Valle de Santiago

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Valle de Santiago is a city and its surrounding municipality of the same name located in the south of the Mexican state of Guanajuato. The city lies in the east-central part of the municipality. The settlement was founded in 1607 in the village known as Camembaro. What makes Valle de Santiago famous is in part because of its seven "luminarias" which are seven volcano craters located NW of the city, and the legend that UFO's visited the region and gave locals means to grow gigantic vegetables. During 1980, the Secretariat of Hydraulic Resources awarded a contract to drill several water wells to supply the basic water needs of the city. The company awarded was Perforadora Mexico, directed by Javier Cruz Nochebuena, and Oscar Garcia Shelly, both Engineers from The Politecnico and from the faculty of Engineering of the UNAM in Mexico City

Valle de Santiago is know for its Feast Day, July 25th, where the local patron saint James is honored with music, food and festivites. Included in the religious celebrations is the traditional ROZASOS, where the reenactment battles of the Moors and the Christians is celebrated every 26th of July.

From its beautiful cathedral to its many quaint churches and streets, Valle is known for its hospitality, food and warm atmosphere. Also, its many volcanos or "crateres" are a must see for any visitor, The Hoyas de Cintora, Parangeo, and La Alberca are a well worth side trip to any visit to this town.

As of the 2005 census, the city had a population of 62,121 (the eighth-largest community in the state), while the municipality had a population of 127,945. The municipality has an areal extent of 815.52 km² (314.87 sq mi) and includes many small outlying communities.