Every year, Wixárika pilgrims walk or drive hundreds of kilometres from their homeland in the Sierra Madre Occidental to the desert of Wirikuta in San Luis Potosí, where they collect peyote, the sacred cactus they call hikuri, and perform ceremonies to renew the world. Along the way, they stop at sacred places, and Tatei Matinieri, a group of springs in the semi-desert of the Altiplano, is one of the most important. The Wixárika route through these sacred sites was listed by UNESCO in 2025, recognising a living tradition that goes back centuries.
The springs lie in a wide, dry landscape of yuccas, cacti and creosote bushes, under a huge sky. The pilgrims leave offerings by the water, prayer arrows, small gourds decorated with beadwork and candles. It is a place of deep spiritual significance, and visitors should be respectful: do not disturb the offerings, do not take photographs of ceremonies without permission, and do not pick peyote, which is protected and whose collection is illegal for non-indigenous people. Further north, Real de Catorce, a former silver mining town reached through a long tunnel, is the gateway to Wirikuta.
The riding on the Altiplano is about space and light. The roads run for long distances across the plain, straight and empty, with mountains on the horizon and occasional villages. The tarmac is decent on the whole on the main highways but can be broken on minor roads, and there may be livestock on the road. The sun is strong, the air dry and the temperature can vary greatly between day and night. Summer brings afternoon thunderstorms; winter mornings can be cold.
Salinas de Hidalgo, about thirty kilometres away, is the nearest town of size, with fuel, shops and food; it is known for its salt flats. Villa de Ramos and La Herradura are smaller. Mexican food on the Altiplano is simple and filling: gorditas, enchiladas potosinas with red chile dough, cabrito, roast kid, and strong coffee. Carry water and fuel for long distances, and travel in daylight. Check the current security situation in the region before you go. At the springs, stand quietly, look across the desert, and feel the weight of all the journeys that have passed through here.