Río Frío de Juárez, Mountain settlement at Mexico-Puebla pass, Mexico
Río Frío de Juárez is a mountain settlement in the municipality of Ixtapaluca, State of Mexico, sitting at roughly 3,000 meters above sea level between Mexico City and Puebla. It lines Federal Highway 150D and is surrounded by pine forests that form part of the Zoquiapan National Park.
The settlement grew along the Camino Real, the colonial road that linked Mexico City to Veracruz through Puebla, serving as a rest point for merchants and travelers. The pass remained difficult and dangerous for centuries, long after the colonial trade route was established.
Río Frío de Juárez appears in the novels of Manuel Payno, a 19th-century Mexican writer who set stories of bandits and travelers on this mountain pass. Visitors today can still sense the isolation of the place, as the settlement sits tightly along the road with dense forest on both sides.
Warm clothing is advisable throughout the year, as temperatures at this altitude can drop sharply even in summer. Those planning to walk in the surrounding forest should wear sturdy shoes and bring a waterproof layer, since weather can change quickly on the pass.
Despite sitting along one of Mexico's busiest inter-city highways, Río Frío de Juárez is among the coldest permanently inhabited places in central Mexico. Some older buildings along the road show a roof style more typical of alpine regions, a direct response to the heavy snowfall that can occur here.
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