Agua Caliente · where he was killed

The ravine · the abandoned distillery

The hiding place

The site belonged to a local rancher, Mr. León Aguirre. It was a tequila distillery abandoned years earlier, at the bottom of a ravine outside Tequila. The building was hidden from the roads, surrounded by cliffs through which one could escape if soldiers arrived. There, in the autumn of 1927, Father Toribio took up residence after receiving the pastoral commission for Tequila. He slept on a cot. He celebrated Mass in the empty distillery. He went out at night to visit the sick and dying of the village. He returned before dawn.

It would go on like this for five months. In December 1927 his younger brother Román — newly ordained a priest — and his sister María also joined him. The three lived together the five happiest and most tense months of the saint's life. Happy because he had his family near and celebrated Mass every day. Tense because he knew it was only a matter of time before the soldiers came.

Visiting the site today

Practical guide

Location and how to get there

The exact martyrdom site is not in the town of Tequila itself but about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the town center — approximately a 20-minute drive on a dirt road — in the rural community of Agua Caliente, at the bottom of a ravine. You reach it by following the road from Tequila toward the Balneario La Toma hot springs. From Guadalajara, Tequila is 60 kilometers (37 miles) northwest via Highway 15 — about one hour by car. From Santa Ana de Guadalupe, the full trip (passing through Guadalajara) takes around two and a half hours (150 km / 93 miles).

Important: the dirt road from Tequila to Agua Caliente has rocky sections and can be difficult for low-clearance cars. We recommend a vehicle with adequate clearance, or taking a local taxi from the Tequila main plaza. There is no cell phone signal along the route. Ask at the Parroquia Santiago Apóstol (in Tequila's central plaza) for day-of directions — the local priests orient pilgrims and can confirm road conditions.

What to see at the site

The rural community of Agua Caliente hosts a sanctuary in honor of Saint Toribio Romo, built on the very site where he was captured and killed. The complex includes:

• The sanctuary church — a recently built temple at the bottom of the ravine, surrounded by mango and pineapple trees. The interior floor is made of wooden parquet.
• The adobe house — next to the temple, the small house where Toribio spent his last months in hiding. It preserves several of his personal belongings from his clandestine period.
• The path to the site — the walk from the town passes through forest, streams, and natural springs. It also connects to the Mirador del Chiquihuitillo, a 5.6 km (3.5 mi) loop trail (about 1h 45min), documented on AllTrails, with panoramic views of the region.
• Balneario La Toma — hot springs at the end of the same road. Pilgrims often combine both visits in a single day.

Note on the community: Agua Caliente is a rural locality. Some residents still live without electricity. There is no internet or cell signal in the area. Locals sell artisanal candies and simple food on high-traffic days. Bring Mexican pesos in cash; there are no ATMs.

When to go

The date with the highest attendance is February 25 — the anniversary of the martyrdom — when a solemn Mass is celebrated at the site. On other dates the place is usually quiet. It is a site for the pilgrim seeking silence and contemplation, not the one seeking the great festive pilgrimage — for that, Santa Ana de Guadalupe.

Combining the two visits

For those who make the complete pilgrimage — Santa Ana where he was born and rests, Agua Caliente where he died — the contrast is essential. Santa Ana is celebration, crowd, thanksgiving. Agua Caliente is silence, ravine, memory of the exact moment when a twenty-seven-year-old man was shot while trying to rise from his cot.

Many pilgrims do both in a long weekend: Saturday in Santa Ana for morning Mass and the shrine tour, Sunday in Tequila for the martyrdom site. It is a pilgrimage spiritually richer than either one separately.

Archive in preparation

Photographs of the site

This page does not yet include original field photographs of the site. The illustration above serves as an approximate reference, and we are gathering contributed photographs from pilgrims who have visited Agua Caliente in recent years.

Have you visited the Agua Caliente sanctuary? If you have recent photographs of the temple, the adobe house, the road, or the Mirador del Chiquihuitillo — and they are your own property — you can contribute them to the archive. Photographer credit will be given. Write to info@santoribioromo.com with a brief description of the images and the date of your visit.