Real de Catorce

The village of Real de Catorce ([reˈal de kaˈtorse]), often shortened to Real, is located 160 miles (260 km) north of San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí, Mexico, and currently has a full-time population of under 1,000 residents. This 'ghost-town' in the high and dry expanses of northern San Luis Potosí state was once a thriving silver mining settlement, has long been a pilgrimage site for both local Catholics and Huichol shamanists, and is now being discovered by international tourists drawn by the desert ambience and reputed spiritual energy. The village of Real de Catorce sits on the side of a mountain at more than 2,743 meters (9,000 ft). It is located in the Sierra de Catorce range, one of the highest plateaus in Mexico, where summits...