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Otherworldly La Rumorosa to be Protected
By Maria E Curry
July/August 2020
 A portion of the water pipes painted blue from the Aqueduct Rio Colorado-Tijuana in La Rumorosa. Photo courtesy Francisco Sandoval Alarcón at Bloguero del Norte, 2010 |
 The highway connecting Tijuana and Mexicali through La Rumorosa. Courtesy Creative Commons. Photo by Julio Rodriguez, 2008 |
The Baja California government will start designation procedures for La Rumorosa (The Whisperer) as a Protected Zone. Acccording to the state's preservation law (Ley de Preservación del Patrimonio Cultural de Baja California), Protected Zones have natural elements with historic, cultural, or artistic significance, and whose preservation is of interest to Baja Californians.
La Rumorosa is a windy mountain pass in the Sierra Juarez at an elevation of 4,042 feet. The road to the summit links the cities of Tecate and Mexicali. It is considered the most dangerous highway in Mexico due to its topography and abundant curves full of hairpin turns and roller-coaster dips. Despite the prominent border fence, La Rumorosa landscape extends into the U.S., as do some indigenous trails, railroads, and roads.
Elements deserving protection in La Rumorosa include oddly-shaped boulders, trails, old roads, archeological sites, desert views, religious altars, and cross sites created to honor people who have died in road accidents. Native flora and fauna, and sculptures created by Baja California artists offer more visual attractions. Some people say that the area's rare environment resembles a landscape from another planet.
On a recent visit to La Rumorosa, the president of Mexico expressed his admiration for the area's natural beauty. He criticized wind turbines for contaminating some of the striking vistas. He recommended that water pipes painted blue and hugging the mountain slopes should be repainted to match the boulders and rocks, as a mitigation measure. He is in favor of La Rumorosa becoming a World Heritage area.
Editor's note: SOHO congratulates Maria Curry on being appointed vice president for ICOMOS Mexico Region I, which includes the states of Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora, Chihuahua, and Sinaloa. Her plan for the region includes proposing that ICOMOS Mexico support the designations of La Rumorosa and El Camino Real Misionero as World Heritage sites. This and other matters will be discussed at the next international ICOMOS symposium, slated for Baja California.
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