Huichol route to Huiricuta
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How it came to be
In the belief of the Wixárika, or Huichol, the world was created at Wirikuta in the Chihuahuan Desert of north-central Mexico, and the sun first appeared there. Each year between October and March, led by their shamans, the mara'akame, they retrace the journey of their deities from Haramara's sea to the hill where the sun rose. The gods were guided by Tatewari, Grandfather Fire, and the route is called Tatehuarí Huajuyé, the Path of Our Grandfather Fire.
The route starts in the Huichol Sierra and crosses five states: Nayarit, Jalisco, Zacatecas, San Luis Potosí and Durango. UNESCO describes it as a braid of trails linking 20 sacred sites across more than 500 km. Along the way pilgrims gather peyote, which they believe lets them commune directly with their ancestors and deities.
The route still supports rituals tied to agriculture and the well-being of the communities. It entered the Tentative List in December 2004 and was inscribed in July 2025. Wirikuta lies near Real de Catorce, an old silver-mining district, and plans for new mining there have long been contested.
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