MexECO: A Natural Destination for Green-Minded Travelers
Jan 20 '02
The Bottom Line Are you a GREEN traveler? Do you like jungles, rivers, forests, mountains, and wildlife? Maybe Mexico is where you want to travel...
I was browsing through the library a few days ago, looking at some travel books, when I came across one called Costa Rica: A Natural Destination. Because I’d recently visited Costa Rica, I picked up the book and flipped through it to see what kinds of recommendation the authors were making to ecologically minded travelers. As I scanned through some of the topics, it occurred to me that most (if not all) the different kinds of ecosystems for which Costa Rica was justly famous could also be found in Mexico - but I don’t think anyone has ever written a book about Mexico as “a natural destination”.
I wonder why it is that I often hear people talk about eco-tourism in Costa Rica, but seldom in Mexico. Maybe its because Costa Rica is a compact country where the diverse ecosystems can be found close to each other, making the country very easy to experience in a short time, whereas Mexico is a large country and some of the more fascinating natural attractions are difficult to reach. Whatever the reason, there are certainly fascinating natural attractions in every corner of Mexico, from the coasts of Baja down to the jungle-clad beaches of the Caribbean coast.
If you’re thinking of a trip south of the border and you also want to see nature at its most spectacular, then here are a few of the natural destinations in Mexico that I think might be right up your alley.
Marine Life of Baja
The warm winter waters of the Sea of Cortez are a natural draw for marine mammals and the entire gulf is an important breeding ground for numerous species, although most people are probably most aware of its importance as a habitat for the California Grey Whale. These whales migrate seasonally along the Pacific Coast of the United States, heading south each winter where they breed in the warm Mexican waters before turning back north in mid to late spring.
The Sea of Cortez is also a breeding ground for many other species of whales and dolphins, and it serves as year-round home to hundreds of species of aquatic birds, many of whom nest on the rocky islands that dot the gulf. Most of these islands are now recognized as national wildlife refuges.
The sparsely populated region and the hot dry climate are not particularly hospitable for casual travel, and so much of Baja is undeveloped (except for Los Cabos). If you want a bigger sample of eco-tourism Baja style, take a look at some of the web pages that are out there. You could start with www.bajaecotours.com.
Rainforests of Chiapas
If it weren’t for masked rebels and their charismatic leader, Subcomandante Marcos, Chiapas would probably be the least familiar state in the Republic, at least in the minds of most tourists. Even though Chiapas has amazing natural attractions and some of the most significant archaelogical sites in the country, there’s no resort areas that draw large number of tourists.
That can work to your advantage if you are the adventurous sort of traveler who prefers being off the beaten path - paths are definitely unbeaten in Chiapas! That’s too bad in some ways, because Chiapas is one of the few areas of Mexico where you find highland rainforests like those in Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica.
If you want to see the jungles in relative comfort, try a boat trip through the Sumidero Canyon. The canyon is known for its sheer walls and its 26-mile path through some of the densest jungle in the state. You might also consider a visit to the Huitepec Cloud Forest near San Cristobal.
There aren't a lot of tour operators in Chiapas, but you could check out www.sanborns.com/chiapas.htm for at least one idea of a plan for visiting the state.
Highlands of the Sierra Madres
People are sometimes surprised to find out that, yes, it does snow in Mexico. At least it does on the republic’s highest peaks (mostly near Mexico City). The Sierra Madre mountains run through the length of Mexico offering thousands of opportunities for rock climbers, backcountry hikers, horse riders, and mountain bikers. Near Veracruz, wild rivers like Rio Filo-Bobos race towards the sea from their headwaters high in the mountains to the west, offerring whitewater rafting enthusiasts the chance to run every class of water from placid slow moving waters to high waterfalls that drop hundreds of feet.
One of my favorite ways to spend a green weekend is to hike the woodland trails of some of Mexico’s mountainous national parks. I’m often in the northern city of Monterrey, and that city is surrounded by an sprawling national park called Parque Nacional Cumbres de Monterrey, which includes the peaks of Cerro de la Silla, Chipinque, and the spectacular Huasteca Canyon. Backcountry hiking and biking trails can lead you more than 50 kilometers out of the city.
Various types of mountain adventure tours (including mountain biking trips, whitewater raft trips, or rock climbing trips) can be arranged through Ecco Sports. Their web site (www.eccosports.com.mx) never seems to work, so I’d try email: info@eccosports.com.mx.
Depths of the Copper Canyon
If you’re familiar with the Grand Canyon, imagine seeing a canyon system that’s 50% deeper and 7 times longer. Got the picture in your mind? If so, then you can imagine the Copper Canyon, one of the most spectacular natural wonders of the Sierra Madre range.
The Copper Canyon is a rugged back-country destination where trips down into the canyon depths may be done on horseback or maybe by jeep. It’s also home to what many rail fans call one of the world’s greatest train trips. The Chihuahua al Pacifico Railway runs more than 300 miles through the mountainous canyon region, offerring panoramic vistas and stops in back country towns that would be otherwise inaccessible.
Information about the canyon and tourist services is on the web at www.coppercanyon-mexico.com.
Undersea World of the Caribbean Coast
Mexico’s Caribbean resorts have long been a mecca for scuba divers. Towns all along the Pacific coast, and even a few on the Gulf of Mexico, have plenty of dive shops and have their own underwater attractions, but for sheer natural diversity and unique attractions, no Mexican destination touches the magnetism of the Caribbean coast (especially Cozumel).
I was reading an article about Cozumel not long ago, and the author claimed that fully half of all tourists to the island are either certified scuba divers or are there to get their scuba certificate. Half! Cozumel is one of Mexico’s most popular seaside resorts, and if the number of divers really is anywhere close to half the visitors, then that’s easily tens of thousands of people every week. No wonder the island seems to have more dive shops than souvenir shops!
The divers are there to explore the Palancar coral reef and to see first-hand the thousands of species of tropical fish that make their home there. Local outfitters can also take you to deeper sites, or to explore local shipwrecks. South of Cozumel is one of Mexico’s most spectacular dive sites, the enormous Chinchorro Reef.
Dive shops also abound in Cancun and Isla Mujeres, and one of the most fascinating natural dive destinations in that area is the famous Cave of the Sleeping Sharks. Supposedly, a shark must move continuously throughout his life or he would suffocate. Jacques Cousteau showed the world a place off the shores of Isla Mujeres where sharks could settle down and lie dormant as naturally occurring continuous streams of water moved across the sharks’ gills. Frankly, memories of old Jaws movies will keep me miles away from any places like this, but if you have no fear and want to see one of the natural world’s most unique underwater sites, then talk to any of the dive outfitters on Isla Mujeres - there’s dozens of ‘em!
There are a lot of web sites for dive shops in Cozumel and Cancun, including www.cozumel-diving.net. You might want to also check for epinion reviews from diving enthusiasts like diverpam for more recommendations.
Butterfly Clouds in Michoacan
While retirees from Minnesota and Wisconsin are busy loading up the Winnebagos each fall for their annual migration to Texas or Arizona, millions of monarch butterflies in the region are getting ready for their own trips to warmer climates. All the butterflies from throughout southern Canada and the northern United States concentrate in a small area of the mountainous state of Michoacan.
At just about this time of year, through about mid-March, you can see clouds of black and orange as the butterflies cover the hills and trees. The winter home of the butterflies is near the town of Zitacuaro Michoacan, and if you venture there over the next few weeks, you can hike through the sanctuary or hire a local guide to show you where the butterflies roost.
Here are a couple links to more info on the butterflies:
* butterflywebsite.com/michmon/
* www.incomich.net/lapolvilla/monarch.htm
Underground World of the Yucatan
Hundreds of caves can be found throughout the mountainous regions of Mexico, but one of the most fascinating places for the underground enthusiast is the huge system of underground waterways and caverns that criss-cross under the Yucatan Peninsula. Geographers have marveled at the lack of natural rivers in the region - there’s really only one major surface river, the Rio Hondo. But what the Yucatan lacks in surface rivers, it makes up in spades in underground rivers.
The most accessible underground water formations are the cavernous underground pools called cenotes. Cenotes were used by the ancient Maya as a source of water for their inland cities, and tourists can easily visit these unusual pools. When I visited Chichen-Itza a couple years back, I stopped at a cenote called Dzitnup, located very near Chichen-Itza and the nearby city of Vallodolid. At Dzitnup, you descend down a narrow stairway and path into the bowels of the earth. The path opens up into an enormous vaulted cavern where a stone shelf surrounded the greenish-blue waters of the underground lake. We swam in the cool greenish-blue waters and then spent a little while just looking in awe at the amazing place that nature created.
There are hundreds (if not thousands) of these cenotes in the Yucatan, and some lead into underground river systems that run a hundred miles or more. One of these rivers was once believed to be the longest underground river in the world, but nobody could prove it. A few years ago a team of explorers donned scuba gear and set out to map the river. They were unable to explore the entire river, but what they have mapped puts it at about the third-longest underground river in the world.
Scuba enthusiasts have, over the past decade or so, wanted to explore for themselves some of these underground waterways. Diving in underground rivers is a dangerous proposition, but nonetheless, several Yucatan dive shops have put together itineraries for recreational divers to get a taste of the underground world. The current issue (Jan/Feb 2002) of “National Geographic Traveler” has an article about these underground waterways, along with some recommendations for dive operators who will take you into the cavern systems. They seem to especially recommend Aquatech Dive Center, on the web at www.cenotes.com. A web site with some basic info on the underground waterways of the Yucatan is www.mayan-world.com/cavern.htm
Wetlands of Quintana Roo
Besides the underwater world that I discussed earlier, the Caribbean coast also provides jungle habitat and beach breeding grounds for hundreds of different species. There are small islands just offshore that serve as breeding grounds for rare species of birds, there are beaches where green sea turtles lay their eggs, and there are numerous jungle swamps that serve as home to everything from the colorful quetzal to the fierce jaguar to the fearsome crocodile.
Some of these habitats are now protected national parks and wildlife refuges and are off limits to casual visitors (if you could into the backcountry anyway). Others are accessible and offer unique vistas into the natural world.
I wrote about a few of these places in various epinion reviews, but one of the easiest and most fun places to see for most U.S. tourists is Isla Contoy, off the shores of Cancun or Isla Mujeres. From Cancun, you can take a small boat out to the island for an easy day trip. The island is a nesting ground for many kinds of aquatic birds, from pelicans to high-flying frigate birds.
One of Mexico’s largest national wildlife refuges is the Sian Kaan reserve, located near the Tulum ruins. The reserve comprises more than 1 million acres of virgin jungle, mangrove swamp, and coastal wetland. The remote beaches of this preserve also serve as an important habitat where several species of sea turtle come to lay their eggs. Most of the reserve is off limits, but there are day trips from some coastal resorts and you drive through it to get to the more rustic beaches of Punta Allen.
Think Green…
Although I doubt that Mexico will ever be considered as big an eco-tourism destination as nearby countries like Belize or Costa Rica, there are an amazing number of spectacular natural attractions and a huge variety of ecosystems that provide habitat to thousands of species. The natural-minded traveler can easily find plenty of fascinating places and things to see in Mexico. I hope I’ve given you a few ideas for green travel that you might not have otherwise thought about.
Happy nature watching!
Related Reviews:
Whale Watching in Baja
http://www.epinions.com/trvl-review-787E-41DBF4A-38D5677D-prod5
Copper Canyon
http://www.epinions.com/trvl-review-7410-327ACA5-38B35E75-prod1
Isla Contoy
http://www.epinions.com/trvl-review-59CE-467D1ED-389C84A1-prod2
Archaelogical Sites in Mexico
http://www.epinions.com/trvl-review-3B8D-25CACC0-38E2150D-prod6
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