Town 51 km north of Guachochi
A Jesuit mission town founded in 1690, famous for the Rarámuri Holy Week dances held in its churchyard.
Norogachi is a Rarámuri mission town in the high country north of Guachochi, founded by the Jesuits in 1690 as Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Norogachi. The old mission church and its wide churchyard are still the center of community life, and the town is also known for a boarding school that educates Rarámuri girls from early childhood through secondary school.
Norogachi is best known for Holy Week. Each year Rarámuri families walk in from communities across the sierra, and hundreds of dancers in traditional dress fill the churchyard for the ceremonies of Semana Santa, a mix of Catholic observance and much older Rarámuri rites, with drums, flutes and dancing that is itself a form of prayer for rain and good harvests.
Outside Holy Week the town is quiet, a scattering of houses and fields in a broad pine-ringed valley. Visitors are welcome to watch the celebrations, but they are religious ceremonies, not a show: dress modestly, keep your distance, and ask before photographing anyone.
What to see and do
Witness the Rarámuri Holy Week ceremonies in the mission churchyard.
Visit the old mission church of Nuestra Señora del Pilar.
Listen to the drums and flutes that accompany the dancers.
Take in the pine-ringed valley on a quiet visit outside Holy Week.
Getting there
Norogachi lies roughly 50 kilometers north of Guachochi as the crow flies, along mountain roads that may be unpaved in sections; allow plenty of time and ask in Guachochi about conditions. During Holy Week, tour operators in Guachochi organize trips, which is the easiest way to go. Lodging in the town is very limited.
51 km north of Guachochi
Directions from Guachochi on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
Plan your trip
Places to stay in Norogachi
Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Norogachi.
Tours & activities
Guided tours, tastings, and day trips in and around Norogachi.
Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.
Photos
Weather cool
Norogachi shares the climate of Guachochi, 51 km away. The best months to visit are Apr, May, Jun, Oct.
Make Guachochi your base
Norogachi is an easy trip from Guachochi, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
More around Guachochi
-
Barranca de Sinforosa
· Viewpoint · 13 km away
The 'queen of the canyons': the Cumbres de Sinforosa lookout south of Guachochi peers down some 1,800 m to the Río Verde. -
Cascada Rosalinda
· Waterfall · 13 km away
An 80-meter free-falling waterfall inside the Sinforosa canyon, about two hours' hike down from the rim; go with a guide. -
Tónachi
· Town · 25 km away
A Rarámuri community with the 1752 mission of San Juan Bautista and two waterfalls nearby, Salto Chico and Salto Grande.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.