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
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
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 »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Chefs Aruss Lerlerstkull and Atcharaporn Kiatthanawat lean into regional traditions.
Charmgang
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
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
5 days ago
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.
6 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
7 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.?
8 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 Bernal Quartz Grotto
AO Edited

Quartz Grotto

At the base of Peña de Bernal, a small business keeps evidence of alleged extraterrestrial visitors on display.

Bernal, Mexico

Added By
Mario Yair T.S.
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Quartz grotto   Mario Yair TS / Atlas Obscura User
Quartz grotto   Mario Yair TS / Atlas Obscura User
Gruta de cuarzo main hall   Mario Yair TS / Atlas Obscura User
Temazcal mural   Mario Yair TS / Atlas Obscura User
Pyramid   Mario Yair TS / Atlas Obscura User
Gruta de cuarzo   Mario Yair TS / Atlas Obscura User
Some of the weird skulls   Mario Yair TS / Atlas Obscura User
A view of Peña de Bernal from town   Iliana E.R.G. / CC BY-SA 3.0
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Peña de Bernal is the world's third-largest monolith, and at 1,421 feet (433 meters), also one of the tallest. In the 1970s, the arrival of the new age proposed that the spring equinox was a good time to approach the rock to charge itself with cosmic energy. There have been a number of UFO sightings at Peña de Bernal, and some claim that UFOs would circle the rock at night or that Martians frequented the area. At the foot of the rock, there is a small business that claims to keep the skulls of those aliens.

It is called Gruta de Cuarzo (Quartz Grotto), although in reality it is the basement of a house decorated with millions of pebbles to form small murals of the myths of the place. In the rooms, you can see the eye of God, a UFO with neon lights on the wall, the myth of Quetzalcoatl the feathered serpent, and several gray "Martians" on the walls. If that is not peculiar enough, the last rooms exhibit a series of animal skulls (probably modified) as trophies as if they were strange creatures never seen before.

According to the myth, the skulls were taken by the oldest inhabitants of Bernal from the caves hidden in the rock. One of the most peculiar mysteries of the town is that its inhabitants are from the oldest communities in Mexico, a reason they attribute to the magical powers of the Bernal rock. It also has a collection of strange rocks that have also been found nearby and figurines that claim to be pre-Hispanic representations of aliens. 

Also offered with the tour is a sampling of the region's wines and a shop selling quartz advertising its magical healing properties.

Related Tags

Ufos Aliens Murals Geology Geological Oddities Stone
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

Mario Yair TS

Edited By

Michelle Cassidy

  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

May 12, 2022

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://mexicounexplained.com/pena-de-bernal-the-ultimate-mexican-paranormal-hotspot/
Quartz Grotto
S/N C. Corregidora
Bernal, 76680
Mexico
20.745025, -99.946294
Get Directions

Nearby Places

The Flavored Esquites of Bernal

Bernal, Mexico

miles away

Rosalío Solano Museum of National Cinema

Bernal, Mexico

miles away

Jardín Botánico Regional de Cadereyta

Cadereyta de Montes, Mexico

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Bernal

Bernal

Mexico

Places 3

Nearby Places

The Flavored Esquites of Bernal

Bernal, Mexico

miles away

Rosalío Solano Museum of National Cinema

Bernal, Mexico

miles away

Jardín Botánico Regional de Cadereyta

Cadereyta de Montes, Mexico

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Bernal

Bernal

Mexico

Places 3

Related Places

  • Jade collected from the coast of Itoigawa.

    Itoigawa, Japan

    The Jade Coast

    You can still find treasures on the pebbly beaches of one of the world's oldest jade-producing areas.

  • Marker of the Eastern Subcontinental Divide.

    Atlanta, Georgia

    Eastern Sub-Continental Divide Mural

    A little-known mural reveals the hydrological reason for Atlanta's founding in this location.

  • The Mountain Sphinx.

    Bușteni, Romania

    The Mountain Sphinx

    Conspiracy theories and occult legends surround this mysterious natural rock formation.

  • The aptly named Giant Rock.

    Landers, California

    Giant Rock

    A regular looking rock with an unbelievable history.

  • The Baigong Pipes

    Haixi, China

    Baigong Pipes

    Are these prehistoric metal pipes evidence of alien plumbers? Nope, but they are amazing nonetheless.

  • Russia

    Ulakhan-Sis Range

    A remote Arctic mountain range is home to "granite cities" found almost nowhere else.

  • Human-made flying saucer awaiting extra-terrestrial arrivals.

    Arès, France

    Ovniport UFO Landing Pad

    A waterfront landing pad designated for unidentified flying objects still awaits its first guest.

  • A beach on the island with distinctive rock formations.

    Malpe, India

    Thonsepar

    These four small islands contain unique hexagonal rock formations.

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.