Querétaro · Mexico
San Juan del Río travel guide
San Juan del Río is a city in Querétaro, Mexico, home to about 178,000 people.
- Best months
- October to May
- Nearest airport
- QRO32 km · Querétaro Intercontinental Airport
- Currency
- MXNpeso
- Time zone
- America/Mexico City
- Language
- Nahuatl, Spanish, Yucatec Maya
About
About San Juan del Río
In pre-Hispanic times, southern Queretaro was the domain of the Otomi people. The town of San Juan del Rio was established in 1531. The Franciscans soon built the first church, and in 1561, a bridge was built over the San Juan River, enabling the town's reputation as an important stop along the route between Mexico City and the northern interior lands. The bridge was rebuilt and expanded in 1621 and again in 1722. You can cross that bridge today by crossing the river on Avenida Benito Juarez.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in San Juan del Río
Do
- Archaeological Zone la Cruz
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
When to go
The best time to visit San Juan del Río
The most comfortable months for a city stay in San Juan del Río are October to May. May is the warmest month, with average highs of 29 °C; July is the wettest, with about 126 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to San Juan del Río: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Querétaro Intercontinental Airport (QRO), about 32 km from the city centre in a straight line; General Francisco J. Mujica International Airport (MLM, 123 km) and Felipe Ángeles International Airport (NLU, 125 km) are also within reach.
Getting in
A Transportes Amealcenses bus leaves the Terminal de Autobuses Queretaro every 15 minutes for San Juan del Rio. The trip takes 40-50 minutes and costs M$80.
Getting around
Most of the tourist sites, hotels, shops, and restaurants are located in the colonial center of the city. This is an area of narrow alleyways and cobblestone streets with bright, wide plazas. It is easily explored by walking. The modern city is fairly large and is best explored by taxi or combis.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
QRO · Querétaro Intercontinental Airport
MLM · General Francisco J. Mujica International Airport
NLU · Felipe Ángeles International Airport
Questions
San Juan del Río: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit San Juan del Río?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in San Juan del Río are October to May. May is the warmest month, with average highs of 29 °C; July is the wettest, with about 126 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to San Juan del Río?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Querétaro Intercontinental Airport (QRO), about 32 km from the city centre in a straight line; General Francisco J. Mujica International Airport (MLM, 123 km) and Felipe Ángeles International Airport (NLU, 125 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in San Juan del Río?
peso (MXN).
Nearby
Destinations near San Juan del Río
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.