Altar Desert Travel Guide — Things to Do, Food & Hotels
Region of the Sonoran Desert
About Altar Desert
The Altar desert lies above the northeast corner of the Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California). The region is part of the 2 million-acre El Pinacate/Gran Desierto del Altar Biosphere Reserve, a Mexican National Preserve. The fishing village of El Golfo lies at the southwestern corner of the desert. The Gran Desierto covers approximately 5,700 km² (2,200 sq mi), most of it in the Mexican state of Sonora. The northernmost edges reach across the international border into Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Arizona, United States. The region is dominated by sand sheets and dunes ranging in thickness from less than 1 km (0.62 mi) to greater than 12 km (7.5 mi). Most of the sand of the desert was delivered by the Colorado River during the Pl
Altar Desert Travel Guide Sections
Our comprehensive guide covers 10 sections including: