Altavista petroglyph complex

Altavista is an archaeological site in Nayarit featuring around 56 stone carvings scattered across the landscape along the Las Piletas river. The engravings show symbols of corn, the sun, and water that reflect the daily life and concerns of the people who made them.

The petroglyphs date to around 2000 BCE and were created by the Tecoxquin culture who lived in the region long before Spanish arrival. This civilization left behind these carvings as a record of their presence before eventually fading from history.

The site holds spiritual meaning for Huichol communities who gather here to perform ceremonies and leave offerings as part of their living traditions. Visitors can observe how people continue to use this space for religious practices that connect them to their ancestors.

The site is best reached by car and requires about a 30-minute drive from nearby towns through a dirt road that can become challenging in wet weather. It is worth checking local conditions before heading out, as rain can make access difficult.

One of the most striking carvings depicts a figure with a corn cob as its head, known as the Maize Man, showing how central this crop was to the culture. This unusual representation shows how early artists symbolically expressed their spiritual and economic priorities.