If you like tequila, you’ll particularly love the view from the top of Amatitán Mountain. In every direction you see fields of blue-grey agaves representing millions of gallons of tequila in the making. But even if you are a teetotaler, you’ll find that the hike up to the top offers pleasant surprises for everyone…and an even bigger surprise when you try to get back down.

          The last time I visited this site, I was particularly impressed by panoramic views of nearby hills covered with tall grass, glowing golden in the late afternoon sun. Of course, that was during the dry season and I wondered how this cerro looks at other times of the year.

VIEW FROM PARTWAY UP EL CERRO DE AMATITAN

          So, I found some friends willing to risk the chance of rain and off we drove to Amatitán, which is only a half-hour’s drive west of Guadalajara.

          Years ago, we used to access the trail up the mountain by driving through the narrow, crowded streets of Amatitán, sliding under a locked iron gate, climbing over several stone walls and wandering about, slightly lost, hunting for the path. This process is described in our book Outdoors in Western Mexico and may have discouraged the less adventurous from visiting this picturesque site.

UNDER THE GATE (BETY IBARRA)...

...AND OVER THE FENCE (SUSY PINT)!

       Now, I’m happy to report that there’s an easier route to the trailhead, with no further need to enter Amatitán at all. A well-maintained road takes you from highway 15 straight to a gate with a bypass on the side for two-legged visitors. From here, you just walk southwest 220 meters and climb over only one stone wall (This could hardly qualify as a real hike without a stone wall to climb!). Now you are at the trailhead (UTM 13Q 631954 2302870). A well-beaten path takes you up to a shrine which is located just below a rock face with a large, mossy oval that local people say is an image of La Virgen. If you look at the rock and are not impressed, be careful before shouting out “All I see is a patch of moss,” because the locals say that the image of the virgin can only be perceived by the pure of heart.

DO YOU SEE LA VIRGEN?

          The lush, jungly growth near the shrine gradually changes into a rocky outcrop with a great view and then into a beautiful oak forest and finally near the top, you must wind your way through giant boulders and narrow passages. Your surroundings keep changing and at the same time the view gets better and better the farther up you go, until, from a giant cross at the very top (altitude 1880 meters) you can see all the way to the Santiago River. If you are in somewhat good shape, you should reach the top in less than two hours with plenty of rest and photo stops along the way.

          Now, all you have to do is get back down. Amazingly, I found that the very same path that was so easy to walk on while heading uphill, suddenly seemed to be covered with loose stones that behaved too much like ball bearings, making the walk back down trickier than I anticipated. Without those walker-unfriendly stones, you could probably descend that mountain in 30 minutes. Instead, it took us over an hour to carefully make our way back down, occasionally “dancing” when our feet would shoot out from under us. I think this is one place where a walking stick would come in very handy.

 How to Get There

          Take libre highway 15 (Tepic and Nogales) west 37 kilometers. Don’t take the toll road! Just before Amatitán, you’ll see a road on the left, signposted “Polvorín.” Turn left and follow this road west over a few hills to a seminary run by the Marist Brothers. About 100 meters past the seminary, park across from a barbed-wire gate located at 632182 2303015. Driving time from Guadalajara to the parking spot: about 40 minutes.

John Pint

VIEW OF AMATITAN AND AGAVE FIELDS (CHRIS LLOYD)

THIS LITTLE FLOWER IS ONLY ONE CENTIMETER WIDE.

WHEN YOU NEAR THE TOP,

YOU'LL BE MAKING YOUR WAY THROUGH SOME BIG ROCKS (SONIA CALVILLO).

 

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