Alternative Tourism

Hacienda de Guadalupe;

heritage of Concordia, Sinaloa.

Text y Photos: Alwin A.K. van der Heiden

South of the state of Sinaloa holds one of the most impressive histories of mining. The intense search for gold and silver was one of the predominant motives that influenced the Spanish explorers to the incursion in the southern areas of Sinaloa.

The arrival of Francisco de Ibarra and his discovery of the mine deposits of Copala, Charcas and Panuco, marks the beginning of the mining activity of this region. The extraction of gold and silver during the colonial period, had its up and downs, but peaked at the beginning of the 19th century; by 1804 there were 59 mines in the state of Sinaloa. From the 46 mines that were located in the southern region, in the municipalities of Cosala, San Ignacio, Mazatlan, Concordia, El Rosario and  Escuinapa, they managed to contribute 90 % of the total (32,091 kg).

During the 18th century it was said there was such an abundance of gold and silver, as to impress the Vatican and the Spanish Kingdom.

Surrounded by the Concordia mountains and close to the community of Panuco, there are the remnants of what was once the Hacienda de Guadalupe. The thick walls are still upright and one can still view the huge columns, old stairways, enormous windows and what is left of some of  the walls just alongside the Panuco river.

It was 1780 when Pedro de Ibarra arrived to Mexican lands. Without doubt, this clever and young Spanish adventurer, decided to realize his dream to become rich in Concordia. His tireless findings of the deposits of gold and silver along the Panuco river, finally gave him his tremendous reward. The anecdote that he use to tell was the following: I found myself exploring the margins of the Panuco river, and suddenly he saw a shadow that was moving along the trees of the thick forest.

His curiosity and intrigue made him follow the shadow  until he arrived at a site where there was an abundance of large gold nuggets. Astonished with his finding, he undertakes the task of building the Hacienda de Guadalupe to honor the Virgen of Guadalupe.  He was so grateful to her s he was now destined to a man of great success and wealth.

Pedro de Ibarra used to tell people that it was the Virgen of Guadalupe who gave him the grand riches that he made with the exploitation of gold and silver, that were plenty during his period.

Once the Hacienda de Guadalupe was founded, it brought a tremendous amount of work in the mining activity to the community of Panuco. It was said that the extrapolation of gold and silver was so abundant, that they exploited hundreds of Xixime and Tepehuane indians, therefore made demographic explosion in the surroundings, making humans settlements close to the mines. In this period, the community of Panuco reached a census registered of 5000 habitants.

How to get to Hacienda de Guadalupe

As you travel on the dirt road towards the beautiful town of Panuco, you arrive at the Panuco river, and from there you can walk to the Hacienda; the access is easier during the dry season. Amongst the huge trees you will find the remnants of what was once the Hacienda de Guadalupe.

Concordia belongs to the tourist circuit of Mazatlan-Concordia-Copala-Panuco.  This marvelous historic site is well worth seeing and certainly deserves preservation as it belongs to the history of our state of Sinaloa.