La Pintada, archaeological site in Mexico
La Pintada is an archaeological site in Baja California Sur with an expansive rock mural sheltered beneath cliff overhangs. The mural stretches over 150 meters and contains hundreds of figures in dark and ochre tones created from natural pigments including iron oxide, manganese oxide, and gypsum.
Rock painters created their works thousands of years ago when nomadic groups moved through the region hunting and gathering. The site received UNESCO World Heritage recognition in 1993, acknowledging its status as one of the world's most significant concentrations of rock art.
The site's name comes from the painted rock art covering its walls. These images reveal what animals and hunting practices mattered most to the people who lived here, reflecting their direct relationship with the natural world around them.
Visitors reach the site via dirt road from the Transpeninsular Highway near San Ignacio, followed by a multi-hour hike through rocky terrain. You must bring an authorized guide who knows the route and helps protect the paintings from damage.
Some of the painted figures are oversized, taller than 6 feet (1.8 meters), and local legends speak of giants with bones found that might have belonged to very tall people. These mysterious stories have sparked curiosity among visitors and researchers for centuries.
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