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One bucket-list activity to do on your Mexico vacation is to connect with the Wixárika culture, which has thrived for centuries. And the best way to do this is with Nayarit Adventure’s Huichol Tour!
This is quite a different experience from any of the others the company offers (colonial towns, hidden waterfalls, the wild Pacific coast, etc.). It gives you a real insight into the everyday life, the art, and the beliefs of the Wixárika.
The Huichol are a very distinctive indigenous group of Mexico, famous for their beadwork, their yarn paintings, and their very strong spiritual outlook. With the assistance of experienced guides and local contacts, you'll be traveling into the Sierra del Nayar to meet Huichol families, see some of their rituals, and get a real insight into their way of life and their relationship with the land and the universe. The tour will involve visits to family homes, community centers, and artisan workshops as part of the program, all of which are designed to provide a genuine opportunity to interact with the community and to support them. It's a very authentic experience and one that is absolutely unique. For the right kind of adventure, this is one you won't easily forget.
Nayarit Adventure-Huichol Tour: Fun Facts & Cool Features
A real highlight of this cultural adventure is the opportunity to take part in a traditional beadwork or yarn paintingworkshop with the master artists. They will be able to tell you the stories and the symbolism of the designs. You can also watch or take part in the various ceremonies which are so important to the Wixárika's spiritual life and which are all abouthonoring corn, deer, and peyote. These are not performances for the tourists. They are genuine ceremonies.
You're invited into the homes of the families to have a meal of the traditional fare (which will invariably be tortillas, wild herbs, and salsas made from ingredients grown or foraged in the mountains around). The guides will go into detail aboutthe annual pilgrimage to Wirikuta (the sacred desert) and will explain the significance of the 'Ojo de Dios' (God's Eye), which is a very powerful object of protection and vision. The tour also supports the local economy in that you're encouraged to buy the art directly from the artists.
Nayarit Adventure's Huichol Tour is an opportunity to connect with and learn about one of Mexico's most fascinating living cultures.
Local Tips
- Wear comfortable, sensible clothing and good walking shoes.
- Bring cash to buy crafts, as most artisans won't take cards.
- Always ask before taking photographs, particularly during ceremonies and in homes.
- Learn a few basic Spanish (or Wixárika) phrases, or just let your guide do the translating.
