Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
Caucasus - Geghard Monastery, Armenia
Armenia • 15 days, 14 nights
Caucasus Road Trip: Azerbaijan, Georgia & Armenia
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Midas Tümülüsü (Tumulus MM)
The Devil's Column
Weightlifting Hall of Fame
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
In this deceptively simple dish, top-quality ingredients are paramount.
Kor Panich
Customize your bowl with sliced pork, pork balls, fish cake, and offal.
Rung Rueang
Pasties are an Upper Michigan tradition dating back to mining days.
Lehto’s Pasties
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
1 day ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
3 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
4 days ago
Cely’s map is not only accurate, but captures the unique characteristics of Congaree’s trees and waterways.
How One Biologist Drew a Hyper-Accurate, Ranger-Approved Map of Congaree National Park
5 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Mexico San José del Torreón El Cóporo
AO Edited

El Cóporo

Built 1,500 years ago, this abandoned Mesoamerican city is surrounded by a natural wall made of outstanding rock formations.

San José del Torreón, Mexico

Added By
Edgar Medina
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
  EdgarMedina / Atlas Obscura User
  EdgarMedina / Atlas Obscura User
  EdgarMedina / Atlas Obscura User
  EdgarMedina / Atlas Obscura User
  EdgarMedina / Atlas Obscura User
  EdgarMedina / Atlas Obscura User
  EdgarMedina / Atlas Obscura User
  EdgarMedina / Atlas Obscura User
  EdgarMedina / Atlas Obscura User
  EdgarMedina / Atlas Obscura User
  EdgarMedina / Atlas Obscura User
  EdgarMedina / Atlas Obscura User
  EdgarMedina / Atlas Obscura User
  EdgarMedina / Atlas Obscura User
  EdgarMedina / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The settlement at El Cóporo has all the vestiges of an old Mesoamerican city. It was formed by a series of villages around the hill where rock formations offered protection as natural walls. The city's inhabitants likely cultivated a variety of crops that included corn, squash, tomatoes, beans, and chili.

This pre-Hispanic settlement, which is distinguished by its 1,500-year-old architecture, consisting of rooms for ordinary people and a civic ceremonial center, is associated with the Tunal Grande culture. There is also evidence that the site has links to the pre-Hispanic settlements of Zacatecas, Jalisco and El Bajío Guanajuatense. The worldview of El Cóporo's former inhabitants has been partly inferred from the organization of its architectural spaces. 

Evidence in the form of artifacts and buildings suggests that the city was split into zones, which separated spaces for ceremonies, administration, and residences. So far, archaeologists have identified over 150 structures.

The site covers approximately 210 acres of the slopes and summit of Cerro del Cóporo, the hill from which the site gets its name. Archaeologists estimate that the area was first settled around the year 200, and finally abandoned sometime between 1000 and 1100.

Related Tags

Cities Mesoamerica Archaeology Abandoned

Know Before You Go

From Ocampo, driving the state road that leads to the city of León, 20 km away is Ibarra, there starts a paved road to the community of San José del Torreón. After crossing this population is Cerro El Cóporo and the archeological site.

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Yucatan Family Adventure: Meteors, Pyramids & Maya Legends

Explore Maya temples and learn about the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

EdgarMedina

Published

May 5, 2021

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://inah.gob.mx/es/zonas/26-zona-arqueologica-el-coporo
  • https://reconditosite.wordpress.com/2018/01/19/el-coporo/
El Cóporo
Junto a
San José del Torreón
Mexico
21.47531, -101.456213
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Colina Gravitacional (Gravity Hill)

León, Mexico

miles away

Catacombs at Templo Expiatorio

León, Mexico

miles away

Hacienda del Jaral de Berrios

San Felipe, Mexico

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Mexico

Mexico

North America

Places 594
Stories 60

Nearby Places

Colina Gravitacional (Gravity Hill)

León, Mexico

miles away

Catacombs at Templo Expiatorio

León, Mexico

miles away

Hacienda del Jaral de Berrios

San Felipe, Mexico

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Mexico

Mexico

North America

Places 594
Stories 60

Related Places

  • Miramar, Mexico

    Quiahuiztlán

    The site where the Spanish first landed in Mexico was once a thriving Mesoamerican city.

  • Ruins of 10 or more Yuan dynasty stupas situated outside the northwest corner of Kharakhoto.

    Alxa, China

    Heicheng Ruins

    Sited in an Inner Mongolian desert are the remnants of an important trade stop along the Silk Road.

  • Some of the many stone snake head sculptures.

    Tlalnepantla, Mexico

    Pyramids of Tenayuca

    A barbarous band of serpents guard the bases of these Aztec temples.

  • The city pillar

    Vientiane, Laos

    Hor Lak Muang

    The site of an ancient city pillar that was lost and rediscovered.

  • Erbil, Iraq

    Erbil Arab Quarter

    At the heart of an otherwise bustling city lies some oddly abandoned and ignored historical ruins.

  • Guermassa, Tunisia

    Guermassa

    A charming Amazigh village carved into a mountaintop.

  • An ancient wall with a path running through it under a metal roof

    Yulin, China

    Shimao Relics

    A massive ancient Chinese city with stone walls and evidence of human sacrifices.

  • Zempoala, Mexico

    Zona Arqueológica Cempoala

    Palace, temple, and pyramid ruins mark the ancient Mesoamerican capital of Totonacapan.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.