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
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
Balkans road trip
Bosnia and Herzegovina • 9 days, 8 nights
Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina
from
View all trips
Loading...
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Benshi would introduce and provide commentary for films like A Page of Madness.
Remembering the Heyday of Japan’s Silent FIlm Narrators
The Horn & Hardart Automat was a staple of urban dining in midcentury New York City.
All Hail the Slop Bowl, Lunch of Our Ancestors
The Grateful Dead’s “Wall of Sound” on display in Las Vegas.
The Grateful Dead’s Wall of Sound Changed Live Music Forever
Two suitcases in an empty airport hall.
AO Mailbag: Is It Normal to Share a Checked Bag With Your Boyfriend?

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 Teuchitlán Guachimontones

Guachimontones

The jewel of western Mexico's archaeological legacy is this tiered circular pyramid now covered in grass.

Teuchitlán, Mexico

Added By
Tony
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Guachimontones   Esteban Tucci on Wikipedia
Guachimontones   Wikipedia
This was taken in November.  
  Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
  Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Reconstruction of the site.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
  Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The interpretative center.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
  Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
A view of Circle 2 from the altar of Circle 1.  
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Los Guachimontones represents the largest discovered site from a culture that once flourished in the Tequila Valley region between 300 BC-900 AD/CE.

The reconstructed site and accompanying Interpretive Center were created to help people learn about the lost culture.

The Teuchitlan culture is known for its distinct circular, step pyramid structures (described as looking like a layer cake or bee hive) consisting of a round central altars (a style that is called "Guachimontón") surrounded by a circular patio space, and a circular banquette on which sits four to sixteen rectangular or square platforms. The connection between the Teuchitlan culture and the larger, older Shaft-Tomb culture (500BC-400CE) is blatant.  Shaft-tombs are found directly underneath the platforms in the guachimonton structures.  Though whether the shaft-tombs came first at the structures or not is still under investigation.

Excavations at other Teuchitlan sites have shown similar constructions, and that a post hole would have been located in the central altar (or sometimes central space if the altar is lacking) during rituals. Ceramic dioramas of the full guachimontons, unique to the Mesoamerican region, from shaft-tomb and guachimonton site excavations, display  pole ceremonies that the Teuchitlan community members performed all across their culture. Often they display where a leader would climb the pole as a devotional act to their god. However feasting, musical instruments, and even burials are also depicted in these dioramas.

American archaeologist Dr. Phil Weigand and his wife Celia Weigand discovered the Los Guachimontones site in 1969. Dr. Weignad, through drive-by and regular archaeological survey recorded over 200 guachimontones around Western Mexico, the majority being in the Tequila Valleys area in highland Jalisco.

While the connection between the Teuchitlan culture and the greater Mesoamerican pantheon is unclear, there is evidence of some old gods worship. These possible connections are being studied primarily by the Colegio de Michoacan and they run the Los Guachimontones labs.

Related Tags

Archaeology Pyramids Ruins

Know Before You Go

From the Guadalajara airport it is approx. one hour away by taxi (the ride is about $40/400 pesos). It is considerably longer via bus, and unless you know your way around Tequila Valley, it is not recommended as even residents of Guadalajara can end up lost.Taxis and buses will usually drop you off at the entrance to the town of Teuchitlan. There are signs pointing you in the direction of the site and interpretation center which is to the northeast of the town. The hike is long, and has some very steep inclines if you are walking. If you took a taxi you may be able to convince the driver to take you all the way up to the Interpretation Center.If you continue up from the Interpretive Center, it is another steep incline hike to the actual archaeological site. Please bring water and proper sun blocking clothes, there is not much shade on the walk up.A secondary site called Loma Alta is also available to see, but requires either a very long hike or a good sturdy truck. If you are interested in seeing it please ask one of the Interpretive Center guides.

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Flavors of Oaxaca: Markets, Mezcal & Home-Cooked Meals

A Culinary and Cultural Journey Through Oaxaca.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

Macuahuitl

Edited By

earthcitty, EricGrundhauser, MiguelO, Fred Cherrygarden

  • earthcitty
  • EricGrundhauser
  • MiguelO
  • Fred Cherrygarden

Published

October 17, 2014

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://ucdenver.academia.edu/ChristopherBeekman
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guachimontones
  • https://web.archive.org/web/20081006223317/http://carbon.cudenver.edu/~cbeekman/research/guachimonton.html
  • http://www.tequilatourism.com/content/interpretive-center-guachimontones/teqd9c7896a7a5041e7b
  • "The Ex-Laguna de Magdalena and pre-Columbian settlement in Jalisco, Mexico: The integration of archaeological and geomorphological datasets" by Dr. Christopher Beekman
Guachimontones
207 Calle Benito Juárez Nte.
Teuchitlán
Mexico
20.68714, -103.844945
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Casa José Guadalupe Zuno Door

Guadalajara, Mexico

miles away

Casa ITESO Clavigero

Guadalajara, Mexico

miles away

Templo Expiatorio Clock

Guadalajara, Mexico

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Mexico

Mexico

North America

Places 596
Stories 61

Nearby Places

Casa José Guadalupe Zuno Door

Guadalajara, Mexico

miles away

Casa ITESO Clavigero

Guadalajara, Mexico

miles away

Templo Expiatorio Clock

Guadalajara, Mexico

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Mexico

Mexico

North America

Places 596
Stories 61

Related Stories and Lists

The Remote Mexican Restaurant Reviving Jalisco's Forgotten Cuisine

restaurants

By Rena Behar

Related Places

  • Piramide Cihuatan

    Aguilares, El Salvador

    Cihuatán

    A major pre-Columbian archaeological site in central El Salvador.

  • 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.

  • View from the top

    Tikal, Guatemala

    Tikal Temple IV

    Deep in the Guatemalan jungle stands an ancient pyramid that once marked the reign of a king.

  • View of the pyramid.

    Tlalnepantla, Mexico

    The Pyramid of Santa Cecilia Acatitlán

    This partially reconstructed Aztec pyramid gives a glimpse of what its larger counterparts would have looked like.

  • The dancers.

    Monte Albán, Mexico

    Monte Albán

    These sacred Mesoamerican ruins feature peculiar petroglyphs hidden in the stones.

  • Pirámide de los Nichos

    Papantla, Mexico

    Pirámide de los Nichos (Pyramid of the Niches)

    The singular ruins of a mysterious lost city.

  • The altar seen from the front.

    Soriano nel Cimino, Italy

    Etruscan Pyramid of Bomarzo

    This ancient altar emerges from the thick forests to reveal the mysteries of Etruscan sacrificial rituals.

  • The “tomb of the years” at Museo Xólotl.

    Tlalnepantla, Mexico

    'Tomb of the Years' at Tenayuca Pyramid

    An archaeological museum at the Aztec pyramid displays signs of the New Fire ritual performed every 52 years.

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.