La Cañada (officially known as Cañada de Caracheo) is a small town in the municipality of Cortazar, in the state of

Guanajuato Guanajuato, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Guanajuato, is one of the 32 states that make up the Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into Municipalities of Guanajuato, 46 municipalities and its cap ...

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

. City elevation is 1 mile (5643 feet) above sea level; with a population of about 2,400. Founded in 1612, La Cañada lies between the hills of La Gavia and El Culiacán. The word Cañada refers to the Spanish word for land between two elevated bodies of the earth; Caracheo comes from the

Purépecha The Purépecha ( ) are a group of Indigenous people centered in the northwestern region of Michoacán, Mexico, mainly in the area of the cities of Cherán and Pátzcuaro. They are also known by the derogatory term " Tarascan", an exonym, app ...

word ''carachi,'' which means dried water. La Cañada is known for having some of the richest cultures in the state, with the Fiesta del Padre Nieves every March 10 and the Fiesta de La Virgen de los Dolores starting a week before Easter Sunday, and running from Thursday 12 pm to Monday 6 am, with festivities throughout the year including the Novenas during the summer, Dia del Joven, Fiestas Patrias, and November 11 to commemorate the

beatification Beatification (from Latin , "blessed" and , "to make") is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their name. ''Beati'' is the p ...

of Fray Elías del Socorro Nieves in the

Vatican Vatican may refer to: Geography * Vatican City, an independent city-state surrounded by Rome, Italy * Vatican Hill, in Rome, namesake of Vatican City * Ager Vaticanus, an alluvial plain in Rome * Vatican, an unincorporated community in the ...

. (Cañada de Caracheo has its own saint.)

References

Populated places in Guanajuato Populated places established in 1612 1612 establishments in New Spain {{Guanajuato-geo-stub