Stepped pyramid
Above the plaza.
Roseknopp — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Erik Reinecke — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Erik Reinecke — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Roseknopp — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Erik Reinecke — CC BY-SA 4.0
Cañada de la Virgen is an Otomi archaeological site on a dry plain near San Miguel de Allende. A stepped stone pyramid rises above a sunken plaza, surrounded by platforms, stone walls, acacia and cactus, with hills in the distance. Building probably began after the collapse of Teotihuacan, around AD 530. The Otomi were sky watchers who chose the site by astronomical, religious and farming criteria; it faces the celestial north, and the moon climbs the pyramid's stairway as its cycle advances. Excavation began in 1995 and the site opened to the public in 2011. Mexico's national heritage institute, INAH, announced its reopening to visitors in May 2026. Visitors ride small buses from the entrance, then walk with a guide to the pyramid and plazas and look out from the platforms. It is about 20 km in a straight line west of San Miguel de Allende. It is usually open Tuesday to Sunday, with last entry at 4 p.m. There is almost no shade, so bring a hat and water.
Above the plaza.
Before it.
Around the site.
Near San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato
By car from San Miguel, then the site minibus.
Usually Mondays.