Cerro de las Ventanas

The Cerro de las Ventanas archaeological site is an excavation area, and one of the most fascinating ancient sites in Zacatecas and in this part of the country. People visit not just to learn, but for the adventure of the surrounding Juchipila Canyon. The site is quite big, and has been inhabited for at least 2,000 years. The entire summit of Cerro de las Ventanas is part of the original complex.The site is just a few minutes to the south of modern day Juchipila. It is named Hill of the Windows for the lookout windows carved into a rock shelter within the cliff face of the mountain. These prove rather bewitching to modern day visitors for the sense they convey that the ancient inhabitants of the site may still be in there, looking out at us. Radio carbon dating puts their construction and use to about 800 CE. In fact, parts of the larger complex have been inhabited since about 300 BCE. The overall region was known in Nahuatl as Xochipillan, that is  place of flowers. That's the origin of the name of the town and the river. And the ancient site includes terraced housing found on many of the mountains and slopes that can be seen from the Cerro de las Ventanas site. But closer to home, there is also a pyramid of about 5.59 meters in height, and a ball court measuring 60 by 40 meters. There is also a formal courtyard and surrounding terraces; but undoubtedly the most studied and outstanding construction is the cliff house, a construction that may have been used as a lookout point.The Visitor Center was built in 2014 and today welcomes visitors from all over the world. The site is visited, most often, from the little town of Juchipila. It's about 10 minutes to the north and provides all the services travelers might need, including lodging. But Cerro de las Ventanas is an essential stop for those touring Nochistlán (about 90 minutes east) or Teúl (about 2.5 hours west). Both towns look closer on a map, but Zacatecas' rugged topography makes for part of the fun. On the other hand, the little town of Jalpa is less than an hour to the north and in the same valley as Juchipila. The Guadalajara region of Jalisco is about 2.5 hours directly south of Juchipila.