Zona Arqueológica de Ranas

Ranas is a pre-Hispanic town built across two hilltops just outside San Joaquín, at one of the highest points of the southern Sierra Gorda. It was occupied from about 300 AD until the arrival of the Spanish, and together with Toluquilla and a lost settlement under modern San Joaquín, it controlled this corner of the mountains.

What made these towns unusual was mining. The southern Sierra Gorda holds Mexico's main deposits of cinnabar, a red mercury mineral prized across ancient Mexico to cover the bodies of rulers and important people. Archaeologists have found more than 100 ancient mine shafts in the area, and the trade in this pigment linked Ranas with peoples from the Gulf coast to Teotihuacan and Tula.

The visit covers a ceremonial area with ball courts lined up on a plateau and an acropolis climbing the second hill, crowned by the main temple, from which you can see across to Toluquilla. Note: INAH closed Ranas in October 2025 after storm damage to the access roads, and as of mid-2026 it was still closed for rehabilitation, so check before you go.