Canal de la Perla

The Canal de la Perla in Torreón is a historic underground irrigation canal that now serves as a cultural walkway. Originally built around 1891 and put into operation in 1893, it carried water from the Río Nazas to the Hacienda La Perla. As the city expanded, the canal was gradually covered over starting in 1910 and later used for stormwater drainage until it was closed in 1968 because of flood risks. In 2003, the city government rediscovered the structure and, with the support of local partners, turned it into a tourist attraction. After a pause for safety reasons, it reopened in 2014. You can explore the roughly 12.5-kilometer stretch in the historic center through four entrances. The massive walls house exhibition rooms displaying historic newspaper articles, old cameras, typewriters, and inkwells that document regional and national history. The site thus combines industrial heritage with modern cultural education.