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El Pinacate and Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve

El Pinacate and Gran Desierto de Altar is an extensive reserve where the experience depends on choosing between a vehicle route through craters and lava flows or a dune hike from Schuk Toak.

Active dunes of the Gran Desierto de Altar in Sonora.
Photo by Presidencia de la República Mexicana Source: Wikimedia Commons Licence: CC BY 2.0
The place

What makes it special

  • An approximately 72-kilometre dirt-road route to El Elegante, El Tecolote and Cerro Colorado craters.
  • A roughly five-kilometre, three-hour trail from Schuk Toak to the dunes.
  • Geological landscapes with cultural relevance for O’odham peoples.
El Pinacate and Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve
Photo by Presidencia de la República Mexicana Source: Wikimedia Commons Licence: CC BY 2.0
Travel atlas

Articles in El Pinacate and Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve

Guides to this place

1 article

El Pinacate and Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve

Viajalo Editorial

Guides to this place

1 related guides

Active dunes of the Gran Desierto de Altar in Sonora.

El Pinacate’s craters and dunes require different plans

The best way to plan a visit to El Pinacate is to consider the type of landscape, the vehicle available and your tolerance for heat—not simply a list of stops.

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Information in context

Sources and references

This profile summarises our destination guides. Their research sources and the geographical reference are listed below.

Profile updated: 13/09/2026