It is located off the State route of Mexico-Morelia-Guadalajara, about 12 km (7.5 mi) south of Mil Cumbres at an elevation of 2896 m (9501 ft) above mean sea level.
One decided to relocate the village because the terrain where it was located would not allow it to grow, and most of the people followed the priest to a valley now known as San Antonio Villalongin.
The rivalry started when San Antonio's priest wanted to take all the church's belongings (saints and a three-ton gold-plated bell).
After the unsuccessful robbery the evil priest walked up the mountain to La Cruz del Toro and cursed the town.
In the late-1970s and 1980s, El Caracol was a major lumbermill center with up to 34 lumberyards, cabinetry, and bedboard making shops, producing thousands of woodcrafting products and distributing them throughout the Mexican Republic.