Batopilas

Historic 18th century mission church, it is the town's main church.

Colonial era hacienda built on a bluff overlooking the Rio Batopilas in the mid 1600s. The hacienda controlled mining operations in the area and the landed gentry enjoyed exploiting slave labor to turn a profit until 1821 when independence was one from Spain and the first constitution outlawed slavery and granted equal rights to everyone. The hacienda was occupied by different silver mine owners over the centuries and some travel guides may inappropriately rename it after one or another temporary resident, but the actual name is Hacienda San Miguel. The last occupant of the hacienda was Don Ángel Bustamante who died in 1820. With independence won a few months later, the hacienda was abandoned and today is a crumbling ruin.

Town square and popular local gathering spot. The town hall (Presidencia Municipal) is here as are the iconic town letters that would make for an excellent selfie.

Very cool old church that was built in 1764 by Jesuit missionaries but then abandoned when the Jesuit order was kicked out of Mexico in 1767. The town of Batopilas assumed ownership of the property but really had no need for an isolated church 5 km out of town, so they boarded it up and abandoned it for over 200 years. In the 1990s it was lightly restored and re-opened. The church is often referred to as the "lost church" or the "ghost church". It's been returned to functional condition and mass is sometimes offered here, but the place still has an atmosphere of neglect about it.