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The cave paintings and
rock art near Mulegé offer up another outstanding Baja adventure.
This one is easy to arrange and involves an almost effortless day
trip. There are actually three sites that can be seen in one day,
although it would be better to spread your adventure over two days, so
you don't have to rush your visit. And it's not like Mulegé isn't
a delightful place to spend a few days. There are more than a few cave
sites which are fairly close to Mulegé, although some involve a
difficult drive and quite a bit of hiking. Here we are going to outline
the three sites that are the easiest to visit.
The closest cave
paintings to Mulegé are those of La Trinidad. On the way to La
Trinidad is another one of Baja's wonders, Piedras Pintas, a spectacular
area of rocks that are strewn around an area about the size of two
football fields. This rock pile is unique for the extraordinary
number of petroglyphs displayed in a relatively small area. The
rocks were probably once part of a series of cliffs that are very close
by. My guess is that a powerful earthquake hit the area and caused
the cliff to cave in.
Hiking among these rocks
will lead to the discovery of hundreds of petroglyphs painstakingly
carved into the rocks. Representing mostly sea life, with a few
animals these ancient rock carvings are unique for the large
number of carvings in such a concentrated area. There are
estimated to be over 1500 carvings in this one group of boulders.
The Piedras Pintas site is a little over a half hour drive outside
of Mulegé.
To visit the cave
paintings at La Trinidad you may have to get a little wet. At
certain times of the year it is necessary to wade through some shallow
water to get near the cave entrance.
The dominant figure in
this cave is that of a deer or maybe an antelope painted in bright red.
This outstanding painting is done in a kind of checkerboard pattern.
There are two younger animals very close to the primary figure.
This cave is partially collapsed and one can only guess what figures
might have been lost in such a tragedy.
There are other figures
painted in different colors, one a fish with a highly detailed rib structure.
Right next to the fish is a deer, painted in white. This deer is lying flat on it's
back, probably being depicted as dead. The white deer was
obviously done by a different artist than the one who painted the red
deer.
The dominant deer at La
Trinidad is very similar to a painting found in a cave thirteen miles
away at a site named Los Venados. It could be assumed that,
perhaps, the artists were one and the same.
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San
Borjitas is a well known cave painting site located about 40 miles north and
west of Mulegé. It is located in a remote canyon and requires a light
hike to visit. This cave is considered to be unique because of the
number of figures painted in a small area and the fact that all of the
figures are painted larger than life size. There are eighty different
figures represented in this cave, most are painted on the sloping ceiling of the
cave. More than a dozen of the figures in this cave are impaled with arrows.
Control of
the cave paintings falls under the guidance of Mexico's National Institute of
Anthropology and History (INAH). All
visitors to the cave paintings must purchase a special permit and must be accompanied by
a registered guide.
The necessary permits, guides and guided tours can
all be arranged through official guides in Mulegé. Do not try to visit these sites on your
own! First, you need the proper permits. Second, it is
extremely easy to get lost in the desert and mountains around Mulegé, as all of
the cactus begin to look the same.
We have
used a local guide in Mulegé for cave painting and rock art tours, on
more than one occasion, and we feel more than comfortable recommending
Ciro Cuesta. He is a highly
respected guide who knows this area like the back of his hand and speaks
excellent English. Ciro Cuesta will explain more than you will ever remember about
the petroglyphs, cave paintings and the delicate environment of the area.
You can call Ciro at his office at (615) 153-0566 or his cell phone (615)
106-8892. Or contact him through
the Hotel Cuesta Real (615) 153-0321 or the Hotel Hacienda at
(615) 153-0021
in Mulegé.
See also:
Mulegé
The Magnificent Cave Paintings of Baja.
San Ignacio
NEW CAVE
PAINTING VIDEOS On-line Research links:
Cave Paintings and Cowboys of Baja California
by: Debra Valov
Great Mural Rock Art, Baja California
Wikipedia.org
Images of Baja California: Images by Harry Crosby
U.C. San Diego Special Collections Library
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