Real de Catorce

View of Real de Catorce from the hill behind the town center

The village of Real de Catorce sits on the side of a mountain at more than 2,743 meters (9,000 ft). It is located in the Sierra de Catorce range, one of the highest plateaus in Mexico, where summits may extend over 10,000 feet (3,000 m). These mountains lie in the arid Mexican plateau, cut off from trade winds of the Gulf of Mexico by the high peaks of the Sierra Madre Oriental.

The main road to Real de Catorce leaves Highway 62 between Matehuala and San Tiburcio. This is roughly to the east of Real, near the town of Cedral. From the main highway there is a 17-mile (27 km) cobblestone road which rises into the sierra, then the 1.5-mile (2.4 km) long Ogarrio Tunnel which only accepts vehicles one way (with travelers in and out having to wait their turn).

Real de Catorce ('Royal Fourteen') is named for 14 Spanish soldiers killed here in an ambush by Chichimeca warriors. Other sources tell that in the beginning the name was "Real de Álamos de la Purísima Concepción de los Catorce" (Real de Alamos of the Immaculate Conception of the Fourteen). Although a town had been there for many years, silver was discovered in the local mountains in 1772 and a few years later in 1779 the village was officially founded. The parish church was built between 1790 and 1817. Real de Catorce's heyday was in the late 19th century, when it had a population of 15,000, with some of Mexico's richest silver mines and a mint, as well as a bullring and shops selling European luxury goods. It was almost completely abandoned when the price of silver plummeted after 1900; only a few people remained in this ghost town, eking out a living from mine tailings and an annual influx of pilgrims to a reputedly miraculous image of St. Francis in the parish church. Today, its main income comes from tourism.

Several major commercial motion pictures have been filmed in Real including Bandidas (featuring Salma Hayek and Penélope Cruz), The Mexican (featuring Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts), and some scenes of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (featuring Humphrey Bogart), and of Puerto Escondido, directed by Gabriele Salvatores.

Templo de la Purisima Concepcion, a parish church containing a reputedly miraculous image of St. Francis

Huichol women in the Plaza Hidalgo

Thousands of pilgrims visit the Parish of Immaculate Conception the week around the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi on October 4 to express their gratitude for favors granted. Inside the church are hundreds of Retablos attesting to the miracles that have been performed.

Wixárika (Huichol) indigenous peoples walk across miles of desert from Nayarit, Durango, Jalisco and Zacatecas to visit the valley of Catorce every spring to leave religious offerings at the "Cerro Quemado", a ceremonial center to the east of their mystical religious territory. Quemado is, according to their ancestral beliefs, the birthplace of their "Tatewari" or Grandfather Fire.

During this time, they also visit the Wirikuta or desert below Real de Catorce to gather a year's supply of sacred nourishment in the form of peyote or "hikuri", the magical cactus that they use to guide their path and consciousness. Though found throughout the region, the cacti in the Wirikuta purportedly produce the most desired crop.

At other times of the year, there is a continuous pilgrimage of people of all ages and nationalities. They travel thousands of miles to arrive at this sacred site and experience a mystical communion with the magical cactus. So much so, in fact, that the government has mounted a campaign to protect the cactus from these so-called "peyote tourists". It is illegal for anyone but Huichol Indians to gather, or possess, the peyote cactus.

Others come to Real de Catorce for health reasons. At almost 9,000 feet (2,700 m) the city is an excellent training ground for bicyclists and runners.

Although in the southern range of the Chihuahuan desert, due to its altitude, Real can be very cool at night. Although days, particularly in summer, can be very hot, it is advised to always bring a jacket, even in summer.

Real de Catorce was named a "Pueblo Mágico" in 2001.

• 
  Calle Constitución, the town's main street
• 
  The eastern facing tunnel entrance to Real de Catorce

• Real de Catorce travel guide from Wikivoyage
• Everything Else About Real de Catorce
• Viva Real de Catorce - The Premier for Real de Catorce Information

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Real de Catorce.