Town 27 km east of Hidalgo del Parral
A green oasis of walnut trees and adobe homes, one of Chihuahua's oldest towns, near where the Allende meteorite fell in 1969.
Valle de Allende is a calm, leafy town east of Parral that grew up around one of the first Franciscan missions in what is now Chihuahua. Founded in the late 1560s as Valle de San Bartolomé, it supplied food to the silver mines of the region for centuries. Irrigation canals still carry river water through the streets and orchards, which is why the town feels like an oasis in the desert, shaded by tall walnut trees.
Its old center is a national Historic Monument Zone with more than a hundred buildings from the 16th to 19th centuries, and the town is part of the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, the colonial royal road recognized by UNESCO. The church of San Bartolomé, with thick stone and adobe walls, is the landmark.
Valle de Allende also has a space-age claim to fame. On February 8, 1969, a meteorite exploded over the area and showered thousands of fragments around the nearby village of Pueblito de Allende. About two tons were recovered, and the Allende meteorite became one of the most studied in history. A small regional museum in town tells the story.
What to see and do
Walk the old center and its adobe homes along the irrigation canals.
Visit the church of San Bartolomé and the site of the old Franciscan mission.
Learn about the 1969 meteorite at the Museo Regional Meteorito de Allende.
Buy walnuts and local sweets in season.
Drive on to Pueblito de Allende, the village at the center of the 1969 meteorite fall.
Getting there
Valle de Allende is about 35 kilometers east of Hidalgo del Parral by paved road, roughly 45 minutes to an hour by car. Regional buses connect the two towns, but check schedules locally. It makes an easy half-day trip, and the shady plaza is a good place for lunch.
27 km east of Hidalgo del Parral
Directions from Hidalgo del Parral on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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Weather mild
Valle de Allende shares the climate of Hidalgo del Parral, 27 km away. The best months to visit are Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr.
Make Hidalgo del Parral your base
Valle de Allende is an easy trip from Hidalgo del Parral, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
More around Hidalgo del Parral
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Santa Bárbara
· Town · 21 km away
Chihuahua's first Spanish mining town, founded in 1567: an early Franciscan parish church, a mining museum and a hilltop Cristo Rey lookout. -
Hacienda de Canutillo
· Landmark · 68 km away
Pancho Villa's last home, just over the Durango line: he lived here from 1920 until his murder in Parral in 1923. Now a museum.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.