Las Pozas, Xilitla: Gardens of Edward James

At Las Pozas, only a few kilometers outside of the town of Xilitla, San Luis Potosí, Englishman Edward James, with the aid of a Yaqui building foreman of his aquaintance, built an astounding showcase of surrealistic structures in the lush jungles of this coffee-growing region of north-eastern Mexico. Here is a little about this surprising feat.

About Edward James, Builder of Dreams

Born in England 1907 of an American father and Scots mother, Edward James was a man obsessed by the surreal – keeping company with and giving substantial support to such artists and luminaries as Salvador Dalí, Leonora Carrington, René Magritte and Aldous Huxley.

Leaving England in 1940 with the intention of making the United States his home, he found himself in 1944 moving instead Mexico with the idea of creating a “garden of Eden”.

There, in the city of Cuernavaca, he met Plutarco Gastélum, a yaqui photographer and telegraph operator with whom Edward began traveling the country, discovering during these travels the delights of the waterfalls and pools of the Arroyo de La Conchita near Xilitla, San Luis Potosí. Gastélum was later to become Edward’s construction foreman for his monumental, artistic structures in his Enchanted Garden, as well as the builder of the house in Xilitla itself in which James lived, now converted into the El Castillo Guest House.

It is said that while bathing in the pools at Las Pozas, Edward saw a cloud of butterflies come down toward him through the canyon, their thickness momentarily cutting off the rays of the sun – Edward saw this incredible spectacle of fluttering wings as a sign that this was to be his home and thereafter set about to transform Las Pozas into his Enchanted Garden, a task that occupied him from 1949 all the way through 1984 and his death.

A Walk through the Enchanted Gardens of Edward James

Las Pozas, Xilitla, in the state of San Luis Potosi, Mexico

After having heard fascinating stories about Edward James’s enchanted garden at Xilitla for a period of several years, we were finally able to make a visit to this magical spot in September, 2000.

Nothing that had been said, no description that had been offered by friends who had toured this jungle of sculptures really prepared me for the experience. I was surprised that it was no garden at all – at least not like what a “garden” commonly is in my mind or how I had visualized it prior to actually being there.

Las Pozas is much more of a natural outgrowth of the mountainside and jungle that I had envisioned. Ornate concrete structures sprouted around us as we scrambled up and around the site. Paths beckoned in all directions, leading to such sights as a stand of aged concrete bamboo stalks, platforms perched on crenelated pillars, winding staircases urging us up or down into the unknown, massive floral fountains,  concrete images and symbols that seemed at times to be holding up the mountainside itself. Fantastic figures and wonderland-like structures appeared to leap out at us as we came around each curve on the paths that wind their ways through the estate.

Our walk through the garden at Las Pozas started off with a path guiding us through a giant ring-gate and along the Walkway of the Serpents.

The path, bordered with luxuriant vegetation, was lined with undulating, open-mouthed concrete snakes and mushroom-like structures.

Passing a small gift shop, the Casa de los Pericos and a series of 3 small bungalows, we climbed upward, passing over, under and through various phantasmagorical structures, winding pathways and stairs to a colorful, floral-like fountain.

Each turn brought us new visual delights – the tall, swaying (but concrete) bamboo blending into the surroundings; steps twisting into the undergrowth; towers rising out of the ferns and other vegetation that grew closely on all sides.

We climbed railing-less stairways leading to flat areas atop pedestals, not unlike toadstools. These platforms afforded us incredible views of the ravine with its sculptures poking into the sky like ancient ruins, and glimpses of the waterfall that fed the pozas (pools).

We walked onto a bridge that leads nowhere except into clear space, then followed a small downward path that seemed more of a stone watershed channel, toward the crystal clear, turquoise and crisply cold pools that were Edward James’ inspiration, where a number of young boys were cavorting, diving off the sides of the path into the clear water below.

By then close to closing time, we spent our last moments on the site exploring the spiral structures and stairways that dominate the entrance to this realm of fantasy.

These incredible gardens, though crumbling and in desperate need of care and repair, are open to the public for a small entrance fee. The clear pools of Las Pozas are enjoyed by cavorting children and adults alike.

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