The old mining town of Aduana is worth a visit. Once home to 20,000, Adiana now houses about 400 full-time residents. A few kilometers away from Alamos, Aduana features a church dating from 1630: the church houses a “miracle cactus,” growing from one of the walls, which casts a shadow said to resemble the Virgin Mary. Locals come and light candles at the base of the wall near the cactus. Near the church is a shop offering locally made handicrafts and souvenirs. Once you’ve seen the miracle cactus, there are several good hikes and some old mines that can be explored.  The forest that surrounds Aduana has some good trails.

The local children in Aduana often scour the local riverbeds and hillsides for interesting rocks to sell to visitors, so don’t be surprised or alarmed if some kid comes running up to you with a handful of stones!

Location:
Alamos, Mexico

Adventure Tour, Ruin

Getting There
If you have a car, turn south off the Alamos highway at Minas Nuevas. If not, you may be able to arrange a tour in Alamos.

Relative price: Free

By Christopher Minster

I am a writer and editor at V!VA Travel guides here in Quito, where I specialize in adding quality content to the site and also in spooky things like...

Created: 16 Feb 2007

Updated: 16 Feb 2007