Nayarit holds magic and mystery. From the north, with its lagoons and estuaries, to the south, between steep mountain ranges that protect the Bay of Banderas, the inhabitants of its various towns perceived the sea as a benevolent and stormy god.
In the entity six cultural stages are known: the Conchera Tradition, the San Blas Complex, the Tombs of Tiro, the Red Tradition on Bayo, the Aztatlán Tradition and the Tradition of the Señoríos.
Los Toriles, the only archaeological site that can be visited, located in the southeast of the state, near Ixtlán del Río, are preserved from the time belonging to the Aztatlán Tradition; It is one of the most interesting places and, therefore, the most studied in the state of Nayarit. According to archaeological research, it was inhabited by local groups that, at some point, had contact with the cultures of the Center and North of Mexico, a fact that is reflected in the characteristics of its monuments.
It is also possible to visit the Altavista Petrogravure Sanctuary, the only one of its kind, located in the town of Las Varas in the municipality of Compostela, as well as the archaeological zone of Coamiles, in Tuxpan, which is distinguished by the symbolic graphics on its stones. . In both cases, it is necessary to notify the Commissariat Ejidal de Coamiles or the Neighborhood Council for Heritage Conservation in Las Varas.
Nayarit encloses in its beautiful landscapes the history of its ancient inhabitants. However, it has been little disseminated compared to the great effort dedicated to research that has managed to form, in addition to a wealth of knowledge about the societies that inhabited it, an interesting, ethical and valuable heritage of the Nayarites.
Source: Unknown Mexico Guide No. 65 Nayarit / December 2000
