Ixtlán del Rio

Ixtlán del Rio is a small town in the southeast corner of Mexico's Pacific coast state of Nayarit. The town is best known as the site of a pre-Hispanic archaeological ruin that is sometimes known as Los Toriles.

Archaeology
The only pre-Hispanic archaeological zone in Nayarit, Ixtlan del Rio is known for two things: 1) shaft tombs, and 2) five areas of pre-historic stone carvings (petroglyphs). The site is sometimes thought to represent a connection between civilizations in North America and South America.

The site has 93 mounds with a main circular building that is called “Ehécatl-Quetzalcóatl” (although that is the Nahuatl name). The site was occupied up until the time of the conquest (at least until 1521).

Shaft tombs were found in several sites in the western Mexico states of Nayarit, Jalisco and Colima. Shaft tombs are essentially wells where human and animal remains were "buried", often with sculptures and other items. Shaft tombs date from about 500 BC to 500 AD (usually closer to 300 BC).

By car
Ixtlan del Rio is 82 km southeast of Tepic. It is a 1-hour drive on a modern multi-lane highway (MEX-15D) which has tolls.

By bus
Pacifico operates several buses per day to Ixtlan del Rio departing Tepic from Av. Insurgentes y República de Chile. Fares cost about M$150 for the 1-hour trip. Other bus lines including ACN and TAP also serve Ixtlan del Rio.

Get around
The town is small, safe, and walking is the easiest way to get around. Taxis are usually available at a sitio across the street from the Zocalo. There are at least two taxi cooperatives in Ixtlan: Taxis Rojo (324 112 4997) and Taxis Blanco (324 243 5400). Most taxis are small Chevys.

See








Do




Festivals

 * Feast of Christ King - last Sunday in October, locals hike to the top of Cerro del Cristo Rey

Connect
Cell coverage in town and main highways is excellent but is 4G. WiFi internet is available at most restaurants and hotels in the area.

Go next

 * Compostela
 * Tepic
 * San Blas