Ixtlán del Rio town is located in the southwest area of the estate of Nayarit. The average height is 1,500 meters above sea level. It borders the municipalities of La Yesca, Jala ,Amatlan de Cañas and Jalisco. The name of Ixtlán is derived from the "Nahuatl" dialect, composed by the words "Itz-ittztell" which means Obsidian, and "Tlán", meaning place where abound. I.e. the Ixtlán word means "place where abounds the Obsidian" or, "place of Obsidian knife". 
The archaeological zone of the "Los Toriles" is related to the Aztatlán tradition. It is located near the village of Ixtlan. Its buildings  are majorly temples with stairways and altars made of round stones stuck together with clay and stone slabs.