Techaluta (de Montenegro) was originally named Techalotlán and is the town that Jesús´ family originates from. Techaluta in Nahuatl means "place of the squirrels". It is located just north of Tapalpa and in fact closer to Guadalajara. You will pass the town from the main highway to Tapalpa just as you begin your ascent through the mountain pass towards Tapalpa. Be sure to ask the driver to point it out en route to Tapalpa. (Techaluta photos here)
Techaluta is a beautiful small quaint town that is best know for their Pitaya (passion fruit grown on cacti). Unfortunately the Pitaya is only in Season in late Spring. Below is video clip of an episode featured on the PBS series The Desert Speaks from Arizona Public Media.
The pre-colombian history of Techaluta is uncertain but it is thought that the Otomí settled here because of the rich resource of salt from the Laguna de Sayula. The region went through many battles prior to the Spanish arrival to gain rights over the salt-filled Laguna. In 1522 the Spanish Conquistador Alonso de Avalos conquered this region and declared Techaluta and surrounding towns Spanish territory. It was then that Techaluta was founded as a colonial town. The Franciscans evangelized this region and instituted a seminary in Amacueca and a convent in Techaluta (these neighboring towns were actually one community in the early days of the Spanish encounter). More on the history of the state of Jalisco here & here.
In 1824, in the aftermath of a terrible earthquake, Techaluta was relocated (2 km closer to the Laguna) to its present day location. On September 25, 1888 the neighboring towns that made up one community, Techaluta & Amacueca were segregated and authorized as individual municipalities by the Mexican Government. It was then that Techaluta was renamed Techaluta de Montenegro (in honor of Colonel Lauro Montenegro who fought tirelessly against the French in this region during the French occupation of México in the mid 1800's).
