San José de Gracia

San José de Gracia is a small town in Aguascalientes, known for its 29-meter-high "Broken Christ" statue and as a playground for outdoor enthusiasts coming to play on the lake or on the rocks and caves of the nearby Boca del Tunel park. The town is designated as one of Mexico's Pueblos Magicos.

Understand
The "broken Christ" isn't just a decoration, it's an artistic statement about the community's resilience in the face of industrial "progress." The original town of San Jose lies deep below the lake surface, inundated when the Plutarco Dam was built in 1927 to provide hydroelectric power to the region and to serve as a reservoir for drinking and irrigation water. The town was re-established in its current location. The missing limbs represent families displaced from their homes and businesses and lives disrupted. The statue has become a symbol of the displaced and of lost causes. People come to pray and leave offerings at the statue, which has become one of the most recognized landmarks in the state.

The town had a short glimpse of the national spotlight during the War of Independence when Miguel Hidalgo took refuge in San Jose de Gracia after defeating the Spanish army at Puente Calderon. Hidalgo stayed a few days before moving on.

Get in
The two closest airports to San Jose de Gracia are 1 hour away: Queretaro and 1½ hour away: Zacatecas.

From the city of Aguascalientes it is a 40-minute taxi ride to San Jose de Gracia on a modern highway. This is the best way to get there.

Get around




Festivals

 * Feria del Maíz, 6 January. Regional celebration.
 * Semana Santa, March-April. Parade and fair.
 * Fiesta de San Juan, 24 June.

Buy
Several workshops in the area produce low-temperature ceramics.

Eat
The town has a couple of regional specialties that would be worth seeking out. Pachalas are ground beer flavored with chiles and other spices. Membrillete is steamed quince sweetened with sugar.

Connect
Expect slow or intermittent internet or cell phone reception. 4G is available in town but 5G has not yet made it to San Jose de Gracia.