Real de Catorce

San Luis Potosí · Mexico · Abandoned site

In the silver town's abandoned mine shafts appears El Jergas - the spirit who leads some miners to rich veins and others astray.

Real de Catorce was one of Mexico's richest silver towns until the collapse of mining and the Revolution emptied it in the early 1900s; even today the town is reached only through the 2.3-kilometre Ogarrio tunnel. In the abandoned shafts, miners tell of El Jergas, a mine spirit who appears when least expected: sometimes he guides workers to rich veins of silver, sometimes he lures lone visitors deep into the mountain. Half-abandoned ruined quarters, the old desert light and the derelict chapel have earned the town its reputation as Mexico's most atmospheric ghost town, now revived by pilgrims and tourists.

FAQ

Where is Real de Catorce located?

Real de Catorce is in San Luis Potosí, Mexico.

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Accounts are drawn from local folklore and visitor reports.

Image: Jaime Flores · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons