The territory where the municipality of Cosalá is located today was occupied by several nations descended from nahoa tribes that settled mainly on the margins of streams and banks of the rivers that cross it, among these nations are Lacapaxas, Sabaibos, Acaxes, and Xiximes mainly.

By August 1531 the Spaniards arrived accompanied by indigenous allies, meeting a beautiful town called Quetzalla probably the center of the Hueytlatonazgo, Sabaibo.

Its foundation is given on March 13, 1562, by Francisco de Ibarra, giving it the name of “Sierra de la Plata”. For its part, the missionaries Fray Juan de Herrera and Pablo de Acevedo, evangelizers of the nation, gave it the name of “Real de Minas de Nuestra Señora de las Once Mil Vírgenes de Cosalá”.

The wealth generated by the Reales de Minas was known by Don Miguel Hidalgo, so in 1810 he ordered Jesús González Hermosillo, the seizure of Cosalá, in exchange for a promotion.

In 1826 and due to the insecurity caused by the uprisings in the north of the western state, it was agreed to move from the state capital to the head of the municipality, touching the municipality of Cosalá to have the capital of the vast territory that included the western state ; From 1826 to 1827 the Congress decreed the division of the state of the West in the states of Sonora and Sinaloa, an initiative that did not immediately prosper.

In the municipal seat the first newspaper of the northwest by Don José Felipe Gómez in 1827 called “El Espectador Imparcial” is published. At this time the legend of Heraclio Bernal emerged a generous bandit who brought in check the government forces of Sinaloa and Durango and caught the attention of Porfirio Diaz himself.

In the twentieth century, two important minerals follow each other and take with them a past of splendor and wealth, such as the mining exploitation “Guadalupe de Los Reyes” in 1944 and “Nuestra Señora” in 1965.

By decree of 1916, the municipality includes the syndicates of Guadalupe de Los Reyes, Santa Cruz de Alayá, San José de las Bocas, Ilama (formerly Feeder) and the central one that is Cosalá.

Cosalá is now an integral part of the Magic Towns program of the Tourism Secretariat of Mexico (SECTUR), come and visit this land that combines culture, architecture, and nature.

TOURS IN COSALÁ, SINALOA

Cosalá

Cosalá means place of great beauty , and lives up to its name. It is a sudden and beautiful sprout of color in the mining heart of Sinaloa. 

It is considered the colonial jewel of the state of Sinaloa for its secluded environment, New Spain buildings, cobbled streets, traditions and legends, cuisine and customs that proudly recall its past.

The Parish of Santa Úrsula, the Museum of Mining and History, the Ecological Reserve of the Mineral of Our Lady, the Plaza de Armas, the Burnt Barracks, are part of its collection of attractions, as well as its waterfalls, the ghosts, the cintos piteados, the tamales, etc.

It is a place where nature and culture, history and the present come together harmoniously, which, because of its immense values, has been recognized as one of the Magical Towns of Mexico.

Cosalá, the place of great beauty, is a living memory of ancient Mexico.

Hotel & Restaurant Quinta Minera puts at your disposal a series of tours and tourist tours around Cosalá:

WALK # 1: ECOLOGICAL RESERVE OF COSALÁ (OUR LADY).

We will observe the flora and fauna of our region, as well as the guided tour to the Aviary of the Green Macaw (bird of incomparable beauty in its natural reproduction), walk along the trails that previously formed a swamp. We will visit the monumental waterfall that is considered one of the highest in the state and we will descend to the river bank; We will visit the Ancient and Modern mining facilities and do not forget the spectacular view of the Sierra de Durango seen from Cosalá. This tour lasts approximately from 3 to 3:30 hrs.

PASEO # 2: HISTORICAL CENTER.

We will visit the Air Taxis track, we will visit the popular colonies of the Magical Town of Cosalá, we will visit the historical vestiges of the Virgin of Guadalupe appearance, from there we will find the spectacular view of Cosalá and its surroundings in the viewpoint, as well We will visit the plazuela and visit the local market.

WALK # 3: CASCADA Y TIROLESA DE VADO HONDO.

This tour is an adventure ride with spectacular waterfalls, a center of zip lines the safest in the region, camping area, and sidereal observations. This tour lasts approximately from 3:00 to 3:30 hours.

WALK # 4: RODEO.

We will know the elaboration of the typical sweets of the region directly in the factory where they are processed, this is to 5 km of the magic town of Cosalá, where they will be able to acquire and taste the preserves of green papaya, lemon, sweet potato, pumpkin, mango, It has no comparison in terms of taste and originality in the world. This tour lasts approximately 1 hour.

PASEO # 5: GRUTAS MEXICO.

Geological wonder in which you can admire a fascinating diversity of figures formed by the hand of nature and the passage of time, in corners unexplored by man. Approximate duration of the tour: 4 hours.

WALK # 6: GUADALUPE DE LOS REYES.

The splendor of mining that shows with certainty the splendor of the Cosalá of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, being able to appreciate its colonial architecture that although has suffered over the years, is still able to show the face of the time. The splendor and the years of a bonanza of mining were the result of this generous land that with its abundant mineral content made it possible to become one of the most generators of wealth in northwestern Mexico. Thus, it is possible to take a guided tour through its century-old church, the kiosk, the winding and narrow streets and alleys, the bridge of the river and the cell where the story that Heraclio Bernal told, who made many of his well-known actions in this place, all this in the heart of an environment of incredible natural landscapes in which you can enjoy the encounter with the exuberant and abundant flora and fauna of the region. Approximate duration: 5 hours.

WALK # 7: SAN JOSÉ DE LAS BOCAS AND HOT SPRINGS.

Mining town and hot springs. You can enjoy the hot springs that sprout in this place, considered sacred for its mystical, magical and healing effects. This is a place where different elements have combined that size it as a unique site because of the great variety of options that are gathered there to give it a unique appeal. It is possible to practice the observation of flora and fauna, photography, hiking, swimming in natural pools but mainly coming into contact with the microenvironment that allows finding a curative option for many ailments that can be solved thanks to the effects of the vapors. and direct contact with thermal waters of abundant mineral content. Approximate duration: 4 hours

Getting to Cosala

Cosalá is located about 160 kilometers south of Culiacán, the capital of Sinaloa. Due to its proximity to Culiacán, it is easy to reach this magical town.

From the Sinaloan capital take the Federal Highway 15 to the south and travel a hundred kilometers, until you reach the junction with the road that leads directly to Cosalá and is clearly signposted

Culiacán is very well communicated with all the populations of the region and, through them, with the rest of the Mexican Republic. There are roads that go to the four cardinal points, almost all interconnected with the Federal Highway 15, which crosses the city or borders it on its way from Mexico City to Nogales, on the border with the United States.

From the International Bus Station Millenium de Culiacán, there are continuous departures and arrivals of passenger buses from all the cities of the state, the main ones of the Mexican Republic and some of the United States. It is one of the busiest bus terminals in the whole country.  

By air, the city of Culiacán communicates through the Federal International Airport of Culiacán, with an activity that classifies it among the ten main airports of the Mexican Republic. It has direct flights to all the major Mexican cities and to some of the United States.

You can also reach Cosalá from Mazatlán, which is about 180 kilometers south of this magical town. From the port of Mazatlán, you have to take, also, the Federal Highway 15, towards the north, towards Culiacán and approximately at kilometer 104, you will find the cruise to Cosalá.

Mazatlan also has very good communications. By air, it can be reached directly through the Gral. Rafael Buelna International Airport, which receives flights from the main Mexican cities and, also, from the United States and Canada.

By land, Federal Highway 15 connects Mazatlan to the north with Culiacán , capital of the state and to the south, with Tepic, capital of Nayarit and Guadalajara , capital of Jalisco.

Through Federal Highway 40 it connects with the city of Durango, capital of the state of the same name. The Mazatlán-Durango highway crosses the Sierra Madre Occidental, through 63 tunnels and more than 230 kilometers in length; It has 115 bridges, including the impressive Baluarte Bridge , a masterpiece of Mexican engineering.

From Mazatlan there are daily runs of passenger buses to the main cities of the state and the capital cities of neighboring states and, even, the capital of the Mexican Republic.

Mazatlan can be reached, also, by sea . Daily a ferry from La Paz, Baja California arrives at the port of Mazatlan , and during the week cruise ships arrive from the United States.

Finally, Cosalá can also be reached from Mazatlan by the coastal highway, to the north, until you reach the junction with the road to La Cruz de Elota, which leads directly to Cosalá. This road is longer, but it is surrounded by mountain landscapes of great beauty, between forests and rivers, hills and hills.

Source: Cosala, Sectur, Hotel & Restaurant Quinta Minera

The Mazatlan Post