  |
|
|
|
|
| |         
|
|
 INTRODUCTION
Travelling from one destination to another is even an experience as many roads wind their way around foreboding mountains, canyons and valleys. The Chiapas is rugged territory reminiscent of the Rocky Mountains in some locations and the Amazon Rainforest in others. In a single day you can travel from one biodiverse area to a completely different one. There are a number of natural wonders that are extremely popular. Almost every tour operator offers the same tours to the same places. All over Chiapas there are however, numerous beautiful places that are hidden in the jungles and only known by local people or other travelers in the know. These travelers are usually Indians from other cities or villages in Mexico who travel around. The tour operators generally refer to people willing to take you to a "sacred" place as pirates, as there are bandits who will rip you off. To go to any of the hidden places you first have to know about them, or at least know that there is something interesting in an area. Then you have to find somebody who knows exactly how to get to whatever it is you don't know about but sorta know its there. This can be anything from special caves to waterfalls or places where streams cross to monkey trees to jaguar dens. Once you have your guide you need transportation, usually a taxi or local bus. Be prepared to travel in almost anything if you venture off the main highway. Climbing through the jungle can be both a wonderful experience and an unpleasant one if you are either out of shape or possibly asthmatic. Depending on where you are it can be hot and climbing up a mountain in open terrain and after an hour or so you can get quite exhausted. In some situation small rivers must be crossed. Many parts of the jungle are so thick that you cannot move without hacking your way through so you rely on streams which acts as jungle roads. These streams are pleasantly refreshing, as they are usually cooler in temperature. Many streams run dry in the dry season but spring to life during and after the rainy season [May - August]. Many streams around Palenque lead to waterfalls which you can stand under and experience the energy of the water. Some of these streams run year round. There are waterfalls right at Palenque ruins as you exit which are great places to take a dip. In fact almost everywhere you go you can go for a swim. The rivers are fresh, clean and when its really hot they are extremely inviting. The best thing to do is to read through the various "destinations" that are commonly available to tourists. See where they are located and work them into your itinerary. We offer recommendations based on our travel experiences in and around Chiapas. |
Toucans inhabit rainforests and lowlands in Central America and the tropical South America. To the south their distribution range extends to Northern Argentina. They are at home in the treetops and live solitary or in small groups. The Toucans' legs and feet are quite strong and made for moving on and between the branches. With great skill they hop along the twigs. But on the other hand Toucans are not able to fly very well. Their body is too heavy and ungainly to allow long and elegant flights. It is assumed that there are 37 Toucan species, all of them with more or less oversized beaks. Scientifically the Toucan family is called Rhamphastidae. It's striking that the relation between the size of the Toucan's beak and the size of its body increases with the size of the species. Small Toucan species have rather "normal" beaks, whereas the beaks of large species like the Toco toucan (Ramphastos toco) are huge, even if the size of the body is taken into consideration. Paradoxically the colourful plummage and the even more colourful beak are a perfect camouflage in the treetops, since from a distance they make Toucans rather look like fruits than birds. |
|
| Archaeological Sites | Natural Beauties | Cities and Villages | |
  
|
| Traveling to the Yuctan Peninsula visit |
|
|
To talk about Chiapas is to talk about one of the most biological diverse regions in the world. The lush green fields, forests and jungles, the fresh air, the unique flora and fauna, rare species and much more, make up this beautiful state.