The second annual Cabrito Festival takes place this Saturday, May 16, in San Francisco de la Sierra, a remote ranching settlement in the mountains of Mulegé that also happens to be the gateway to one of North America’s most important collections of ancient rock art. The Baja California Sur Institute of Culture (ISC) is accepting entries in five contest categories, with cash prizes for goat cheese, birria, leather goods, and wood-fired empanadas.
San Francisco de la Sierra Holds UNESCO Cave Paintings and a Living Ranch Culture
San Francisco de la Sierra sits at roughly 1,500 meters elevation in the Sierra de San Francisco, about 45 kilometers by dirt road off the Transpeninsular Highway (Highway 1). The turnoff lies between the towns of San Ignacio and Santa Rosalía. The settlement’s population hovers around 100 permanent residents, most of them ranchers who raise goats on the same land their families have worked for generations.
The Sierra de San Francisco is best known for its cave paintings, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. The rock art, attributed to an ancient people the Spanish missionaries called “los Cochimí,” dates back as far as 7,500 years. Painted murals at sites like Cueva del Ratón and Cueva Pintada depict deer, bighorn sheep, marine life, and human figures in red, black, and ochre pigments, some stretching more than two meters tall. Access to the caves requires mule-supported treks arranged through local guides and authorized by INAH, Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History.
But the living culture of the sierra is just as distinctive. Goat ranching has sustained these communities since the Jesuit mission era in the 1700s. Families produce queso de chiva (goat cheese) by hand using techniques passed down over centuries. Birria de chivo, a slow-cooked goat stew seasoned with dried chiles and spices, is the staple celebratory dish. Leatherwork, or talabartería, remains a practical craft: ranchers make their own saddles, belts, and knife sheaths from goatskin and cowhide.
The first Cabrito Festival took place in 2024, organized by the ISC to spotlight these traditions. This second edition expands on that effort with five formal contest categories: gourmet goat cheese, traditional goat cheese, traditional goat birria, wood-fired goat cheese empanadas, and leather craftsmanship. Prizes range from 1,000 pesos (about $50 USD) for third place to 3,000 pesos (about $150 USD) for first place in each category.
A 5-Hour Drive From La Paz, 3 Hours From Loreto
Getting to San Francisco de la Sierra takes commitment. From La Paz, the drive north on Highway 1 to the San Francisco turnoff runs about 360 kilometers, or roughly four and a half hours. From Loreto, it is closer to 230 kilometers and about three hours. The final 45-kilometer stretch from the highway to the village is an unpaved mountain road. A high-clearance vehicle is strongly recommended, and four-wheel drive helps after rain. The road is narrow with steep drop-offs in places, so daylight driving is essential.
San Ignacio, the nearest town with fuel, lodging, and supplies, sits about 35 kilometers south of the turnoff on Highway 1. Several small hotels and a well-known date palm oasis make it a natural base for anyone planning to combine the festival with a cave painting expedition. Guided cave tours typically require advance booking of at least a few days through INAH-registered operators in San Ignacio.
There are no hotels in San Francisco de la Sierra itself. Visitors should plan a day trip or arrange camping with local guides. Cell service is limited to nonexistent in the sierra, so download maps and carry enough water and fuel for the round trip from San Ignacio.
The festival is open to the public, not just competitors. Attendees can sample regional food, watch the judging, and buy artisan goods directly from producers. For anyone who has driven the length of Baja without ever turning off Highway 1, this is a rare excuse to do so.
Interested participants can contact the ISC by phone at 612-12-2-31-13, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., or through the institute’s social media channels. The festival runs all day Saturday, May 16. This story was first reported by the Baja California Sur state government press office.