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 Travel & Outdoors | April 2005 
Real de Catorce - Mexican 'Ghost Town' Destination
 Robert S. Sanders Jr. - The Daily News Journal
| | Real de Catorce is situated high in the mountains in the state of San Luis Potosí. (Photo: Robert S. Sanders) |
The architecture of Real de Catorce in Mexico combined with the natural scenery and friendly community draws an artistic crowd to the area now.
Real de Catorce is a small, quaint, former mining town situated high in the mountains in the north of the state of San Luis Potosí in the heart of Mexico.
A 14-mile cobblestone road leads to the town from Mexican Highway 62 west of Matehuala. It looks just like an old Roman road, and the driving is slow as the road climbs several thousand feet up the face of the mountain until finally reaching a 1 1/2-mile long, one-lane tunnel, which one must drive through to access the town.
Real de Catorce is an amazing place, off the beaten path you might say, and after coming out of the tunnel and arriving at the town, it feels as though you've entered another world. Its elevation is between 8,000 and 9,000 feet, and it enjoys an agreeable climate through the summer months, as opposed to the hot summer weather in the surrounding deserts.
Real de Catorce was founded in 1772 and served as a major mining town for years. However, in recent times, the mines have been closed. Today, approximately 2,000 people live there, and the whole town is perched on a steep mountainside with steep cobblestone streets, a large cathedral, and plenty of shops, hotels, and flea market-style vendor stalls. There is the old mint house, where gold and silver coins used to be made for the whole of Mexico. There are also plenty of abandoned mine tunnels, some of which are open for tours. Many of the flea market stalls sell rocks, minerals and crystals from the mines.
Real de Catorce is well equipped for tourism with many people around, offering to take you on horseback-riding tours, down to the desert valley or up to the ruins of the ghost town farther up the mountain, where the earlier version of Real de Catorce used to exist. Or perhaps a friendly young fellow might offer to take you to the mountains. The scenery up there is reminiscent of the Lake District in northern England. One of the mountains there, Elephant Mountain, is sacred to the Huichol Indians, who once a year come from neighboring states and climb that mountain to perform ceremonies.
Every Oct. 4, many people come to visit Real de Catorce, and they make pilgrimages to the local church to pay homage to St. Francis of Asisi to seek miracles of him. It is a tradition to walk up the mountain to the town, and some continue the climb up Elephant Mountain, as well. The tunnel is closed to vehicle traffic during that time, as there are thousands of pedestrians, and it is a week-long festival and celebration.
The town has an artistic flair, as well, with numerous artists from Europe who now live there, along with some Americans. The people are friendly, and you can relax as you walk the cobblestone streets.
There is a lot to see there, as the town and surrounding region are full of history and artifacts.
For more information about the town, or to gain ideas about traveling there, log on to www.realdecatorce.net and choose the English version (found in the upper right corner of the Web site). |
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