A Visit to the Pozo Alemán Mining Camp Ghost Town
Just north of the mining town of El Arco on the dirt road between Vizcaino and Bahia de Los Angeles is the abandoned mining camp of Pozo Aleman (German well). It was founded in the early 1890's when the gold mines at nearby Calmalli were at it's peak. Miners from around the Baja peninsula (and the United States) came to work at Calmalli. Eventually some of those found and begun the town of Pozo Aleman (previously known as Campo Aleman) and other smaller mining operations nearby. Later in the 1900's it became a cattle ranch.
This is one of Baja's most authentic ghost towns and although it seems completely abandoned, it is apparently the property of the Villavencio family. The Villavencio's were a famous Baja family in this area. Please be respectful.
There are a couple of one and two story brick and/or adobe buildings, some in good condition, others slowly deteriorating. You'll also find a stone pila (water tank) marked "1920", a windmill, a brick oven, stone corrals and a unique, old cemetery in the town. Maybe most interesting are the small caves dug into the hills that some miners lived in. There's also a legend of ghosts. They say some nights you can hear the sound of tools striking rock and shadows that look like long ago miners can be seen a various times.
If you are ever driving off the beaten path in this area of the central Baja California peninsula, make the stop. It's worth it. Bonus is it's also on the Baja Divide route for bike riders.
//-// Photos & Information by Ted Donovan
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