Ixtlán Mining Route: Ixtlán to Barranca del Oro

The Ixtlán mining route starts in Ixtlán del Río and heads about 56 km south, through Ahuacatlán, to Amatlán de Cañas. Along the way you’ll find the ruins of the Barranca del Oro mining hacienda, the cool-water canyon pools of El Rosario and the hot springs of Amatlán. It links three towns named Pueblos Mágicos (Magical Towns, a federal tourism designation) in 2023 and makes an easy weekend, 1 h 05 min from Tepic and 1 h 45 min from Guadalajara.

Let’s be clear from the start: Ixtlán del Río was never a mining town. Its name is usually translated as “place where obsidian abounds,” and its history is one of farming and colonial roads. The mining past you can actually verify lies farther south, in the hills of Amatlán de Cañas, where gold and silver were extracted in the 18th and 19th centuries and where the walls of a hacienda still stand. So this route begins in Ixtlán, the gateway to the valley, and ends where the mines were.

We’ve also fixed two errors from earlier versions: Ixtlán’s parish church is dedicated to Saint James the Apostle (Santiago Apóstol), not to the Señor de la Misericordia, who is the patron of Compostela; and you don’t get here from Compostela or “90 minutes from the coast,” but along Federal Highway 15 between Tepic and Guadalajara.

How to get to the Ixtlán mining route

Ixtlán del Río sits on the 15D toll road, in the last Nayarit municipality before Jalisco. From there a paved state road runs south through Ahuacatlán, Barranca del Oro and El Rosario to Amatlán de Cañas, close to the Jalisco border.

From	To	Approx. distance	Approx. time	Road
Tepic	Ixtlán del Río	82 km	1 h 05 min–1 h 15 min	15D toll road
Guadalajara	Ixtlán del Río	125 km	1 h 40 min–1 h 45 min	15D toll road
Puerto Vallarta	Ixtlán del Río	179 km	2 h 15 min–2 h 30 min	Highway 200 and 15D via Chapalilla
Amatlán de Cañas	Tepic (return)	120 km	1 h 50 min–2 h	State road to Ahuacatlán and 15D

The main route is fully paved, but the descent to Amatlán is very curvy. If you’re flying in, see how to get to Nayarit.

Weekend itinerary: from Ixtlán to the Amatlán mines

Day one covers the valley and the drive down into the hills; day two is for the hot springs and the trip back. You can squeeze it into one long day, but you’d miss the best part: a warm soak at the end of the afternoon.

Day / time	Leg / stop	Leg km	Drive time	What to do
Day 1, 9:00	Downtown Ixtlán del Río	—	—	Main square, parish church, arcades and breakfast
Day 1, 10:30	Ixtlán → Ahuacatlán	13.5 km	15 min	Main garden and church
Day 1, 12:00	Ahuacatlán → Barranca del Oro	25 km	30 min	Mining hacienda ruins
Day 1, 13:30	Barranca del Oro → El Rosario	5.5 km	10 min	Lunch and the El Manto pools
Day 1, 17:00	El Rosario → Amatlán de Cañas	12.5 km	15 min	Hot springs and overnight in Amatlán
Day 2, morning	Amatlán de Cañas	—	—	Sugar mill, town center, piloncillo shopping
Day 2, 13:00	Amatlán → Ixtlán (or Tepic)	56 km (120 km)	1 h (2 h)	Back on the same road

Ixtlán del Río

Nayarit’s southern gateway has been a Pueblo Mágico since 2023. Its centerpiece is the parish church of Santiago Apóstol, with a baroque quarry-stone facade facing the main square. The town hall houses a small regional anthropology museum (ask locally about opening hours), and the classic meal is pollo a la plaza (chicken with enchiladas, potatoes and carrots) under the arcades, with a cold tejuino, a fermented corn drink. If you have an extra hour, the Los Toriles archaeological site, with its round temple, is 4 km from downtown; we cover it in the Eco-Archaeological Route.

Ahuacatlán

Just 13.5 km away at the foot of Ceboruco volcano, Ahuacatlán was a stop on the colonial Camino Real between the port of San Blas and Guadalajara, the road that carried goods and travelers between the coast and the heart of New Spain. Its main church faces the Jardín de los Hijos Ausentes, ringed by food stalls. It’s a good coffee stop before heading into the hills. More in Ahuacatlán.

Barranca del Oro, the mining village

This is the stop that gives the route its name. Barranca del Oro, a community in the municipality of Amatlán de Cañas, was part of the 18th- and 19th-century gold and silver boom. Today it’s nearly deserted, but it keeps the walls, niches, a small chapel and the watchtower of an old mining hacienda. The weathered facades and gates are the most photogenic part of the trip. From its narrow lanes a road leads to El Rosario, about 2 km away.

You can see the ruins from the street. Don’t go into mine shafts or fenced land: some of it is private property and the tunnels aren’t maintained. If you want to learn more, ask in Amatlán for a local guide.

El Rosario and El Manto

Next to El Rosario is El Manto, a cool-water canyon with stepped pools between rock walls, where you can swim, jump from rocks and rappel with a guide. Entry is approx. $180 MXN for adults and $120 MXN for children in 2026 (about 10 and 7 USD). Nearby, El Salto del Coronel is a calmer spring-fed swimming spot. For El Manto’s technical level, see our canyoning guide to Nayarit.

Amatlán de Cañas

The town’s “de Cañas” comes from its trapiches, the mills that press sugarcane into piloncillo (raw cane sugar); in season you can watch the milling and taste guarapo, fresh cane juice. Springs at 37–40 °C (99–104 °F) rise across the valley. The best-known spa is in the village of Agua Caliente, with thermal pools and simple lodging, and entry from approx. $50–100 MXN (3–6 USD) in 2026. More in waterfalls and hot springs in Nayarit.

The region’s mining past: what can be verified

Place	Municipality	What remains	Can you visit?
Barranca del Oro	Amatlán de Cañas	Ruins of an 18th–19th century mining hacienda: walls, chapel, watchtower	Yes, from the street
Real de Acuitapilco	Santa María del Oro	Former mining village with waterfalls	Yes; 20 min from the lagoon
Santa María del Oro	Santa María del Oro	The name: in 1594 it became “del Oro” after three nearby gold mines	Yes, the town and the lagoon
Ixtlán del Río	Ixtlán del Río	No documented historic mines	—

If the topic hooks you, extend the trip to Santa María del Oro, about 60 km from Ixtlán (approx. 1 h), on the way to Tepic.

Best time to go

From November to April the weather is dry and mild, ideal for walking around Barranca del Oro and soaking in thermal pools on cool evenings. From June to October it rains in the afternoons: El Manto has more water but may close when the river rises. April and May are hot in the Amatlán valley. More in the best time to visit Nayarit.

Practical tips

• Fill up in Ixtlán; there are few gas stations on the way down to Amatlán.
• Bring cash: in Barranca del Oro, El Rosario and the spas, card terminals are rare.
• Pack a swimsuit, towel and water sandals for the springs, and sneakers for the ruins.
• Drive the descent in daylight: the road has tight curves.
• Find lodging in Ixtlán or Amatlán in our directory, and more regional food in traditional dishes from Nayarit.

Frequently asked questions

Area map

1. 1
   Ixtlán del Río Magical Town; Santiago Apóstol parish. Route start.21.038, -104.3697 · Open in Google Maps
2. 2
   Ahuacatlán Magical Town below Ceboruco; 13.5 km from Ixtlán.21.05255, -104.48421 · Open in Google Maps
3. 3
   Barranca del Oro Amatlán de Cañas. 18th–19th c. mining hacienda ruins.20.9245, -104.48002 · Open in Google Maps
4. 4
   El Manto natural pools El Rosario. Cool-water canyon pools.20.89163, -104.48063 · Open in Google Maps
5. 5
   Amatlán de Cañas Magical Town of sugar mills and hot springs.20.80782, -104.4046 · Open in Google Maps