Up and breakfasted, we went a few km out of town to a place Toby had been before - the Thermal baths at La Gruta. This is a series of hot water spas, the warmest being inside a cave illuminated by a single shaft of sunlight that pierces through the steamy atmosphere like a laser and sends shimmering waves of light through the warm water. Magical, womblike and totally relaxing; I wanted to stay all day.
Once I had been dragged out from there it was back to business and the next leg of our journey - and a 500km drive north to Real de Catorce, passing by more yuccas and agaves than I thought it would be possible to exist.
View looking back from access road at Real de Catorce
Real de Catorce is a remarkable town, perched high in the mountains at 3000m altitude and only accessible via a tunnel blasted through 2.3km of rock. Once a thriving mining community, the silver ran out around the turn of the century as did most of the people, leaving behind a ghost of a place that is a curious mix of ruins, hard working locals and, surprisingly, a couple of chic hotels and restaurants.
As everywhere, accommodation and food were first class.