THROUGH VALLEYS AND HACIENDAS
Cheers, oh beloved town
where in past better times
my joyful life sledded !
cheers oh land of flower garden
whose memories have the honey
of the reddish flower of sospo!
Rodolfo Figueroa, late XIX century.
LAND AND WOOD MEMORY
An almost cinema view displays at the bottom of Cerro de Juarez, after a curve on
Tuxtla - Cintalapa highway: the valley San Pedro and Santo
Domingo or of Cintalapa and Jiquipilas.
The effect is greater ay sunset when the sun outlines the bizarre shapes that the wind and the water
have marked on the relieves, located in the middle of the wide plain.
The sensation those not decrease getting closer, and the deceivingly tame rivers, the sabinales trees,
the expanded cultivated fields, and the traces of old farms powerfully contribute to
recreate it.
The valley was an autarchy world, that served as entrance to the travelers coming from Mexico to
Chiapas province, during the colony; a world dominated by farmers, owners of lands and slaves. Today
it is one of the most prosperous Chiapas region and one the several zones forming Chiapas central
depression, a place of places incarcerated among high mountains, and ran by sierra, abyss and big
valleys.
This road by Chiapas west ancient Zoques lands, discover Tuxtla Gutierrez
modernity and traces of life in the farms, so important in the colonial period and XIX century, as wel
as scenario of old sacred geography of mysterious meaning, as the glaring landscape and almost unknown
canyon of Rio la Venta. This is a road of surprises for the traveler looking for
experiences of nature and memory.
CHIAPAS CENTRAL VALLEYS
ALTERNATIVE TOURISM
Other ways of traveling through Chiapas are offered by the central valleys routes. Adventure and sport
tourism is one of them, another one is rural, another one visit to places combining natural view with
ancient civilization meaning.
Adventure tourism has two destinations: Sumidero and La Venta canyons. In the first
one rappel, walking, kayak, swimming, and fishing can be practiced.
The second one is ideal for rappel, speleology, rafting. But there is more, for example the caves
of Sumidero's National Park or Guaymas, or the choice of flora and fauna observation
in the reserve; the jungle shows all its splendor in El Ocote or in Parque Laguna
Belgica, while La Sepultura has pine trees forests and low jungles.
Plural tourism as a main attraction the visit to old Haciendas or farms, important in
colony Chiapas history and XIX century; they are also an important part of the states legacy. The
Cintalapa and Jiquipilas valley is especial rich in big houses with wide corridors, high chimneys recoleto
chapels. Although many farms are particular property, Chiapas hospitality will allow the tourist to get
close to an important chapter of Chiapas development history.
This farms produced corn beans, peanuts, añil, cochinilla,
henequen, wood and cattle during flourishing times. The central valleys were siege of two
great cultures, the Zoque and the Chiapaneca in the prehispanish period, both gave the environment a special
meaning connecting the landscape with the Gods of heaven, water, wind and air.
The trip to Chiapas gets a new sense when the sacred geography is passed through. The Cerro de la
Chumpa in Jiquipilas, Cerro Mactumactza -Tuxtla Gutierrez watcher- and de la
Venta Canyon and Sumidero are Sacred shelters full of legend and devotion.
