Mexico

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Mexico

Colonial Mexico

/ bigdiff / 1 Comment

In February 1519, Hernán Cortés landed in Cozumel with 500 soldiers, founded the port city of Veracruz (below) and then arrived at the Aztec capital by year end. Allied with anti-Aztec rivals, and the populace stricken with smallpox, Cortez conquered Tenochtitlán in 1521. The earliest Spanish colonial world heritage site is now called Mexico City, then capital of New Spain, centered on the National Palace, Zócalo (plaza) and Metropolitan Cathedral all built on top of the Aztec ruins.

Close behind the conquistadors, missionaries began building thick-walled monasteries nearby on the volcanic slopes of Popocatepetl: the Franciscans in 1524, the Dominicans in 1526, and the Augustinians in 1533. Across New Spain, churches were built on top of native religious sites.

And native cities, some thousands of years old, were ‘founded’—reorganized—under Spanish rule. Aztec trading hubs and routes throughout Mexico became Spanish. The trading hub of Oaxaca, valued for high desert salt, was re-founded 1529. Puebla, between the capital, the monasteries, the port and Oaxaca, was founded in 1531. Another gulf port city, Campeche, was founded in 1540, and later Tlacotalpan, a river port city was founded in 1550. Morelia, 1541, became an administrative center for commerce, including farming and ranching to the west. Each of these cities has UN-protected historic centers with colonial architecture arranged in grids. In 1555, an aqueduct was built north of the Capital, applying Roman technology to the ‘new’ world.

As silver mines were built in the north, wealth began being extracted at scale. Querétaro in 1531, San Miguel de Allende in 1542, Zacatecas in 1546 and Guanajuato in 1554 all reflect the opulence of silver dug by enslaved native workers. Besides admiring the marvelous architecture and world class art museums, I recommend touring a silver mine. Silver flowed for centuries, especially from around 1600, along El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, the old trading trading route to El Paso.

In 1565, Spanish galleon trade opened across the Pacific between Manila and Acupulco, and the traders introduced improvements to native methods to distill blue agave. Taking advantage of a law change in 1595, liquor production boomed in Tequila.

The Franciscans were still building monasteries over a century later, and in the 1750s, a newly arrived Father Junípero Serra oversaw the construction of several beautiful missions in the remote Serra Gorda regions, which are well preserved.

The Spanish colonial rule over New Spain lasted 300 years, from the conquest of Tenochtitlán to the end of the War of Independence. Visiting the world heritage sites that preserve this history in Mexico is a fascinating and rewarding journey. Especially for Americans considering Europe, this a great way to tour great Spanish colonial cathedrals and historic cities without burning carbon to fly over the Atlantic.

Oaxaca & Monte Albán

/ bigdiff / Leave a comment

Both the historic center of Oaxaca with its magnificent Spanish cathedral and the ancient mountain top temple complex of Monte Albán are recognized in this UNESCO world heritage site. I enjoyed a delicious meal—including the tres insectos tostada below—in the city center shortly after arriving, walked the cobblestone streets and gawked at the gold covered interior of the church. This is a beautiful and culturally rich city to explore. After charging overnight at my hotel, the next day I drove up the mountain and explored the grand temple complex, climbing up the steep stairs at each end to get 360° views of the city and valley.

The Zapotecs built Monte Albán around 500 BC, carving out the grand plaza above off the lone mountain on the valley floor. Before moving up here from the gulf coast, they invented an early form of glyphic script or writing. Around that time, their society transformed from egalitarian to hierarchical. Given that the top of their society were priests with special powers to interpret the cosmos and calendars, I imagine that some men controlled the power of literacy, using it to rule. When the Zapotec came here they called themselves the cloud people and conquered the neighboring villages. Their elaborate decorative carvings tell the stories of those conquests. This was the center of their empire for well over 1000 years, and the planned city was used for burials and ceremonies for centuries afterwards.

Perhaps because literacy may have a guarded secret of the elite, Zapotec script has not been deciphered. But the meaningful figures carved into the pyramids here belie the label ‘pre-historic’ often used against Native Americans. From 200 to 500 CE, the Zapotecs were trading mica for obsidian with Teotihuacan and maintained quarters there. They also traded with the Mayans, and their skills and script were used and adapted by the Aztecs. So these ancient cultures practiced diplomacy as well as war and carried on extensive trade relations for centuries. Simply because colonizers erased much of their culture does not mean that the natives in the Americas were all illiterate or uncivilized; the scale and sophistication of this complex stands in testimony of their centuries of accomplishments.

Caves of Mitla & Yagul

/ bigdiff / Leave a comment

This blurry gray photo I took of a raggedy corn husk in the bottom of a dark cave is why I came to the Prehistoric Caves of Yagul and Mitla in the Central Valley of Oaxaca UNESCO world heritage site. It is fossilized and may be 10,000 years old. A similar one was found in a nearby cave and dated back that far, with other evidence proving that this is the oldest known agricultural settlement in the Americas. Many people visit Oaxaca’s colorful markets, delicious restaurants, gorgeous cathedral, and take much better photos, but I think they’re missing an important site here, an easy day tour southeast of Oaxaca.

Here in these caves, humans gathered, drew images on the walls, told stories about hunting, animals and mystical beliefs understood only from ancient oral traditions. They built terraces to grow corn and other crops nearby. They learned many secrets of nature and passed them on, so we can enjoy many of the foods cultivated in the Americas first, before going global, including avocados, many beans, corn, chilies, chocolate, peanuts and vanilla. We all owe a debt to these ancient people, and yet we still know little about them.

My guides know the area well and told many stories of the caves, showed me exceptional pictographs and described the various species that still live here. We heard bats, saw strange black minerals that appear wet but are dry, and we talked about the most basic and universal human feelings to try to interpret the ancient images so long preserved here. Like many native religions in the US, the caves are believed to contain the secrets of the first humans and passages to the underworld. Mitla means underworld in the local language, and the Spanish intentionally built churches on sacred sites here, as they imposed their foreign religion.

Some folks today bizarrely believe that since several painted figures carry an odd shaped device that they must have been ‘downloading data from aliens’. At the excellent anthropology museum in Xalapa, I saw several identically shaped devices identified as hachas or ceremonial axes that represent maize and are at least 3000 years old, which would seem to be a more likely explanation. I think we need to make a new effort to understand our human origins, our relationship with nature, and our oldest beliefs in order to find more respectful, more insightful and more meaningful ways to live.

Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley

/ bigdiff / Leave a comment

[Bonus Wednesday post as I try to catch up to my current travels!]

This high mountain area north of Oaxaca Mexico is the most biodiverse arid region in North America. I drove up the steep hairpin turns through thick fog, seeing how the mountains block rainfall up here. Mexico’s first biologist, Helia Bravo Hollis explored the area for years, documenting many new species, especially cacti. Thanks to her efforts, the rare biodiversity was recognized and protected, with a park in her name now the best place to tour the cactus landscape.

The diverse density of plants is far greater than Saguaro, Organ Pipe or Pinacate. There are also ancient marine fossils, rare snakes, insects and bats. We saw signs of a fox, and there are other mammals that live in the dry isolated valley. Many medicinal plants have been studied here too.

But the UNESCO site is also important for the Pre-Colombian archaeological sites. The oldest irrigation systems in North America have been found here. And besides growing crops like maize, drying pools were built to gather salt for trading. Salt was a high value trading good for centuries, connecting this harsh region with distant population centers.

Campeche

/ bigdiff / Leave a comment

The pirates have surrounded the old port town on the Gulf of Mexico, although some of the walls and forts still stand. Hardly anyone lives or works in the pastel buildings of the historic quarter, making the heart of Campeche a ghost town. By pirates, of course, I mean corporate property owners and developers. Once upon a time, the walls were manned to spot approaching corsairs, but now you can’t even see the water from them.

I charged my vehicle at an upscale mall that’s between the Sea Gate and the gulf. There are also two big roads, a light rail station, and at least one big fancy hotel now cutting off the UNESCO world heritage site from the port it was designed to protect. Count me among the disappointed visitors who hoped to wander atmospheric alleys, buy nautical trinkets and have a mug of grog at a salty tavern, only to find a bustling small modern city using the colorful colonial center primarily for parking.

And yet, a short drive southwest of town, another part of the city defenses remains. Fort San Miguel remains intact on a hill with ramparts overlooking the water, and it has a fine small museum dedicated to the Mayan culture that thrived on the Yucatán peninsula many centuries before colonizers fought over stolen gold. At least there I spied children excited to cross the drawbridge, see the cannon and admire beautiful jade masks.

Driving to the Yucatán

/ bigdiff / Leave a comment

After driving down Baja and to Mexico City in the last two years, this time I drove from California to the Yucatán Peninsula in southeastern Mexico. Highlights included seeing flamingos in Celestún above and jumping into Ik Kil cenote below, plus visiting many world heritage sites along the way. Look for my individual site reports and coming summaries, Pyramids of Mexico and Colonial Mexico.

Recent headlines and photos of several burning vehicles have inflamed fears of travel to Mexico. Many Americans have a bad attitude about Mexico, wrongly believing it is too dangerous to drive around, imagining bandaleros and corrupt police demanding bribes around every corner. Some Americans apparently enjoy horror stories about Mexico, while ignoring gun violence in the US. I have now driven to almost every state in Mexico without encountering any crime. I spoke with other foreigners who have been visiting Mexico annually for decades, and they also did not experience crime. This trip, I went through a couple of checkpoints and had my car searched once, exactly the same as in Texas.

Of course, there is serious crime and violence in Mexico. So are the statistics accurate or are the reports overblown? I had a long conversation with my Spanish teacher about some common stories. She thinks that in most cases American tourists are not worth the trouble for criminals, who prefer to prey on poor Mexicans whose cases might not be investigated as thoroughly. The corruption cases she heard about involved Americans who broke the law and were trying to evade responsibility by bribing police officers, which is obviously illegal. I’ve also heard this kind of story where Americans break traffic laws, especially driving under the influence of alcohol. Such behavior puts Mexican cops in a tough spot, where they don’t want to ruin someone’s vacation, but they have a job to do. So, be careful, avoid drugs, follow the law and in my experience, you will be fine.

If you’re driving from California, Tuscon is convenient for getting pesos and printing out car documents like your Mexican insurance policy. You need a hard copy of that, in case you have any trouble in a place without cell service. I found the small Santa Teresa border crossing very quick and easy for getting my TIP—temporary import permit to avoid paying taxes on my car at customs—, and I ended up recrossing the border at Laredo, in order to take advantage of Texas’ high speed highways. Laredo is a great place to get pesos and cross too, and there’s an interesting little history museum next to La Posada Hotel.

Since there is a 542 mile gap in the supercharger network between Veracruz and Campeche, I charged at my hotel overnight. That’s also necessary to get to Calakmul and Palenque and from Veracruz to Sierra Gorda, so I booked hotels with destination chargers, which are cheap and convenient for guests since slow charging is fine overnight.

However, you need to confirm with your hotel in advance that they both have a charger on site and that it is currently working. I arrived at my hotel in Palenque, which advertises “electric car charging on site”, but they laughed at me when I asked to use the car charger. So I had to spend a couple hours at the local Nissan dealer slow-charging for $11. After that, I checked with the rest of my hotels and changed my itinerary when I found two other hotels without working chargers. In another case, a third party charging site at an important stop for me went offline sometime after I departed the US, another unpleasant surprise for me. Off the supercharger network, you need to double-check and have a backup plan, with adapters and third party apps to find alternate charging. But if I can drive to the Yucatan and back, it can’t be that difficult.

Tlacotalpan

/ bigdiff / Leave a comment

Locals proudly call themselves Los Jarochos, which refers to the cowboys, the music and dance style in this farming & ranching area south of Veracruz city. I passed several sugar cane wagon trains while driving along the river, each one overloaded bumping along over more cane littering the road. Fortunately, I arrived Saturday afternoon on a holiday weekend, so the Papantla Fliers below were performing along with lots of festivities, interesting cocktails including shrimp, lots of vendors and folks setting up for more music on stages in the square.

While the volodores or fliers are UN recognized as intangible world heritage, the historic river port town center is designated a world heritage site for the Spanish colonial architecture with colorful arched colonnades lining the narrow old streets, some only wide enough for horses—which I saw several—and pedestrians. I had seafood in a riverside restaurant named for the locals, and they also served a strangely delicious soursop cocktail, which I enjoyed while watching the small boats go by and families spending time together. This is why I love travel.

Franciscan Missions in the Sierra Gorda

/ bigdiff / Leave a comment

Californians will be familiar with Father Junípero Serra, who built the mission above in Jalpan as well as four others nearby in the mid 1700s, before moving on to California after the Jesuits were expelled from New Spain. The military had ‘pacified’ most of the tribes, to make the roads safe to extract silver dug by enslaved natives. The tribes in this remote mountainous region were relatively cooperative and the fusion of cultures is reflected in the art on the facade.

Serra took St Francis of Assisi’s simple life of charity and poverty and enhanced it with productivity and abuse. Serra brought ‘civilization’ here, replacing native beliefs, burning villages and increasing yields. He flagellated himself regularly and publicly, and he volunteered to lead the Spanish Inquisition in the area, accusing a dark-skinned local woman of witchcraft, of flying around caves at night and of worshipping goat-like demons. The missions are beautiful though. Despite protests, Serra became a saint in 2015.

The Mexican Revolution was unkind to such churches, but due to the rugged terrain, these five were more forgotten than destroyed. Rediscovered in the 1980s, in 2003 UNESCO recognized their facades as among the best examples of Spanish colonial baroque architecture, making these a world heritage site. Much of the region has been preserved by national park and preserves, with Sierra Gorda also being a UNESCO biosphere. There are waterfalls, beautiful rivers, and many places to hike. I drove up the steep dry mountains on one side and along a green river valley on another. But I missed the descent through jungle towards the coast.

All the publicity has made the center of Jalpan—where the first mission above is—quite crowded and touristy, but the other missions are in more traditional, smaller communities nearby. This is a fascinating area to explore, with miles of winding mountain roads, scenic views and more.

Wixarika Route

/ bigdiff / Leave a comment

Collette Lilly photographed* this musician decades ago after moving to Mexico in the 1960s with her husband John and while living with the Huichol people for 17 years. She curated an amazing exhibit at the Zacatecan Museum which displays the art, crafts, religious objects, rituals and spiritual journey of these fascinating people.

Every year Huichol shamans and some families walk from their tropical mountain homeland near the Pacific, stopping on sacred hilltops, gathering peyote, until they reach their sacred Huiricuta land above the Tropic of Cancer hundreds of miles away, and then they walk back. The ancient journey of their ancestors takes months, and last year UNESCO recognized 20 sites along the route as a world heritage site, helping the Huichol people to protect their land and culture.

I visited the museum and the easiest site in Zacatecas city, taking the teleférico to Cerro de La Bufa. From there you can see another hilltop site at the south of the city. Zacatecas is in the middle of the route, and the colorful Huichol artwork can be seen in the local artisan shops in this delightful world heritage city center.

I also visited Real de Catorce, a remote mining town accessed by a ridiculously long cobblestone road and long narrow tunnel, which marks the northeastern end of the journey. The route passes through town on its way up to Cerro el Quemado in the sacred Huiricuta area, best reached by guided horseback trips easily arranged in the town square. Real de Catorce is only one long day’s drive from Laredo, Texas.

* My photo at top is an edited section of Colette Lilly’s exhibit photo. Several photographers have their photos on exhibit, including her late husband John Lilly, who also invented the isolation tank and wrote the book Altered States.

Zacatecas

/ bigdiff / 1 Comment

I’ve looked at Zacatecas from both sides now, from up and down, and still somehow I can’t believe this beautiful historic city doesn’t have more foreign tourists. I know the US State Department has the whole state of Zacatecas as ‘do not travel’, but the city of Zacatecas is safe, as even the State Department acknowledges—if you fly. Well, I don’t fly, so I drove the short toll highway from neighboring Aguascalientes without any trouble, and I passed a tour bus from Mexico City. Plenty of Mexican tourists were enjoying the world class art museums, the UNESCO world heritage designated historic center and more.

I think the city is at least on par with Guanajuato, with similar features including a silver mine tour, a teleférico (much better than a funicular), historic places, and lots of museums. Perhaps due to silver wealth, both cities had battles for both Independence and Revolution, with Zacatecas’ hill above being the site of Pancho Villa’s decisive victory.

But, especially due to the lack of foreign tourists, walking around feels much more like travel was decades ago, with that immersion into a centuries old Spanish style neighborhood with local culture but without distractions. I enjoyed the low price hotel with a fabulous location, inexpensive delicious local food, and uncrowded galleries and shops with reasonably priced handmade local crafts. At Eden Mine, they even provided a personal English speaking guide for no extra cost (Alan got a decent tip though). In the photo above on the far left you can see the teleférico from where I took the photo below looking back down at where I took the photo above.

Zacatecas is my favorite city to visit in Mexico. Here are my road trips to Baja and to Mexico City.