First published: 18/04/22.

Clyde 1

Great City Of Chicomostoc-La Quemada

Great City of Chicomostoc-La Quemada (On tentative list)

Great City of Chicomostoc-La Quemada by Clyde

I visited this tentative WHS in January 2022. The site had just reopened (only Fridays till Sundays) after being closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the local administration and INAH were so happy that they charged no entrance fee for the first day, perhaps because they were almost sure that the only visitors would be locals. Unlike many other INAH archaeological sites during the COVID-19 pandemic, this one had a brand new visitor centre and museum also open and free to visit with a very good explanatory video on La Quemada and another 3 nearby sites.

The highlights of this tWHS which is quite close (around 40 minutes by car) to Zacatecas are the Salón de las Columnas with 11 rhyolite columns and the Votive Pyramid with the citadel perched high above a hill in the background. Several cacti have been planted almost created a natural loop making it very easy to visit most of the sites. The only hard part is the climb up to the citadel mostly due to the loose stones and no railings, so make sure the wear sturdy shoes.

I really enjoyed the few remains on display in the new visitor centre and if ever this tWHS were to make it on the WH list, a potential extension which would make sense and add value to this nomination, would be to also include the nearby Cerro de Teul, Las Ventanas, and Altavista.

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