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Guachimontones is the most important ancient settlement in the valley of the Tequila region of Jalisco. The big archaeological site is just north of the town of Teuchitlán just an hour or so northwest of Guadalajara. The ancient settlement was occupied from roughly 300 BCE through about 400 CE. It's thus often very surprisng just how much still remains. 

The site is best known for the several stepped cylindrical pyramids surrounding a ceremonial plaza. There are several circular courtyards, two ballcourts, and an amphitheater. But the very large site is still being excavated. The town is believed to have been dedicated to honoring the god of wind Ehécatl and thus ceremonies may have involved priests climbing incredibly tall poles and making references to flight and the movement of wind. It is among the oldest identified sites related to these traditions which are usually associated with the empires of central and eastern Mexico.

The site was only re-discovered in 1970, with modern research only beginning in in 1996. It may have been inhabited by some 40,000 people at its height in the 5th century CE. Today people arrive to to learn more in the site museum where the basics of our current understandings are laid out in surprising detail. The site is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the surrounding Agave Landscape. Any visitor will notice the fields of blue agave in cultivation nearly as far as the eye can see. 

At just an hour from Guadalajara, most guests will arrive from there. In fact, there are frequent tour groups who organize outings to the site and including the museum. The town of Tequila is about one hour to the north, and a trip to Guachimontones will reassure visitors as to the size, scale, and importance of the Tequila region, while leaving nothing to the imagination as to its incredible charm, beauty, and cultural significance.