Real de Catorce

Real de Catorce was one of the richest silver towns in Mexico and held some fifteen thousand people in its heyday; when the price collapsed early in the twentieth century almost everyone left, and what remains is a small settlement of under a thousand living among the roofless shells of the rest, at around two thousand seven hundred metres in the high desert. The only road in runs through the Ogarrio tunnel, a former mine adit two kilometres long and wide enough for one vehicle, controlled by traffic lights at either end, which makes the arrival memorable. Cobbled streets climb between ruins to a church holding a much-venerated image of Saint Francis. Horses and jeeps take visitors out to the Pueblo Fantasma ruins and the desert plateau beyond.

History

Silver was found in the mountains in 1772, and the town was officially founded in 1779; its parish church was built between 1790 and 1817. In its heyday in the late 19th century Real de Catorce had 15,000 people, some of the richest silver mines in Mexico, a mint and a bullring, and after the silver price fell around 1900 only a few stayed, living from the mine tailings and the pilgrims who came to the image of St Francis (Wikipedia, Real de Catorce).

What's there

• The Ogarrio tunnel - the two-kilometre single-lane mine adit that is the only way in.
• The ruined town - roofless silver-era buildings among the inhabited streets.
• The church of Saint Francis - the pilgrimage image and its wall of retablos.
• The high desert - horseback and jeep trips out to the plateau and ghost workings.

When to go

October to April is drier and clearer; the altitude keeps it cool year-round and cold at night. The Saint Francis pilgrimage in early October fills the town completely. Weekdays are very quiet, which suits the place.

Good to know

The altitude is nearly two thousand seven hundred metres and visitors feel it on the steep cobbled streets. The tunnel is single-lane and controlled, so there can be a wait at either end. Facilities are simple. The surrounding desert is sacred to the Wixárika people, who make an annual pilgrimage here, and peyote tourism is both illegal and deeply resented locally.

Nearby

Matehuala is an hour below; San Luis Potosí city is three hours south.

Key facts