Trips worth making
Real de Catorce is remote enough that most “day trips” are really short excursions out of town rather than long drives, and that is the honest shape of it. The magic here is the town and the immediate hills, so the best outings stay close and lean on the desert and the mountain. Ordered by value:
Pueblo Fantasma and the cliff viewpoints. Around 30 to 60 minutes each way by Willys jeep (approximate). The ghost-pueblo ruins above town and the cliff-edge overlooks of the Wirikuta desert are the standout outing from Real, and for most visitors this is the only excursion they need. You climb the ridge in a surplus military jeep, stop at abandoned mine works and lookouts, and get the whole desert laid out below. Worth it, easily. The ride itself is half the experience, so budget half a day.
Cerro Quemado. A short guided ride or hike from town to the sacred peak that anchors the Wixarika pilgrimage. Worth it for the views, but understand you are on ground of deep religious meaning; you may find offerings and prayer sites, so tread lightly and follow your guide’s lead on where to walk and what not to touch. Allow two to four hours depending on whether you ride or hike.
Wirikuta desert floor and Estacion Catorce. Roughly 1 to 1.5 hours down the mountain (approximate), best reached with a guide and a sturdy vehicle. The wide sacred desert, dotted with the hamlets the Wixarika pass through on their pilgrimage, is a completely different landscape from the town above, all creosote, yucca and huge sky. Worth it if you go with a guide and real respect; this is sacred ground and a working pilgrimage route, not a peyote outing. Do not go hunting the plant, and do not wander off alone.
Estacion de Wadley and the desert train stops. About 1 to 1.5 hours down and around the desert floor (approximate). Small, dusty rail-line settlements that draw a certain backpacker crowd. Skip unless you specifically want the empty-desert, end-of-the-line atmosphere; there is little to actually do, and it is often just cover for peyote seeking, which you should avoid.
Matehuala. About 1 to 1.5 hours down at the base of the mountain (approximate). Not a destination in itself, but the practical town for banks, ATMs, a pharmacy, supplies and onward bus connections. Worth a stop only if you need it, either on the way in or if you run low on cash up top.
Honest take: you do not need to drive far from Real to justify the trip. One jeep excursion to Pueblo Fantasma and the viewpoints, plus a slow day on foot through the ruins, is the right shape for a two-day visit. Save the long-haul day trips for a different base. For how to reach the town in the first place, see getting there and around.