El CHARCO DEL INGENIO

In the heart of the central highlands of Mexico, in the state of Guanajuato, El Charco del Ingenio Botanical Garden extends over some 167 acres of nature reserve just a few minutes from the historical city of San Miguel de Allende, declared a World Heritage site in 2008.

El Charco del Ingenio is an extraordinary natural monument in a unique scenic area of great biodiversity. The name comes from a spring-fed pool nestled in an impressive canyon, which popular legend has interwoven with spirits and myths dating from the Spanish conquest. Above, the Las Colonias reservoir receives water flowing down from the nearby mountains, which forms permanent wetlands where birds and other wildlife abound. During the rainy season, water overflows the dam, cascading into pools in the wooded depths of the ravine. Among the boulders of the canyon and in the reservoir and surrounding dry scrubland lie vestiges of waterworks and constructions from the past that also give the place special value as a historic site.