Valley of the Monks

A short, rough road south of Creel opens into a meadow scattered with vertical rock columns - some slender, some blockish, many taller than a house - standing in the pine grass like a congregation, which is why Spanish speakers named it the Valley of the Monks. In Rarámuri the name is Bisabírachi, usually translated as the valley of erect stones, and the formations are ancient volcanic tuff eroded into pillars by the sierra's freeze, thaw and rain. Visitors walk between them on ejido land, scramble a few of the easier bases, and take in the same landscape from a small lookout; horses can be hired at the entrance, and the loop can be combined with the neighbouring Valle de las Ranas, where the same erosion left rounded shapes locals read as frogs, and the Valle de los Hongos with its mushroom-shaped caps. Rarámuri families live around and among the formations, selling baskets and carvings; the land is theirs, the entry fee goes to the community, and photographing people needs asking first.

The landscape

• The stone columns - standing pillars across a pine meadow.
• The neighbouring valleys - frogs and mushrooms in eroded rock.
• The Rarámuri presence - homes and craft stalls on the land.
• The sierra light - pine, grass and long shadows.

When to go

April to October for open roads and mild days; winter mornings freeze, and snow occasionally dusts the pillars, which is spectacular but complicates access.

What to expect

Roads in are unpaved and slow; taxis from Creel charge accordingly. This is inhabited community land, not a park - stay on the tracks and ask before photographing anyone. Facilities are minimal.

Nearby

Lake Arareko, the Cusarare falls and the San Ignacio mission all lie on the same excursion loop from Creel.