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| Tonaya |
| Tonaya is a picturesque town of some 6,000 inhabitants situated at about 2,850 feet above sea level. The name Tonaya is said to mean place located to the east or to the east where the sun goes. It is roughly three hours from the Barra de Navidad and Melaque area accessible from highway 80 and then highway 428 through El Grullo. Tonaya is primarily a farming and ranching community as well as a commercial centre for the area. The main commercial activity in the town is the distilling of Mescal - made from green agave grown on the hills and in the fields that surround the town - in Tonaya's 28 distilleries known as “Las Tabernas”. |
| The Tonaya area was conquered by the Spaniards in 1524 with Francisco Cortés de San Buenaventura leading the effort. Tonaya features some interesting colonial architecture including two churches the Templo de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción and the Templo de la Virgen de Tonaya that date from the 17 and 1800s. To the east of the current town of Tonaya ruins of what may be a portable altar have been discovered in the area thought to be where the prehispanic town of Tonaya was located. |
| Some of Las Tabernas de Tonaya are open to the public but it isn't a bad idea to make a prior reservation if you want to be sure that someone will be available to show you around. Tonaya has one hotel the Gloria Del Sol. Sea to Sierra run an overnight tour to Tonaya in conjunction with the Autlan Carnaval Bull Fight tour that includes a tour of a few distilleries including one of the largest the Mezcal Factory el Grupo Corona, who produce the mezcal: rancho escondido, mezcal don armando (reserva), mezcalito, aventurero, tres and more. Autlan Carnival and Tonaya Tour. Check back for more Tonaya tours. |
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