Río Frío: Muralla, Livestock Raising and Patron Saint Festivals

Río Frío has a clear historical focus: the town began as a livestock station for Hacienda San José del Maguey. The Muralla de los Vaqueros links this heritage with the start of house-building by the first settlers. This gives your travel planning a clear theme if you’re looking for a vacation rental that suits the stories behind your stay, rather than choosing one based on the town’s name alone.

Local History Between the Hacienda and the Muralla

A simple fortress stood on the Muralla de los Vaqueros, serving as lodging for the cowhands of the former hacienda. The first settlers chose the Muralla as the place where they began building their homes. In this way, the early history of the livestock station connects with the beginnings of a settlement.

The Muralla is therefore associated with two distinct functions: it served as lodging for the cowhands and was also the place the first settlers chose to begin building their homes. If you’re interested in how a place came into being, this connection offers a thread from Hacienda San José del Maguey to the first houses in Río Frío.

Patron Saint Festivals and a Rodeo

An estimated 150 people gathered for Río Frío’s patron saint festivals, with security and monitoring provided during the celebrations. A rodeo was also held at one edition of the festivals. Alongside the town’s history, this offers a concrete glimpse of the festivities: a gathering that included a rodeo on the program. If you’d like to plan your trip around a festival, check the specific event dates before choosing a vacation rental.

Calera: Another Regional Perspective

In the municipality of Calera, the railway station is considered historically significant: important figures from the Mexican Revolution arrived there before the capture of Zacatecas. This connection adds a different focus to Río Frío’s history: Calera’s railway history and its ties to the Revolution.

The Cervecera Modelo Tour in Calera includes a visit to the brewery, an explanation of the production process and a beer tasting. If this experience fits your travel interests, check current dates and availability before making specific plans. Local history and a brewery tour represent different interests to weigh as you plan your trip.

Getting There and Choosing a Vacation Rental

The Calera–Río Frío–Nueva Alianza road is 26.4 kilometers long. Its condition was rated “fair” in March 2024; as road conditions can change, check the current condition before driving. An earlier municipal plan also envisioned a transport line from the city center through neighborhoods to Río Frío. If you’re planning to rely on this connection, check in advance whether it is currently operating.

When looking for a vacation rental in Río Frío, you can start by deciding what matters most: should your stay focus mainly on the hacienda and settlement history and the local festivities, or would you also like to include Calera’s railway history and brewery tour?

Discover more destinations: Tonalá, Jerez De García Salinas, Apozol, Sombrerete, La Cardona, Pabellón, Pinos, Juchipila

For the overview of the wider region: Zacatecas.