Centro Interpretativo Guachimontones Phil Weigand / Sitio arqueológico Guachimontones — Attraction in Jalisco

The museum is lovely and not at all crowded; at least not mid week when we were there. No problems with parking. Nice to be able to see and even touch some of the exhibits. People are friendly and helpful. The bathrooms are clean and well stocked. The views of town and landscape are lovely.

The ruins: this was our purpose for the visit. This site is very old and the round pyramids are very unusual. That is what originally drew me.

Bring walking shoes. There is no parking at the top. If passengers in a vehicle are over 65 the driver can drop folks at the top, park below and pick up later. The road is paved but it's about a quarter mile up. Not too steep but be prepared.

At the entrance, there was a guide available for a fee. So very worth it. He was knowledgeable and made all the difference. Provided so much information about the history of the people who lived, worshiped and celebrated life here. The purpose of this sacred place, the practices and the rituals. He explained the customs of indigenous dance and how the rhythm and the steps express wind, water or fire. The difference between dance for rituals or in preparation for war.

He explained all that was on the site. The excavation project, purpose and progress.

So much more. We intended to just walk thru the site on our own but at the last moment asked for the guide. What a difference it made. This was like an intimate visit back in time. Came away with so much more. I could write on and on.

I'll be back to...

Although only a small part of this site has been excavated, it’s an incredibly interesting place to visit. Signs are in Spanish, but we were lucky to have an amazing tour guide who has worked on the site since 1999, during the initial excavations.

The small on site museum has some incredible murals, as well as artifact displays that let you get up close and personal.

Be sure to exit the museum for a short hike to see a recreated hut...

El lugar cuenta con museo muy pequeño en el que muestran los hallazgos que han tenido, donde, según el guía que nos acompañó, son pocos debido al poco presupuesto que le asignan al lugar 😟.

El mural que tienen está muy bonito y ahí hay un pequeño auditorio y cuentan con baños.

La entrada cuesta 30 pesos y 15 para adultos mayores, profesores y estudiantes pero si está en tus posibilidades paga completo.

Hay un amplio estacionamiento en el que llegas a la altura del museo, de ahí, para llegar a la zona arqueológica debes recorrer un buen tramo de subida, que es un poco agotador, pero vale la pena, pues hay una primer parada en la que puedes observar todo el valle y posteriormente llegas al antiguo estacionamiento en dónde encontraron el segundo juego de pelota del lugar.

Hasta arriba del camino llegas a la zona arqueológica principal, en donde encontrarás las pirámides circulares. Lo triste es que actualmente ya no permiten subirte por la falta de precaución y respeto que tuvieron algunos visitantes 😔

Te recomiendo ir con ropa y calzado cómodos, llevar agua abundante, filtro solar y sombrero o algo que te proteja del sol, pues aunque la zona es arbolada, se necesita.

Vale la pena venir a...