Walk Through a Page of Mexico’s Mysterious Cultural Past
This self-guided excursion is a trip into Mexico’s mysterious cultural past to the Alta Vista Archaeological Sacred Site, still frequently used as a holy place by a group known as Chacalán’s by local people.
It’s best to use a higher-clearance vehicle such as a Jeep or truck, though a Nissan Tsuru may also work depending on the condition of the road as you near the site.
To get there follow the highway to Zacualpan, Las Varas, and then towards Puerto Vallarta to the Alta Vista turn off. It requires about an hour to reach this ancient site still used today for rituals by a native Indian group.
The turn off for the site is found about two miles, or just over 3 kilometers, north of the Hwy. 200 Boca El Naranjo/Lima de Abajo turnoff --- so if you pass the fruit stands at Boca El Naranjo/Lima de Abajo you’ve gone too far. The turn off is on the east side of the road (left from PLT or right from Boca El Naranjo/Lima de Abajo) and is the turn used to go to Alta Vista which is the municipality some eight miles east from the highway.
After turning off the highway and about a mile of winding uphill, you’ll turn into a tree-lined gravel road on your left. If you go too far you’ll come to a farmhouse, in which case you need to turn back because you went too far. Continue down a gradual slope for about half a mile (1 kilometer), and then turn onto another narrower road on the right. You may have to open a wire gate to go continue on the road. After about another kilometer (half-mile) of going downhill, the road may become too rough for a passenger car. If so, you might have to walk the last mile or two kilometers. Continue downhill bearing right along a stream bed, to the end of the road where the path crosses the stream. Go across the stream on foot and straight ahead, to the site.
At the site you will find a palapa shelter, normally a caretaker is present and should be offered a gratuity (about $2 to $3 USD per person). The half-mile self-guided trail runs along the edge of a stream bank surrounded by forest.
The bank and pools of the stream are dotted with dozens of petroglyphs that experts have estimated date back at least 2000 years.
These ancient rock carvings—including sun images and humanesque figures— are thought to have served as a means of communication between the people and their gods.
Signs in both English and Spanish interpret the history of the area and the origin and meaning of the petroglyphs. At some places along the path you can see flower-adorned shrines placed by the Chacalan natives.
Due to wet, often impassable roads during the rainy season, the petroglyphs are only accessible from about November to July.