The Rock Paintings of Sierra de San Francisco – sites visited in February, 2024.

As Els already described carefully the basics I will focus on updates. Before any visit to the site – you have to obtain a permit (A4 paper with names on it, visiting hours and guide name), pay entrance fee (also a ticket for camera) and arrange an official guide. Local INAH office is located in the center of San Ignacio (near the church, Museo INAH San Ignacio, Valdivia Peña, google coordinates 27.283319417059342, -112.89868613892016). The office is open every day (except Sundays) from 11.00 until 18.00) so you can arrange a visit returning from Laguna San Ignacio – whale watching, El Vizcaino). Currently there is a perfect asphalted road to El Raton (the road is not shown on official UNESCO map as it is new) but for Santa Martha you need a car with high clearance or even 4WD.

El Raton (Cueva del Raton) – located 82 km from central San Ignacio, use national Highway 1, direction Guerrero Negro, after 45 km turn to the right (sign for San Fco Sierra). Within next 10 km you already pass through inscribed property entering a mountainous area (no sign but according to an official map you are there). Landscapes are amazing – wide valleys, steep slopes with lots of cactuses, rocks. The site is located on the right side (signpost, small parking space, google coordinates 27°35'29.5"N 113°01'26.5"W) but usually you have to drive further (around one kilometre) to Hostal Buenaventura (google coordinates 27°35'38.2"N 113°00'57.8"W) where guide would wait for you and you have to register the visit at the office (paper permit received earlier at San Ignacio). Than you return with a guide to Cueva del Raton (separate payment, in my case it was 200 Mex peso). The site is fenced (the guide has the key), path contains some 20 steps (not very steep). El Raton cave (or more precisely rock shelter) consists of several paintings presenting human and animal figures including famous black rat (el raton) which is probably a depiction of cougar.

Palmarito Cave (Cuesta Palmarito) – located some 7 km from San Francisco Sierra (straight line) but accessible only via Santa Lucia and rough road from there (totally it is around 60 km from San Ignacio). I have arranged that for the next day. You have to drive national Highway 1 to the east (direction Santa Rosalia), than after 20 km at Santa Lucia turn left (signpost Santa Martha 40 km), the more you drive the road deteriorate. Last 10-12 kilometres it is nightmare – you have to cross dried up rivers, full of stones and climb up steep river banks (I guess that this part of the road is inaccessible during rains or flood – hopefully rare in Baja California). At the INAH office in San Ignacio I have received exact location of Santa Martha (a map via Whatsapp) but it didn’t work since there were no connection. Santa Martha (google coordinates 27°32'35.3"N 112°57'52.5"W). Also my maps.me offline map did not cover these areas (last 10 km I used only topographic directions. Finally arrived (it took more than 2 hours from Santa Lucia) our guide was waiting for us in the centre of the village. Similarly to El Raton we have to go for registration and via equally bad road we moved for the entrance to the path for Palmarito (google coordinates 27°33'23.7"N 112°57'15.2"W). From this point there is approximately one hour trek to the paintings, the last part is quite steep. Paintings are similar to El Raton (hunting scenes, humans praying), there is also similar black imagination of rat (cougar) but they cover much bigger area. The guide is also paid separately (350 Mex peso).

Other places from Sierra San Francisco can be visited (with a guide and permit) during organised trips from San Francisco village (near El Raton) or from Santa Martha. Some of them are close to the villages (day trips) some require more preparation (multi-day expeditions with mules carrying equipment).

More about rock art in Sierra de San Francisco https://sandiegoarchaeology.org/Laylander/Baja/10ritter.pdf

Practicalities: For transportation I used a rented car with higher clearance (Chevrolet Tracker) – good choice but for Santa Martha a bit insufficient. Have in mind that there is only one petrol station in the area (in San Ignacio) so you have to plan accordingly. February is a peak season for whale watching so it is better to book ahead accommodation. In fact I tried to do so with no lack (only one expensive place was available during my dates) but somehow a day before I managed to reserve a place at Rancho Espinoza, Guamúchil (next village to San Ignacio), excellent place (60 USD for double without breakfast). San Ignacio is a natural center for visiting not only Sierra San Francisco but also El Vizcaino hence you need to have a place for longer stay. Food: there are restaurants in central San Ignacio (near the church) as well as some near petrol station (those are more basic) but there is nothing in Santa Martha (not even a single shop).

Places on the photo, bottom left, than clockwise: paintings at Palmarito, valley near El Raton, El Raton cave paintings, trek to Palmarito.