Guanajuato prepares for San Ignacio de Loyola festival amid environmental controversy

Municipal authorities in Guanajuato announced that security and logistical operations are in place for the 410th anniversary of the Day of the Cave, honoring San Ignacio de Loyola. The celebration will begin on July 30 with the traditional cabalgata, and the municipal police, fire brigade, state road police, civil protection, Red Cross and traffic police will manage crowd safety, road closures and lighting of the cave.

At the same time, the municipal government installed a set of stairs on the upper part of Cerro de la Bufa to ease visitors’ ascent for the festivities. The construction, carried out by the public works maintenance department, has drawn sharp criticism from the Consejo Ecologista Guanajuatense A.C. and other locals, who argue that the intervention threatens a natural area that is being considered for protected status. Environmental activists warned that the stairs could open the door to further urbanisation of the hills and alter the landscape that residents have used for centuries.

The dual focus on safety measures and the ecological dispute underscores the city’s effort to balance cultural tradition with conservation concerns.