You can walk the town in a morning. But the municipality of Catorce is an entire mountain range, and its villages —some little more than a handful of houses among mesquites— hold the best part of the region's history. They are the whole reason the Willys 4x4s for rent in town exist.
Potrero: the haciendas
Once home to old mining haciendas. Surviving today are the roofless church (Iglesia Mocha) —no roof, standing on pure stone— and the arches of the old aqueduct. It is the route's signature photo stop.
La Luz: the mine and the clock
Here you'll find the Santa Ana mine and the old tower with a clock donated by Porfirio Díaz. The village keeps the air of an organized mining camp, with its grid of streets.
Los Catorce: springs and avocados
The "jewel of the desert": widely visited for its springs and avocado orchards, a rarity at this altitude. It's a standard stop on the tours.
San Antonio de Coronados: temazcal and hot springs
The legendary village of the sierra has a recreation center with cabins, a temazcal sweat lodge and hot-springs pool. If your route includes a thermal soak, this is the place.
And before the climb: Estación Catorce
The municipality's largest settlement was a railway stop on the Mexico–United States route. From here begins the territory of Wirikuta, sacred to the Wixárika people.
In practice
Tours are arranged in town with the Willys or horseback operators — here they are, with phone numbers and ratings. Agree on price and route before setting out, bring a jacket (the weather changes fast at altitude) and water.