Located in the northwestern corner of the valley, La Piedra Pintada is a huge boulder adorned with pre-Columbian carvings. Locals often fill in the grooves of the petroglyphs with chalk to facilitate their viewing, but their meaning isn’t clearer. That doesn’t prevent children from giving their interpretation of the petroglyphs for US$2 (in Spanish only).
The trail to the rock is well worn and easy to do without a guide. But due to thefts from vehicles left near the trail entrance, it’s best to come by bus even if you’ve got your own wheels. The site can be reached by a yellow school bus with ‘Pintada’ above the windshield. It passes along Av Central every 30 minutes, from 6am to 7pm (US$0.25 one way).
