Guachimontones

Western Mexico built differently, and Guachimontones is the proof. Between roughly 300 BC and AD 500, the Teuchitlan tradition raised circular ceremonial complexes found nowhere else in Mesoamerica: a conical stepped pyramid at the centre, ringed by a circular patio, ringed in turn by a raised circular banquette carrying eight or ten rectangular platforms - a bullseye in architecture. Archaeologists connect the central pyramid's post-hole to the volador ceremony, in which a performer flew from a pole, making the whole complex a stage. The site above Teuchitlan village includes several such circles, the largest with a pyramid of many tiers, plus ball courts and terraces, spread on a hillside with views over the Laguna de la Vega. A modern interpretive centre explains the culture and the shaft tombs it is also known for - deep vertical shafts with side chambers whose ceramic dog and figure offerings fill Mexican museums. The site was first mapped in 1974 and excavated only from 1999, and it remains far less visited than its uniqueness warrants.

The main sights

• The circular complexes - concentric platforms around conical pyramids.
• The central posts - the volador stage at the bullseye.
• The ball courts - western Mexico's version of the game.
• The interpretive centre - shaft tombs and Teuchitlan culture explained.

When to go

Dry-season mornings; the hillside is exposed and hot by midday. Weekdays are quiet, weekends bring school groups from Guadalajara.

Good to know

The walk up from the museum is short but steep in the sun. Structures are low - the interest is in the plan, so read the centre first. Facilities are limited to the entrance.

Nearby

Teuchitlan's lakeside fish restaurants sit below; Tequila's distilleries and agave landscape lie half an hour north.

Key facts