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Los Toriles - Where the Wind Has a Palace |
Text & photos by: Silvia Alvares – April, 2007
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Los Toriles is a series of archaeological constructions located in the area of Ixtlan del Rio in the brother state of Nayarit.
 With its comfortable distance to Puerto Vallarta as well as to Guadalajara (approximately two and a half hours on the highway going north of Vallarta, and one and a half hours from Guadalajara on the Guadalajara – Tepic freeway), it is well worth the trouble to visit this legacy of the past.
At first the site which is located very close to the town cannot be seen, but upon entering Los Toriles its magnificence becomes more evident.
The area has a history that begins in the year 300 B.C. nevertheless its constructions passed from the Tombs of the Shot to pyramid-like shapes. At present there are 15 of the latter that have been explored out of a total of 85. The wealth of this important area still has a lot to offer.
One of the main attractions is the so-called Templo Redondo (Round Temple). According to archaeologists it was constructed in honor of Ehecatl-Quetzalcoatl, the God of the Wind. There are beautiful perforated crosses adorning its circumference seemingly offering free passage to its volatile God. The roundness of the construction makes it different from the rest and a proud mystery continues to be enclosed there.
 Next to it we have the Palace of the Relieves, the Palace of the Columns, the Palace of Tlaloc and the Palace of the Furnaces, in addition to other buildings equally as beautiful and well preserved.
The placidity of the site invites explorers to sit down under the shade of a guamuchil tree, closing your eyes, breathing deeply and imagining the life of the Nahuatlacas who many centuries ago enjoyed the splendor of Los Toriles.
Surrounded by vegetation consisting of cypress, pine, cactus, mesquites and huizache plants, the place is also ideal to watch birds such as the dotted magpie, the crimson-winged woodpecker and some singing goldfinches. Los Toriles is a space in communion with nature that definitively should be explored.
A visit to the Regional Museum of Ixtlan would be an excellent complement of the area. Several of the pieces of fine ceramics and gold jewelry can be seen there, among other items found at this archaeological site whose importance puts it on the top of the attraction list of Mexico’s northeastern region.
Silvia Álvarez
E-mail: silvialvarezb@yahoo.com.mx
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