A few miles north of La Peñita de Jaltemba, Nayarit, Mexico on the side of the Copo volcano lies an ancient historic site called la Pila del Rey, Santuario de Alta Vista or simply the Petroglyphs of Alta Vista. Locally it is commonly called El Santuario (the sanctuary) whereas “la Pila del Rey” refers to the king´s basin, one of the main features.
Here the Piletas Creek (arroyo de las piletas – basin creek) refreshes the kings bath with crystal clear water over mini water falls creating an environment that pleases the eyes while soothing the ears.
Local folks talk about going to the sight to recharge their energy so the double meaning of pila as both basin and battery is interesting. Some say it is no accident that the pila has the shape of our state of Nayarit.
Giant trees overhang the creek.
Carved rocks line the path to the sanctuary. The most prominent, corn man, is located about three quarters of the way to the pila.
Some of the most interesting are tucked away in obscure corners.
This one is said to symbolize the feminine (left) and the masculine (upper right).
There are dozens more which may represent the spots of the jaguar
crocodile scales or perhaps lightning
armadillo
and of course humans.
There are crosses to represent the four directions and the unity of the universe.
Swirls represent the wind.
Yet more that stretch your mind to imagine what they might be.
Other resources:
You may also find the follow up article of interest: Alta Vista still a sacred site.
Richards excellent article gives more details and background and has more pictures, among then the Pila del Rey in a dryer time of year. It points out that there are actually some 2,000 carvings spread over an area of 80 hectares of which 70 are readily accessible. It seemed like hundreds.
How to get to Alta Vista click here.
Some of the signs that give a guided tour along the path click here.
Esteban can probably arrange transport for individuals or a group with his van click here for details.
Spanish Lesson / Lección de Inglés
la pila – basin / battery
el rey – king
el arroyo – small river – like the ones which flow into Jaltemba bay. It is rare to hear them referred to a Rios.
el rio – river – like the Ameca which separates Nayarit from Jalisco
We were just there last week! It wasnt easy to find,werent sure we were on the right road but once we were there,oh wow! We actually went for a swim in the ponds,amazing. The pictures dont really do justice to the grandure of this place,it was the highlight of my trip to Mexico!
Great article and photos! Thanks for the added links, maybe this year we will be able to go and see for ourselves. I also appreciate the Spanish vocabulary that you include at the end of each report. I just assumed an arroyo was a wash-out or dry river bed, did not realize it was a term for a small river.