Jardines Del Humaya in Culiacán, Mexico, looks less like a place of rest and more like an upmarket housing estate. Instead of simple headstones, the dead are housed in elaborate mansions kitted out with air conditioning, Wi-Fi and bulletproof glass.
A cemetery built for cartel elite
Culiacán is the capital of Sinaloa state, where many residents and farmers struggle to get by. But the region is also home to some of Mexico's wealthiest cartel leaders, including Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, who built an estimated $14 billion empire before being jailed in the US. His operation enriched many capos and sicarios, some of whom met violent ends.
That contrast is visible at Jardines Del Humaya, once a resting place for the local upper classes. It has become a necropolis of lavish mausoleums, designed so families can mourn in comfort and safety.
Security measures behind the luxury
The graves are not just comfortable - they are fortified. Mausoleums include bulletproof glass, reinforced steel and alarm systems to protect visitors. The whole cemetery has cameras and constant surveillance, and at high-risk times the Mexican Army has set up checkpoints and guarded the site.
The precautions exist because family members and associates of dead cartel figures may still be targets. Rival factions could attempt to break in and seek revenge.
Travel advice and visitor experiences
Given the dangers, the cemetery is not recommended for visitors. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office currently "advises against all but essential travel to the state of Sinaloa", with some exceptions listed on its website.
Some who have visited described problems. One visitor said: "The staff are thieves, they will accost you with pistols and machetes. Not Mexico's best place, such a shame. Stay away." Another reported: "Leaving there in an Uber, we were stopped by state police who tried to intimidate us and threatened to arrest us just for taking pictures. They stole all the money from my friend's and my wallets!"
Others have had a different experience. One commented: "I don't know if those talking about danger have actually been. I went and everyone was very friendly and I had no problems taking pictures. I think as long as you are respectful everything is good."
