The stunning and the mysterious sights of western Mexico’s highlands

All 5 of Mexico’s large ecosystems converge successful the authorities of Jalisco. In this article, we’ll supply a usher to the semi-arid scrubland that characterizes the northeast conception of the state, popularly known arsenic Los Altos de Jalisco, oregon the Highlands.

This country has fewer hills but plentifulness of flat, grassy plains covered with countless huisaches (acacia trees) and nopales (cactuses). The emblematic elevation is astir 2,000 meters. The terrain favors ranching, and Los Altos depends chiefly connected raising cattle, intimately followed by pigs and chickens.

The Pyramid of Pegueros had a small assistance from 66,000 cubic tons of earth.

The Upside-Down Wicker Basket

To get a consciousness for the precocious flatland environment, sojourn the ruins of the little-known Pyramid of Pegueros, besides called Chiquihuitillo, the Upside-Down Wicker Basket, located 60 kilometers northeast of Guadalajara.

The pyramid is funny because, according to archaeologist Phil Weigand, the pre-Columbian inhabitants of this level country decided to archetypal physique themselves a elevation and past conception a pyramid connected apical of it. To make that hill, Weigand calculated they had to determination 66,000 cubic tons of earth.

The main crushed I’m sending you to this pyramid is that the spot is lone reachable connected ft — a abbreviated locomotion of 600 meters — obliging you to hike done the emblematic scrubland of Los Altos. Here you whitethorn travel crossed acacia trees, thistles and possibly adjacent a fewer Jimson-weed flowers, said to beryllium utilized arsenic a emotion potion, but infamous arsenic a cause producing impermanent insanity. Could determination perchance beryllium a connection?

Hot springs and magnificent views

A hot-spring paradise astatine the bottommost of Tamara Canyon.

When you’ve seen capable thorns and scrub, you tin opt for an wholly antithetic situation by heading for the 150-kilometer-long Río Verde Canyon, which runs northbound and southbound done the highlands. Here you’ll find majestic waterfalls and, astatine the bottom, a semi-tropical situation dotted with galore blistery springs.

One of my favourite places successful the canyon is Rancho El Venado, which offers bungalows, campsites and a delightful earthy blistery ablution — each of them featuring magnificent views of towering, reddish canyon walls, 400 meters high. 

After a refreshing nighttime astatine Rancho El Venado, you mightiness privation to task further northbound successful Los Altos to the little-known archaeological ruins of Teocaltitán, 100 kilometers northeast of Guadalajara. Here you’ll find 1 of those rarities successful the flatlands: a earthy hill. What amended spot for pre-Columbian radical to conception a ceremonial center? 

Ruins of the Cookie People

Between A.D. 400–900, this portion of Mexico was controlled by a civilization whose sanction nary 1 knows. Some telephone them the Cookie People due to the fact that the figurines they made were level and shaped similar gingerbread men.

To confuse things adjacent more, archaeologists telephone them the El Grillo (Cricket) People, aft a spot successful Guadalajara wherever their peculiar architecture was archetypal noticed.

The rectangular “sunken patio” was 1 of the indispensable features of their ceremonial centers, and Teocaltitán has 1 of the champion examples of one: a immense level country wherever thousands of radical gathered, possibly to creation oregon to travel a shot crippled being played not acold beneath the patio. 

Typical level figurines made by the Cookie People implicit 1,000 years ago.

Apart from these awesome structures, present nether restoration, Teocaltitán offers visitors who marque it to the apical a magnificent presumption — possibly the champion presumption you tin perchance get — of the mostly level highlands.

Another little-known archaeological treasure successful Los Altos is simply a lagoon called Presa de la Luz, located 120 kilometers eastbound of Guadalajara adjacent the municipality of Arandas.

Calendars engraved successful rock

In 2006, a section rancher utilized a tractor to wide a spot connected the enactment of the Presa de la Luz. Scraping disconnected a bladed furniture of topsoil, helium discovered a large galore petroglyphs, immoderate precise elaborate. Investigation of the lakeshore revealed a full of 1,200 stone engravings.

Fourteen of these are pecked crosses, which typically dwell of 260 tiny holes oregon cups, forming a transverse wrong a circle. As this is the fig of days successful the Mesoamerican year, a pebble placed successful the cups whitethorn person served arsenic a applicable calendar.

Visits to Presa de la Luz are not allowed owed to the softness of the rock, but you tin admit this unsocial tract via a well-illustrated publication entitled “El Santuario Rupestre de Los Altos de Jalisco”  by Rodrigo Esparza and Francisco Manuel Rodríguez Mota.

More than a 1000 petroglyphs were carved into the brushed stone astir La Presa de la Luz.

La Presa de la Luz whitethorn beryllium unsocial for the sheer fig of engravings connected its shore. Curiously, lone 15 kilometers northbound of this lagoon, determination is different unsocial archaeological site, which I telephone the 1,800 Bowls of the Río Raso.  

Chiseling a bowl-shaped spread connected the aboveground of a stone has a intent akin to chiseling a spiral: Both were considered the equivalents of elemental prayers for rain. 

In the lawsuit of the Río Raso, however, idiosyncratic got carried distant 1,000 years ago, covering a 400-meter-long agelong of the river’s rocky furniture with astir 2,000 “prayers,”  nicely lined up successful rows.

Carne asada, Los Altos style

After wandering astir the highlands, you’ll surely enactment up an appetite. Here’s a accidental to effort 1 of Los Altos’ specialties: carne asada.

I americium told that the precise champion spot to get it is astatine a edifice called Carnitas El Alteño successful the municipality of Jalostotitlán. Here, you volition besides find galore brands of locally made tequila with a unsocial highland flavor.

John Pint has lived adjacent Guadalajara, Jalisco, for much than 30 years and is the writer of “A Guide to West Mexico’s Guachimontones and Surrounding Area” and co-author of “Outdoors successful Western Mexico.” More of his penning tin beryllium found on his website.