Rock Paintings of the Sierra de San Francisco

I visited the Rock Paintings of the Sierra de San Francisco within the El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve in March 2024. Having already seen the El Raton replica paintings in the Anthropological Museum of Mexico City, and judging by their small size, limited quality and ease of accessibility, I opted to visit the El Palmarito Cave or Cueva Cuesta de Palmarito which involves arranging a trip with an experienced driver owning a suitable high clearance 4WD car (expect to pay 150-200 US dollars for the car and driver if you're alone), who in turn fixes a time with the site "ranger" to collect the entrance fee (around 500 pesos including entrance, camera fees and guide), who in turn sets up a local guide (one of the two available - a fit old former farmer who lives alone there or a younger ranchero proudly wearing his iconic hat) who accompanies you along the 1-1.5 hour trek (one way) and opens/locks the protective fence around the cave. Another advantage of organizing a trip with a driver is that he can take care of contacting the INAH office instead of you reporting at their office during their limited opening hours (frequently closed on weekends or during siesta times, so not very convenient if you're booked for a whale watching the day before!).

The Cuesta de Palmarito cave is located on one of the slopes that fall into the small valley of Santa Marta, where a very small "rancheria" community of herders/farmers is located. …

The Rock Paintings of Sierra de San Francisco – sites visited in February, 2024.

As Els already described carefully the basics I will focus on updates. Before any visit to the site – you have to obtain a permit (A4 paper with names on it, visiting hours and guide name), pay entrance fee (also a ticket for camera) and arrange an official guide. Local INAH office is located in the center of San Ignacio (near the church, Museo INAH San Ignacio, Valdivia Peña, google coordinates 27.283319417059342, -112.89868613892016). The office is open every day (except Sundays) from 11.00 until 18.00) so you can arrange a visit returning from Laguna San Ignacio – whale watching, El Vizcaino). Currently there is a perfect asphalted road to El Raton (the road is not shown on official UNESCO map as it is new) but for Santa Martha you need a car with high clearance or even 4WD.

El Raton (Cueva del Raton) – located 82 km from central San Ignacio, use national Highway 1, direction Guerrero Negro, after 45 km turn to the right (sign for San Fco Sierra). Within next 10 km you already pass through inscribed property entering a mountainous area (no sign but according to an official map you are there). Landscapes are amazing – wide valleys, steep slopes with lots of cactuses, rocks. The site is located on the right side (signpost, small parking space, google coordinates 27°35'29.5"N 113°01'26.5"W) but usually you have to drive further (around one kilometre) …

The Rock Paintings of the Sierra de San Francisco have hardly been reviewed on this website so far, so let’s start with the basics. The included area is large (it’s even in the Top 20 of largest cultural WHS) and stretches out north of Mexico’s Highway #1 in Baja California Sur between San Ignacio and El Porvenir. It holds several hundred small groups of rock paintings and rock carvings. The area is remote and difficult to access: for a day trip you have the choice between Ratón (via San Francisco de la Sierra: needs 4WD, an only short climb up a staircase, small group of paintings) and Palmarito (via Santa Martha: car with good clearance needed, requires a 1.5-hour hike, rock face with abundant paintings). If you go by yourself, you need to report to the INAH office in San Ignacio beforehand to pay the entrance fee and they will let the local caretaker know that you’re coming and he will lead you to the site of the rock art. Multi-day trips that are offered by specialized outfitters use mules to trek to the even more isolated cave paintings, which are also said to be the best.

I choose Palmarito as the location for my visit. As I had only a rental car with fairly low clearance, I played it safe by hiring a 4WD with guide/driver to take me out there. It was arranged by the place where I was staying (Ignacio Springs B&B in San Ignacio) and …

We packed in for a camping trip with local guides, mules, and donkeys. The terrian is rugged and the views are out of this world. I managed to stay a day in a fresh water lagoon which I affectionitly call the viper pit. You do need a guide, and the hikes are always up, and the shade in the shelters are a great place to mediate and view the colorful panels. You could stay a week and still need more time. Try to visit when it is NOT summer.