Ixtépete

Ixtépete is an archaeological dig in the western outskirts of Guadalajara. Known also as El Ixtépete or even Iztépete, it's part of the 13-hectare Parque Arqueológico El Ixtépete, and lends its name to many of the surrounding places in the south of Zapopan. The entire ancient site is thought to have been much bigger, once covering parts of El Colli and Santa Ana Tepetitlan.

Today the site operates like a Guadalajara city park, but with a pyramidal base of some 44 meters around, and about six meters in height. The people who built the structures we see today are not known for sure. Researchers date it to between the years 400 and 900 CE.

The site is believed to have been a significant trade center connecting the Jalisco highlands and the La Quemada zone of Zacatecas. Two other population centers, Los Padres and El Tizate, were likely connected. Most researchers will mention that the society seems to display a high degree of social stratification, with evidence of small neighborhoods for workers and common people, and distinguished burial sites for elites and rulers. But people visit to enjoy the outdoors, to walk among the ruins, and to learn something new. At times, it can strike one with great immediacy and depth, just how fantastically old the area is, and how far back civilization here really goes. 

The archaeological park is some 45 minutes to an hour south of the Zapopan Basilica, one of the other really well-known sites in the west of Guadalajara. From the center of Guadalajara, it can actually be reached a little faster. But Ixtépete is a place of quiet contemplation and learning. For many visitors to and even from the broader metropolitan area, it's a place of great insight into the region's historical importance and cultural significance.