I understand that you can visit cave paintings from both San Ignacio and Mulege. If I have 2 full days to devote to this activity, should I do one
day in San Ignacio and one day in Mulege or 2 days in one place or the other?
San Ignacio... is just the nearest 'big' town.. and you can get a permit there or arrange a tour there.
There are many cave sites, but primarily you would be going to San Francisco de la Sierra and into San Pablo Canyon on mule back... One cave is along
the road before reaching the village...
Since I sketched this map additions, the road has been paved to San Francisco de la Sierra.
There have been some great posts by Nomads who have ridden the mules into San Pablo Canyon to see the giant cave sites... I think you need to allow
for three days for a minimum tour...?
The Mulege area sites include San Borjitas (northwest of Mulege) and La Trinidad (southwest of Mulege)...
Try the search using these cave names if nobody comes forward with advice.
Gary at Ignacio Springs inn takes people on tours. He has been doing it for a while. The charge is $200 pp, per day and that includes all food. All
you bring is sleeping bag and sleeping pad and camera!
Blanca, does Gary arrange the mule trip using one of the San Francisco villagers (typically an Arce)?
A movie every Baja fan should see: Bajo California
Review Summary
"Carlos Bolado’s Under California is a riveting examination of a man’s odyssey into family, identity, nature and the healing power of art. Damián is a
successful environmental artist who’s been the driver in a hit-and-run accident with a pregnant woman crossing the Mexico-U.S. border. Tormented by
guilt, Damián, whose own wife is about to have their first child, abandons his home to seek redemption. He embarks on a physical and spiritual journey
to his ancestral homeland in Baja California, traveling to the remote mountain village in the Sierras where his grandmother is buried. While crossing
the harsh, sun-drenched desert, Damián’s belief in the power of ritual and his art are put to the test as he confronts the ghosts of those who dwelt
there—and, ultimately, faces his own mortality. Finally, in a place where pre-Columbian cave paintings echo the ages, Damián regains his passion for
life and comes full circle in his search for atonement. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the Amiens International Film Festival (France), this
magical, richly textured first feature by one of Mexico’s top film editors (Like Water for Chocolate) is a remarkably subtle and mesmerizing film of
great intelligence, emotional power and visual beauty.
—Julia Segrove-Jauriqui"
Here is a sample! (love they use Baja topo maps in the movie!)
Not knowing Spanish doesn't take away from the film's impact... there is an English subtitle version that was shown on Sundance Channel.
Here Damian shows Arce how the pictographs were made:
We spent three days in San Pablo Canyon & saw 5 caves. You have to be in GREAT SHAPE because some places we had to lead the mules. (You want to
go faster then they do...trust me) Also, we hiked up to each cave. You don't just ride up to them, get off and look around....each was a hike to get
to.
One guy...half-way down the canyon... became paralyzed with fear...it was either the height or the fact that in some places the
trail was a mere concept. His wife asked, "Does this mean that the Grand Canyon is out of the question?
Was it worth it? Absolutely...The paintings are spectacular.
Mom always told me to be different - Now she says...Not THAT different
If you only have 2 days, I suggest going out to Sta.Marta...get your permit from San Ignacio first then head up to the ranch at dawn...turn left at
Bonfil. We have camped the night at the ranch to get an early start...it is about a 2 hour hike up to the caves and you can either walk or rent a
burro to you can enjoy the view without watching where you are walking. It is a day trip you can do...and the paintings are superb...the biggest ones
next to la Sierra de San Fransisco which is quite a major undertaking.
"in some places the trail was a mere concept."
Ha! True! Especially across a solid rock cliff face - the mules' hooves would slip on the rock. Our group was hiking, not riding - but I think I
would have been very nervous if riding. On the last night, we hiked hours ahead of the mules with our gear, saw the last cave site, and waited for
the mules with our gear so we could prepare our camp, have dinner, etc. They were expected about 3 pm - and did not show up. It became 5 pm, 6 pm.
Finally, about 7 pm we hear them coming. The delay was due to a mule that had slipped and rolled down a cliff and had to be rescued.
"If it were lush and rich, one could understand the pull, but it is fierce and hostile and sullen.
The stone mountains pile up to the sky and there is little fresh water. But we know we must go back
if we live, and we don't know why." - Steinbeck, Log from the Sea of Cortez
"People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care." - Theodore Roosevelt
"You can easily judge the character of others by how they treat those who they think can do nothing for them or to them." - Malcolm Forbes
"Let others lead small lives, but not you. Let others argue over small things, but not you. Let others
cry over small hurts, but not you. Let others leave their future in someone else's hands, but not you." - Jim Rohn
"The best way to get the right answer on the internet is not to ask a question; it's to post the wrong answer." - Cunningham's Law
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