When you visit Loreto on vacation you’ll find that there are a great number of wonderful activities and attractions to enjoy, as well as the balmy temperatures and consistent sunshine. Loreto does have one very special and unique attraction, however. This area is home to numerous sites where you can see prehistoric cave paintings.
The cave paintings in this part of Mexico are believed to be bigger than those found in Lascaux (France) and in Altamira (Spain). Not only this but there are more of them, and most are unusually well-preserved. You can reach these prehistoric wonders quite easily if you’re staying in Loreto or on the Islands of Loreto; the various sites are, at most, an hour or two away.
Cave Paintings Near Loreto Town
If you want to see some of Loreto’s famous cave paintings without straying too far from your hotel then you can go to see those in the caves of Sierra La Giganta. These caves are just a few miles from Loreto town, and the paintings within are unusually beautiful in their varying shades of yellow, ochre, white and black. If you’re willing to follow the mountain path a little further north then you can see the paintings at La Pingüica. Here you will see human, avian, and reptilian figures cast on the rocks and canyons of the area. These images have weathered the last ten thousand years and to this day are bright and beautiful.
The avid history lover will judge the paintings at San Ignacio to be worth a day trip or overnight stay. These abstract paintings are composed of huge brown and black marks and the overall effect is of a huge, prehistoric art gallery. Because of the unusual size and style of these paintings you can only gain access to them if you are with a licenced guide; this is to ensure that the cave paintings are protected. Once you get to the town of San Ignacio you can reach this archaeological site on foot or via four wheel drive.
The cave paintings found near Loreto are unique and special. They are perfectly preserved chunks of history, and entirely worth taking time away from the sun loungers and pool for.