Nature reserve 95 km north of Mapimí
The legendary desert of the Mapimí Biosphere Reserve, famed for UFO tales and a 1970 US rocket crash; visit with a local guide.
The Zona del Silencio, the Zone of Silence, is a stretch of open Chihuahuan Desert in the Bolsón de Mapimí, near the point where Durango, Chihuahua and Coahuila meet. It is famous in Mexico for stories of compasses spinning, radios going quiet and strange lights in the sky, and it has drawn UFO hunters and the curious for decades.
Part of the legend has a real origin. In July 1970 a US Athena test rocket launched from Utah veered off course and crashed in this desert, and the recovery operation that followed helped fuel the area's reputation. Scientists have found no proof of the more dramatic claims, but the landscape itself, flat, silent and ringed by bare hills, is impressive on its own.
The zone lies inside the Mapimí Biosphere Reserve, one of the first in Mexico recognized by UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere program in 1977. It protects a large area of desert and is known above all for the Bolsón tortoise, North America's largest land tortoise. Long-term ecological research has been carried out here for decades.
What to see and do
Cross the open desert with a local guide and test the compass legends for yourself.
Learn the story of the 1970 Athena rocket crash.
Watch for desert wildlife, and learn about the rare Bolsón tortoise.
Stay for sunset and a night sky with almost no light pollution.
Getting there
This is a full-day trip, not a quick detour. From Mapimí, head to Bermejillo and north on the highway toward Jiménez to the town of Ceballos, then continue on unpaved roads to Ejido La Flor, the official entry point to the biosphere reserve. Go with a local guide, use a sturdy vehicle, carry plenty of water and fuel, and avoid the midday heat in summer.
95 km north of Mapimí
Directions from Mapimí on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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Places to stay in Zona del Silencio
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Weather mild
Zona del Silencio shares the climate of Mapimí, 95 km away. The best months to visit are Jan, Mar, Apr, Dec.
Make Mapimí your base
Zona del Silencio is an easy trip from Mapimí, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
More around Mapimí
-
Puente de Ojuela
· Landmark · 7 km away
A 315-meter suspension bridge swaying about 95 m over a gorge, leading to the ghost mining town of Ojuela and its old mine. -
Grutas del Rosario
· Cave · 19 km away
Show caves in the desert south of Mapimí with a guided 500-meter route through four levels of stalactites and odd formations.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.