Mirador del Espinazo del Diablo

The Espinazo del Diablo, the Devil's Spine, is the steep ridge near Atenguillo that pilgrims on the Ruta del Peregrino dread most. It comes around the third day of the five-day walk from Ameca to Talpa, and its slopes are lined with crosses left by the faithful. On its high point, at about 1,950 meters, stands one of the best-known pieces of the route's architecture: a lookout designed by the Chilean firm Elemental, led by Pritzker Prize winner Alejandro Aravena.

The lookout is a large concrete form, like a hollow, folded stone resting on the hillside. It gives the walkers shade, a breeze and a view across the valleys at the highest point of the route, and it was built entirely of concrete so it could weather like a rock without maintenance in such a remote place.

For non-pilgrims, a visit is a full outing: you see a celebrated work of contemporary architecture, the mountains of the Sierra Madre, and one of the most intense stretches of Mexico's great pilgrimages. It is far quieter outside March and Holy Week.