5 Mysterious Ghost Towns in Mexico

Historic places known ghost towns

Turned into stories of mystery 

What are ghost towns? In a culture like the Mexican, the stories of ancient times have survived to this day, thanks to our parents and grandparents. They have entertained us with these stories, that have now turned into legends. Many of them occurred centuries ago, however, there are others that can still be lived in some towns.

Now known as Ghost Towns, these places were places of great prosperity. They were inhabited for a long time until the moment of their abandonment. Keep reading to learn more about these mysterious places in Mexico.

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Misnebalam, Yucatan

Located near Merida City, Misnebalam was inhabited from 1910 until 2010, when the last 21 inhabitants decided to leave the town. Like many other haciendas in the Yucatan Peninsula, Misnebalam had its heyday during the henequen era.

Currently, this town can be visited in the evenings through guided tours from Merida for those who enjoy this kind of experience.

Real de Catorce, San Luis Potosí

Perhaps this is one of the most famous Ghost Towns in Mexico. Its original name was: “Real de Minas de la Limpia Concepción de Los Alamos de Catorce' and during the 1800’s it was considered the second most important silver mine in the world. When the production of Mexican silver finished, its inhabitants decided to leave the town.

Today, this old town has been named Pueblo Mágico and attracts national and international tourism. Walking through its streets is like traveling through time. 

Read more about 7 pueblos magicos in the southeast of Mexico

Ojuela, Durango

Located in the hills near Mapimí, Durango, this mining town reached its maximum splendor during the 350 years that the exploitation of the Mine of Ojuela lasted, discovered in the year 1598. It had approximately 5,000 inhabitants until a terrible storm flooded the mine destroying it. This forced the inhabitants to leave the comforts of the town.

One of the most visited structures in this town is the suspension bridge with more than 984 feet long and 6 feet wide that is suspended 360 feet above the hills of the area, it was built by German Santiago Minguin.

Cerro de San Pedro, San Luis Potosi

This Ghost Town is located only 20 minutes from the center of San Luis Potosi. The place where this town was erected was inhabited by the indigenous Huachichiles and was one of them named Cualiname, who gave notice of the existence of gold to the conqueror Pedro de Anda, who came to claim these mines and found Cerro de San Pedro Potosi.

Nowadays, this town is practically abandoned, but you can still find a restaurant that opens at weekends, as well as a small workshop of handicrafts.

Guerrero Viejo, Tamaulipas

Founded in 1750, Guerrero Viejo or Old City of Guerrero was one of the oldest cities in northern Mexico until 1953 when its inhabitants were forced to leave their homes. This situation was caused by the construction of a dam around Rio Grande, which caused the flood of many villages that were located close to the river. 

According to local history, this site had four settlements, four names and the same number of stories until its abandonment in 1953. Something that characterizes this ghost town is the dome of the Church of “Nuestra Señora del Refugio', which was the only thing that stood out of the waters that completely covered the town and which now is restored as one of the symbols of its histo

Thanks to their history, these sites are now part of the places to visit in Mexico, providing a unique experience to their visitors. It´s time to pack and these 5 mysterious ghost towns in Mexico.

Have you visited any ghost town? Tell us your experience in the comments.