El Batan

by Carol Turner

El Batan is a farming community of about 200 people, 10 miles from San Miguel de Allende.  From the Presa Allende you go down into the canyon formed by the Rio Laja river, following the road 2 miles on the way to La Huerta (the orchard). It is a few miles further and is famous for the second largest tree in Mexico, a sabino or Mexican cypress, fed by a spring. Fruit trees grow along the river, and the water is used to irrigate fields using pumps. Corn, beans and squash are still the main crops.

A 1500 year old pyramid is being restored 10 miles across the canyon.  The Toltecs are believed to be the builders. The Spanish sent missionaries here and a 450 year old cross is housed in the church in La Huerta. There is also a church in Los Martinez, across the river by the foot bridge. 

You pass through a one-way railroad tunnel built in 1903, for this road used to be the railroad bed.  Pancho Villa took control of the train and used this secluded area to prepare thousands of his troops for the battle of Celaya.  El Batan is a symbol of the training camp. The mountain served as a lookout.

There is a kindergarten in El Batan which started in 2006. Primary and Secondary schools are in Soria, a few miles from El Batan. There is a bus to take kids to school, and buses go to San Miguel 4 times a day