Cañada de la Virgen, a millenary archaeological site in San Miguel de Allende

Published March 24th, 2022

In the state of Guanajuato, there are several archaeological sites that sometimes people are unaware of, among which ‘Cañada de la Virgen’ stands out, another of the treasures located in the municipality of San Miguel de Allende.

This archaeological site is located near the Laja River, it keeps several monuments and constructions, which in addition to being used for the observation of the sky thousands of years ago, were built based on the cosmic cycles that were linked to life and agriculture.

What do you need to know to visit the area?
This place can be visited from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10 am to 6 pm, and enjoy walking tours, which cover a distance of approximately 908 meters that converted to time could have a duration of two and a half hours. For this, it is recommended to wear comfortable clothes and shoes, as well as a cap or hat to cover yourself from the sun, as well as sunblock.

On the other hand, to get to Cañada de la Virgen, you will have to transfer to one of the official Volkswagen vehicles that arrive at the CAV’s of the archaeological zone, which leave every hour.

Among the sites to visit, there are three main ones: The House of the Thirteen Heavens, the House of the Longest Night, and the House of the Wind; of which two are pyramids and one is a circular structure; all of them built during the period from 540 BC to 1050 AD.

As for the prohibitions, it is not allowed to enter with food, backpacks or bags, alcoholic beverages, nor is it allowed to walk outside the traced routes, this in order to preserve the safety of the attendees.

What is the cost of access?
To enter this place you must pay a recovery fee, which consists of 39 pesos for those over 12 years old and 12 pesos for children under 12 years old.

How to get to Cañada de la Virgen?
From San Miguel de Allende, you must take the highway that goes to Celaya until the junction with Highway 51 to continue in the direction of Guanajuato. Then you will have to pass by the Ignacio Allende dam and the community of Agustin Gonzalez, to then find access to the archaeological zone (kilometer 10+800 of highway 51).

From Guanajuato, take highway 110 towards Juventino Rosas until the intersection with Highway 51 (at Don Sebastián) in the direction of San Miguel de Allende. Then continue on Highway 51 until you reach kilometer 10+800, where the access to the archaeological zone is indicated.