Altavista, Archaeological site in Chalchihuites, Mexico.

Altavista is an archaeological site near Chalchihuites, Zacatecas, almost on the Tropic of Cancer. Its main structures, including the Hall of Columns, the Pyramid of the Sun and the Labyrinth, are aligned with the cardinal points. The ceremonial center was built between 450 and 470 CE.

The settlement was occupied from around 100 CE to 1400 CE and served as a control point for turquoise trade routes extending to mines in the north. This strategic position made it an important trading hub for the region.

The name Chalchihuites comes from the Nahuatl chalchíhuitl, meaning precious stone. The site's name Altavista comes from a ranch that existed nearby when Manuel Gamio visited. The Columns Hall has four parallel rows of seven columns, equivalent to the 28-day lunar cycle.

The site is open daily and offers plenty of space to explore the different levels and structures. The best time to visit is early morning to use daylight well and avoid crowds.

The Labyrinth, a walled corridor beside the Hall of Columns, lines up with Picacho Peak, where the equinox sun rises; sunlight entering the passage gave it the name "sun road". Two circle-cross petroglyphs on Chapín Hill, 7 km southwest, mirror those at Teotihuacan and project the summer solstice alignment onto the peak.