ZONA ARQUEOLOGICA EL CÓPORO

The entrance to the archaeological zone is located a few kilometers from the small site museum that welcomes visitors. This site is considered one of the most important in the state of Guanajuato. We take you there in the back of a van. There are several routes to choose from: the short one lasts about an hour and only covers the platforms at the bottom of the rocky peak. If you want to go up to see the rest of the buildings, the whole visit will take 2 to 3 hours (the path is steep and access may be limited in the rainy season). To reach the site, we first cross a beautiful forest of high nopales (cactus that give the fruit called tuna). We first reach, on flat ground, the residential units uncovered (only 5% of the site has been excavated to date). Then we continue to climb slightly until we reach the Plaza del Ocaso, the remains of vast ceremonial squares that still preserve some of their original walls. Spread over a large area, we note the presence of the remains of columns that would have held a roof, echoing the even more northern archaeological sites of La Quemada and Altavista (Zacatecas). From here, a steep path climbs to the top of the Cóporo, where the remains of the pyramidal bases of what must have been the most exclusive area of the great city stand. The view of the surrounding semi-desert expanses is superb from all sides.