Ranas is the main reason most travellers should take San Joaquín seriously. The archaeological zone sits on two hills above town, with plazas, terraces, ball courts, and wide views over the Sierra Gorda.
INAH links the site to control of trade routes and mineral resources, especially cinnabar, the red pigment valued in Mesoamerica. It is not as monumental as central Mexico's famous ruins, but the setting is superb and the place feels remote in the right way.