Published September 4th, 2023

To travel back in time and experience the history of Mexico’s ancestors, it is not necessary to go to the Pyramids of Teotihuacan in the State of Mexico or Chichen Itza in the Yucatan. Guanajuato has its own archaeological zone.

Located in the municipality of San Miguel de Allende, the Cañada de la Virgen archeological zone is a place where a pre-Hispanic settlement is registered, located on the northern border of Mesoamerica. The main monuments of this era were built for astronomical observations.

The way this pyramid is built reflects the cosmic cycles to which the lives and activities of farmers and hunters were linked. Through this vestige it was also possible to understand the process of exchange of objects used in ritual activities with other regions of Mesoamerica.

The pyramid of Guanajuato is located in a strategic zone for its inhabitants; seated in the central basin of the Laja River, it also indicates the ritual importance of the place. The apogee of this site took place between 600 and 900 A.D., being located in the Mesoamerican Epiclassic period.

In Guanajuato, 400 archaeological remains have been discovered, according to a 2014 publication by the University of Guanajuato. The State Institute of Culture (IEC) states that in Guanajuato there are 5 archaeological zones that are being studied.

How to get to Cañada de la Virgen

The most practical way to get to Cañada de la Virgen is from San Miguel de Allende. Take the highway to Celaya up to the junction with highway 51 and continue driving towards Guanajuato capital.

At one point will be the Ignacio Allende dam followed by the community of Agustin Gonzalez, a few minutes after passing these two points is an indication of access to the archaeological zone located exactly at kilometer 10+800 of Highway 51.

Another way is from Guanajuato capital. To go there you have to take highway 110 towards Juventino Rosas until the junction with highway 51 (at the Don Sebastian height) to continue towards San Miguel de Allende. Continue on Highway 51 until you reach kilometer 10+800, where the access to the archeological zone is indicated.

Visiting hours are from Tuesday to Sunday: 10:00 to 18:00 hrs. There is a guide who conducts tours, but the last one is at 4:00 p.m. since the tour lasts more than 2 hours. The recovery fee is 70 pesos for those over 12 years old, 20 pesos for those over 5 and under 12 years old.