The municipality of El Rosario wants to attract tourists, and Mayor Aaron Flores says both his city and its surrounding territory have spread out the welcome mat. So what's Rosario got that other places don't? The story begins with its founding in 1655, a date on the archway over the entrance to town. That's when a ranch foreman named Bonifacio Rojas hurried off in search of a missing cow. He rode at such a jolting gallop that his rosary broke and the beads scattered in all directions. He ended up having to spend the night at that spot, and he built a campfire to ward off the chill. Next morning he awoke to an amazing sight: a quantity of silver adhering to a boulder where the fire had burned. The rest, as they say, is history. Gold and silver poured out of the mines of Rosario for nearly 300 years, and there's still some mining activity in the mineral-rich region. Of interest to tourist, though, is the church of Our Lady of the Rosary. Here an observer can see the most prominent manifestation of the city's mining wealth: its ornate altar, entirely paved in gold. Another testament to the city's mining past is the church itself. The building started in the 1730s had to be moved in the 1930s because tunnels under the town (some 50 miles of them) were causing its foundations to sink. After a safer site had been selected, the faithful carried the church, stone by stone, to the new location -- an effort that took 20 years. Outside, in a corner of the churchyard, rests the mortal remains of Lucila Beltran, better known as Lola, the city's most famous native daughter. And in fact, a statue of the singing film star (whose heyday was in the 1950s to 1970s) stands in the square facing the church. She has one arm raised in a dramatic gesture as she seems to belt out a ranchera song to people entering the church. Perhaps the best monument to "La Lola" will be her museum a few blocks away. Opened just two days ago, on March 30, the hacienda-style building is geared to display 40 of Beltran's costumes along with 40 pairs of shoes and lots of mementos, newspaper and magazine clippings, photographs, and segments from her films. One gallery is set aside to house memorabilia of the late Mazatlan-born singer Pedro Infante, Lola's frequent co-star. Besides the rooms devoted to Lola and Pedro, the museum houses a small but interesting collection of old farm and mining implements, along with many mining photos donated by the Campbell family, now of Santa Rosa, CA. Their forebears were local mine owners in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

The municipal leaders have come to realize the value of their historic buildings and have passed ordinances designed to preserve these facades. Among them is the neoclassical city hall itself, which is in the midst of restoration. A quick drive through the narrow streets in the historic center of Rosario reveals block after block of pastel-painted colonial-style dwellings. El Rosario's history has even earlier chapters. One place to find the roots that go deepest is about 11 miles (and at least 16 topes) to the west, over a scenic two-lane road that passes through several quaint villages. Chametla, near the coast, today is a town of about 2,000 inhabitants. But from 900 to 1400 A.D. it was the capital of the mighty Totorame tribe. They say that when people hereabouts scratch the soil to plant their vegetable gardens, they sometimes unearth prehispanic artifacts that may be as much as 1,000 years old. Preservation-minded citizens of the town have gathered a collection of these objects -- burial urns, pipes, idols, grinding stones and other utensils -- and put them on exhibit in a small but worthwhile archaeological museum. The museum is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 3 to 6 p.m. daily except Mondays. There is no admission fee; donations are appreciated. If all this sightseeing has made you hungry, you're in a good spot to find food. The Restaurant Campestre is on the far side of town. It's an open-air spot with a small swimming pool, horses for hire and a menu of seafood plus a few meat and chicken dishes. The restaurant, open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, is especially festive on Sunday afternoons when live music is featured. Before or after your meal, you may want to check out the beach, Playa La Majahual, a few miles beyond the restaurant. There's also a summit called Cortez's Lookout, reached by climbing 233 steps hewn into the hillside. Legend has it that here, in 1531, Hernan Cortez himself surveyed the Pacific Ocean. History records that the Conquistador then set sail from this coast for Baja California, in a fruitless search for pearls. The local graveyard has some very old headstones, including one with a skull and crossbones etched on it. Folks can only guess at the significance of that. Like Copala, El Rosario makes a good all-day outing from Mazatlan, Tour companies here are beginning to look at the possibility of excursions that would cover the highlights. The city of Rosario lies about an hour's drive south of Mazatlan on Highway 15, with Chametla about a half an hour farther on a decently paved local road. At this time of year, the mango trees are in bloom, thousands of them, turning the countryside into an endlessly inviting sea of reddish gold.