See Sierra de San Francisco Cave Paintings, Baja, Mexico (UNESCO site)

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One of the most impressive and unique experiences in Baja is the cave paintings of the Sierra de San Francisco. This UNESCO World Heritage Site encompasses some of the best-preserved and most impressive Great Mural sites in the world. Four hundred rock art sites have been recorded in the region, and most remain intact and in good condition, attributable to the dry climate and remote location. Visitors will find rock shelters and huge panels decorated with depictions of human figures as well as marine and land wildlife, painted in red, black, white, and yellow. These paintings on the roofs of rock shelters and on the walls of Sierra de San Francisco were first discovered by the jesuit Francisco Javier in the eighteenth century. According to old beliefs, the paintings were drawn by a race of giants, this is supported by the size of some human figures which are two meters tall. They are full of a magic-religious content. Other motifs include weapons and animal species such as rabbit, puma, lynx, deer, wild goat/sheep, whale, turtle, tuna, sardine, octopus, eagle and pelican; there are also abstract elements of various forms. Perhaps they are related to the cultural groups of nomadic hunters from northern Mexico and southern United States before the conquest of America, although they do not show significant relation to the art of those groups. The paintings vary in age from 1100 BC to AD 1300. The property is made up by around 250 sites which are located in the municipality of Mulege within the El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve in the state of Baja California Sur in Northern Mexico. Access to the paintings is difficult due to the isolation of the place which has prevented them from being victims of vandalism. What To Do: It’s necessary to dedicate 3-4 days to fully visit the cave paintings as the best rock art is only reachable by hiking and riding a pack animal while camping in the sierras. The most-photographed and well-known paintings of the Sierra de San Fransicso (and of the entire peninsula) are those of La Pintada in San Pablo Canyon. Where To Stay: The Buenaventura Hostel (tel. 011-52-615-156-4747, buenaventurahostal@gmail.com) is the only option for accommodations in the small town of San Francisco, and most visitors spend the night here before venturing out on their multi-day treks early the next morning. For those who just want a small sample of the cave paintings, it’s possible to stay in San Ignacio and do a day trip to visit the El Ratón site or Palmarito outside of Santa Marta. How to Visit: There is a turnoff for San Francisco off of Mexico 1 at kilometer 117.5. It takes about 1.5 hours to reach San Francisco from the highway. All visitors to the rock art must be registered with INAH, Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History, and have a guide. You can book a guide directly through the Buenaventura Hostel (tel. 011-52-615-156-4747, buenaventurahostal@gmail.com) in Sierra de San Francisco. It’s too hot to go down into the canyons from June-September. April, May, and October are generally considered the best months to visit the cave paintings. If you want to explore Baja’s cave paintings, but aren’t quite ready to commit to a trip in person, check out the Senda Rupestre website that gives you a 360-degree virtual experience of some of Baja’s best cave painting sites.

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