La Griega–El Lobo road, El Marqués municipality, about five minutes from La Griega.
- Description
- A wine-tourism complex with two restaurants serving local food, Sarmiento and Ruinas, a lookout bar with wine and cheese boards, and experiences to make your own wine.
- What makes it unique
- A 150-hectare complex with a 27-hectare vineyard and nine grape varieties. It includes a residential development for living among the vines.
Viñedos Azteca
Ezequiel Montes- Location
- At km 40.4 on the San Juan del Río–Cadereyta highway, in Los Pérez, Ezequiel Montes municipality.
- Description
- Tastings of up to five wines, a vermouth bar, the El Itacate restaurant serving Italian-Mexican food, horseback riding, lakeside picnics and bottle painting for children. Pet-friendly.
- What makes it unique
- It was the first place in Mexico to produce vermouth, and it raises Azteca horses, the breed it's named after.
La Terquedad
Huimilpan- Location
- At km 8.8 on the Los Cués–Galindo road, in Los Cués, Huimilpan municipality.
- Description
- A family vineyard with the Tierra Yerma restaurant, serving Spanish-rooted dishes with French technique and Querétaro ingredients, paired with its own wine.
- What makes it unique
- Spending the afternoon eating under the olive trees, in a quiet setting away from the busiest routes.
Haciendas
Hacienda Atongo
El Marqués- Location
- In El Marqués municipality, about 30 minutes from the city of Querétaro, in El Marqués's hacienda and vineyard area.
- Description
- A restored colonial-era hacienda with its own vineyard, a restaurant using fresh local ingredients, and wines you can taste straight from the cellar.
- What makes it unique
- Walking the corridors of a colonial hacienda and dining surrounded by its original architecture.
Ex Hacienda El Lobo
El Marqués- Location
- In El Marqués municipality, in the same hacienda and vineyard area, east of the city.
- Description
- A late-17th-century hacienda restored as a hotel. Its restaurant, Los Olivos, serves contemporary Mexican cuisine with regional produce, and it has its own wine and a mezcal bar.
- What makes it unique
- Doors more than 500 years old, murals of local flora, fauna and historical figures, and a chapel that's very popular for weddings.
Hacienda Galindo
San Juan del Río- Location
- At km 5.5 on the Amealco–Galindo highway, San Juan del Río municipality, in the south of the state.
- Description
- A hacienda turned hotel, with a Mexican and international restaurant, a weekend buffet, large gardens, a pool and a children's play area.
- What makes it unique
- Its legend: it's said to have been a gift from Hernán Cortés to La Malinche. It's one of Querétaro's best-known haciendas.
Hacienda Amazcala
El Marqués- Location
- In El Marqués municipality, in the hacienda and vineyard area, about 30 minutes from the city.
- Description
- A hacienda with vineyards, gardens with artificial lakes and an 11-room hotel. Very popular for weddings and events.
- What makes it unique
- Built in the 16th century, it has a wine cellar 14 meters deep.
La Misión de Chichimequillas
El Marqués- Location
- In Chichimequillas, El Marqués municipality, north of the hacienda area.
- Description
- A former hacienda with gardens, a pool and a 13-room hotel. Ask when booking whether its restaurant is open yet.
- What makes it unique
- It was built by the Discalced Carmelite nuns in the early 17th century and was a major farming and ranching center.
Hacienda Viborillas
Colón- Location
- On State Highway 100, in Viborillas, Colón municipality, about 25 minutes from the city of Querétaro.
- Description
- A hacienda with gardens, terraces and event rooms. Its Muro de Piedra restaurant serves traditional Mexican cuisine with creative touches, such as shrimp in tamarind mole or bone-marrow sopes.
- What makes it unique
- An 18th-century hacienda that keeps its original architecture. Old train carriages line the way to the restaurant.
Country restaurants
Brasanta Campestre
Corregidora- Location
- In Corregidora municipality, about 15 minutes from Centro Sur, on the outskirts of the city.
- Description
- A grill and bar open from breakfast into the evening: grilled meats, octopus, seafood and pizzas. It has plenty of space for children to play.
- What makes it unique
- A countryside setting with a stream, just minutes from the city. Very convenient if you live in the south.
Cava Bocanegra
Tequisquiapan- Location
- At km 50 on State Highway 200, in Fuentezuelas, Tequisquiapan municipality.
- Description
- A cheesemaker with a gourmet restaurant above its cellar and a more casual deli. It offers cheese boards to pair with Querétaro wines and craft beers.
- What makes it unique
- Its underground cellar for aging cheese, which you can visit on a guided tour.
Bárbaro Asador de Campo
El Marqués- Location
- At Rancho El Oporto, El Marqués municipality, on the Mexico City–Querétaro highway.
- Description
- Country cooking over fire, with a seasonal menu. Open Thursday to Sunday; reservations required.
- What makes it unique
- Its own organic garden, which supplies much of what's served, and its vineyard. It offers tours from the garden to the wine cellar.
Olivo Tinto
Ezequiel Montes- Location
- In the Bernal area, Ezequiel Montes municipality, between a lake and vineyards.
- Description
- An open-air restaurant serving signature cuisine, surrounded by vineyards.
- What makes it unique
- Its direct view of the Peña de Bernal, one of the largest monoliths in the world.
La Ordeña (Rancho Santa Marina)
El Marqués- Location
- At Rancho Santa Marina, El Marqués municipality, in the hacienda and vineyard area.
- Description
- A countryside brunch featuring the cheeses made on the ranch.
- What makes it unique
- The ranch combines a vineyard with an artisanal dairy making organic sheep's and goat's cheese, and it's a tasting stop on El Marqués tours.
Dos Arroyos
Querétaro- Location
- Near Juriquilla, in Querétaro municipality, just minutes from the city.
- Description
- A country restaurant designed for family outings.
- What makes it unique
- It's open only on Saturdays and Sundays, and it's one of the closest country options if you live in the north of the city.
Special mention: Viñedos El Sueño
This place deserves its own section, because it doesn't fit into a single category: it's a vineyard, a restaurant and a project that keeps growing.
Viñedos El Sueño
Ezequiel Montes- Location
- At km 45 on State Highway 120 (San Juan del Río–Xilitla), Ezequiel Montes municipality.
- Description
- A boutique vineyard with its own wines and a modern-concept restaurant, very different from the region's traditional country style. According to specialist publications, the project includes several gourmet restaurants, an art gallery and a selection of high-end Spanish wines, such as Vega Sicilia, alongside its own.
- What makes it unique
- It's one of the few vineyards in the region open at night. It has an art collection and a collection of vintage vehicles, boasts the tallest wine rack in Latin America and has a helipad. It's a growing project: it plans an adults-only hotel, with an area already set aside for it, and lots for sale for a future residential development. It hosts large-scale events, such as its 2026 Vendimia Real (Royal Harvest) featuring flamenco dancer Joaquín Cortés.
Which one to choose? Quick comparison
Municipality:El MarquésEzequiel MontesColónTequisquiapanSan Juan del RíoCorregidoraHuimilpanQuerétaro
| Place | Type | Municipality | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tierra de Alonso | Vineyard | Colón | Couples or families; has a children's area |
| Finca Sala Vivé by Freixenet | Vineyard | Ezequiel Montes | Families; easy tours for all ages |
| Bodegas De Cote | Vineyard | Ezequiel Montes | Couples; picnics and views of Bernal |
| Puerta del Lobo | Vineyard | El Marqués | Couples; views and your own wine |
| Viñedos Azteca | Vineyard | Ezequiel Montes | Families; horses, a lake and activities for kids |
| La Terquedad | Vineyard | Huimilpan | Couples; a quiet afternoon among olive trees |
| Hacienda Atongo | Hacienda | El Marqués | Couples; history and house wine |
| Ex Hacienda El Lobo | Hacienda | El Marqués | Couples; a getaway with a hotel |
| Hacienda Galindo | Hacienda | San Juan del Río | Families; gardens, pool and play area |
| Hacienda Amazcala | Hacienda | El Marqués | Couples; a getaway with a hotel |
| La Misión de Chichimequillas | Hacienda | El Marqués | Couples or families; gardens and a pool |
| Hacienda Viborillas | Hacienda | Colón | Couples or families; Mexican cuisine |
| Brasanta Campestre | Restaurant | Corregidora | Families; close to the city |
| Cava Bocanegra | Restaurant | Tequisquiapan | Couples or friends; cheese and wine |
| Bárbaro Asador de Campo | Restaurant | El Marqués | Couples; a culinary experience |
| Olivo Tinto | Restaurant | Ezequiel Montes | Couples; lunch with a view of Bernal |
| La Ordeña (Rancho Santa Marina) | Restaurant | El Marqués | Families or friends; brunch and cheese |
| Dos Arroyos | Restaurant | Querétaro | Families; close to the city |
| Viñedos El Sueño | Special mention | Ezequiel Montes | Couples; dinner among the vines and art |
Before you go
- Opening days: many vineyards and country restaurants are only open Thursday to Sunday. Check before you leave.
- With children: when booking, ask whether there's a play area, a kids' menu and room to run around.
- Pets: some places allow them in certain areas; don't take it for granted.
- Weather: in the semi-desert the midday sun is strong and afternoons can turn cool. Bring a cap, sunscreen and a light jacket.
- Harvest season: in summer many vineyards hold harvest festivals. They're great fun, but also the busiest dates.
- Meals run long: as at any gathering in Mexico, lunch often turns into a long sobremesa. Read more in 8 things about everyday life in Mexico that surprise newcomers.
If you'll be drinking wine
Many of these places are out on the highway. If your plans include tastings, choose a designated driver or consider a tour with transportation included.
In short
Vineyards for an afternoon of tastings, haciendas to discover the region's history and country restaurants for eating outdoors with the kids: the area around Querétaro has plans for every kind of family and couple. Choose based on who you're going with, book ahead and keep the afternoon free: meals here are never rushed. And if you're still choosing where to live, see the best areas to live in Querétaro with your family.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Art, Cheese and Wine Route?
It's a tourist route through vineyards, cheesemakers, haciendas and towns in Querétaro, in municipalities such as El Marqués, Colón, Ezequiel Montes, Tequisquiapan and San Juan del Río.
Do I need a reservation to visit a vineyard in Querétaro?
Yes, it's highly recommended. Weekends and harvest season are very busy, and arriving without a reservation can mean waiting for hours or not getting in.
Can I visit the vineyards with children?
Yes. Several vineyards, haciendas and country restaurants have green spaces or play areas. Ask what they offer for children when you book.
When is harvest season in Querétaro?
In summer, when many vineyards celebrate the harvest with festivals, grape stomping and music. These dates are very busy, so book well in advance.
