This pre-Hispanic settlement of the Sierra Gorda in Querétaro was probably occupied for the majority of the Classic period. It is situated on the lower slopes of the Cerro Alto, also known as Tancama, in a valley bordered by slow flowing seasonal streams which provide it with water. The natural form of the land needed to be adapted to create terraces and platforms, which prepared the ground for several groups of structures.

The archeological site has three main plazas, known as El Mirador, Santiago and La Promesa, two minor groups and two terraces. These plazas are distinguished by their north-south alignment, and by the fact that they are all at different heights.

To date 56 structures of different forms and sizes have been found. The most outstanding are the circular and semi-circular structures. Also worthy of note is the 60-foot-long ballcourt, one of the smallest in Mexico.

The Sierra Gorda Valleys archeological project began in 1999-2000. The three plazas mentioned have been investigated over a number of seasons, with the help of exploratory trenches and pits. The building system has been identified, as well as various volumes, stairways, entrances and other features, as a starting point for conservation work.

The archeological site opened its doors to the public in November 2011. A site tour includes a look at the El Mirador and Santiago plazas with their various buildings, whose names relate to specific architectural features or the finds which have come from them. For example Building 1 is known as the “Copper Butterfly” after some earrings in the form of a butterfly from a group burial, while Building 7 is known as the “Huastec Man” building because of the burial of a man with ceramics from the region, who had remarkable Huastec features such as dental mutilation and tabular erect cranial deformation.