Landmark 4 km southeast of Batopilas
The 'Lost Cathedral': a domed brick mission church standing almost alone in the canyon, a few kilometers downriver from Batopilas.
A few kilometers downriver from Batopilas, the canyon opens a little and a large mission church appears in the middle of a nearly empty valley. This is Santo Ángel Custodio de Satevó, known as the "Lost Mission" or the "Lost Cathedral", and its size is the first surprise: a three-level bell tower and several domes rising over a handful of houses and cornfields.
Much of its history is a mystery. Historians generally date the church to the 1760s and credit the Jesuits, but a fire in the late 1800s is said to have destroyed the mission's buildings and records, so nobody knows exactly who built it or why on this scale. That gap has fed plenty of local stories.
The church has been restored and is still a place of worship for the surrounding Rarámuri and mestizo families. Its warm brick against the green of the river and the steep canyon walls makes it one of the most photographed buildings in the Sierra Tarahumara, especially in the late afternoon.
What to see and do
Walk the riverside road from Batopilas instead of driving, and watch the church appear around the bend.
Look inside if the caretaker has the church open.
Photograph the domes and bell tower against the canyon walls in late-afternoon light.
Stop at the river on the way back for a cool-off in the dry season.
Getting there
Satevó is about 7 to 8 kilometers downriver from Batopilas along a dirt road that follows the Batopilas River. You can drive it in a short time, hire a local driver, or walk it in roughly two hours each way; it is hot and shadeless for much of the year, so go early and carry water. The church is not always open, so ask in Batopilas who has the keys before you set out.
4 km southeast of Batopilas
Directions from Batopilas on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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Weather mild
Misión de Satevó shares the climate of Batopilas, 4 km away. The best months to visit are Jan, Mar, Nov, Dec.
Make Batopilas your base
Misión de Satevó is an easy trip from Batopilas, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
More around Batopilas
-
Cerro Colorado
· Town · 9 km away
A tiny gold-mining village upriver on the old Camino Real trail; the usual first stop on hikes from Batopilas toward Urique. -
Mirador La Bufa
· Viewpoint · 16 km away
The breathtaking lookout where the road from Creel starts its switchback plunge into the Batopilas canyon, more than a kilometer deep. -
Urique
· Town · 27 km away
The canyon-bottom town at the end of the classic Batopilas–Urique trek, about 3 days on foot; home of the Rarámuri ultramarathon.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.