ADVENTURES OUT OF TOWN: AGUACALIENTE DE GARATE

By Gabriel Moreno

Aquacaliente de Garate is an authentic Mexican town of 3,000 inhabitants with colorful houses, narrow streets and friendly people where you can appreciate the real Mexico. Located 22 miles south of Mazatlán on highway 15, it is a town with history, tradition and culture. The town was founded on April 13, 1737 by Leonardo L. Pardo by order of Francisco Javier Vizcarra, Marquis of Panuco and Viscount of Castilla. It received its´ name because of the natural hot water springs of “Sta. Fe” which are located about two miles from the present town. Originally, the town was built closer to the springs. Its´ original name of Aquacaliente de Pardo was changed to “Aquacaliente de Garate” when the church was built by Juan José Garate, the main benefactor of the town. The construction of the church was completed on January 30, 1855 and was blessed by Bishop Pedro Loza. This pretty church has a neoclassical style of architecture and was designed by architect Juan de Rodriguez. The main altar is dedicated to “La Virgen de la Candelaria” (Virgin of the Candles), the statue of which was brought from Spain along with other paintings and monuments inside the church. On February 2nd every year there is a big celebration in the town to honor La Virgen de la Cander-laria who is the Lady Patron of

the town, and by tradition candles are lit to symbolize the end of the Virgin´s quarantine after the birth of Christ. This celebration lasts 5 or 6 days and is the main fiesta of the town. The townspeople organize dances, bullfights, fireworks and parades, among other activities. Don Cosme Tirado (88 years old), one of the oldest men in town, told us the legend of Juan José Garate who, while going to work, met a strange man on the road. This man asked Garate to follow him to a place where there were sacks of gold coins buried under a tree. He asked Garate to build a church in honor of La Virgen de la Candelaria and erect the Cross of Forgiveness. Supposedly, this strange man was a ghost, a member of a gang of criminals who robbed and killed people on the old roads and he wanted to wash his sins by donating this gold. Today, this town is famous for producing the sweetest red plumbs in the State of Sinaloa. Once producers of mescal liquor, Aquacaliente townspeople turned to sweet plumb farming when the distilleries closed down. Now most of the town´s residents work in plumb farming. The plum season is May, June and July, and you are just in time to take a trip out to Aqualcaliente to tour this charming town and savor the famous sweet plumbs. (Gabriel Moreno is a licensed tour guide. He can be contacted at: info@mazatlanvantours.com)

 

 

 

 

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