We love learning about the places we visit, so we were excited to go on a group tour to the El Pinacate Biosphere Reserve. The landscape was formed by volcanic activity that caused large craters to form. The craters are contrasted with the large lava flows and beautiful desert.

This is definitely a site we would only see on a tour, the long dirt road was rough and barren. The ownership of the land is disputed by ranchers who believe the land is theirs and the government who has reclaimed it. The ranchers protest by stopping visitors and making them pay a fee to travel through the land. Our group was stopped twice but luckily our guide knew how to handle the situation (and how much to pay!).

Once we got there the views were incredible, especially after we hiked up a fairly steep hill!