Coatlán del Río is a town in the Mexican state of

Morelos Morelos, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Morelos, is a landlocked state located in south-central Mexico. It is one of the 32 states which comprise the Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into Mun ...

. It stands at , at a mean height of 1,010 metres above sea level. ''Coatlán'' is a name of

Nahuatl Nahuatl ( ; ), Aztec, or Mexicano is a language or, by some definitions, a group of languages of the Uto-Aztecan language family. Varieties of Nahuatl are spoken by about Nahuas, most of whom live mainly in Central Mexico and have smaller popul ...

origin, meaning "place of abundant snakes". The city serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding municipality of the same name. The municipality reported 9,768 inhabitants in the 2015 census and 10,520 in 2020. The town of Coatlán del Río had a population of 1,907 the same year.

History

The origin of Coatlán del Río dates from the pre-Hispanic era. This town was founded by

Toltec The Toltec culture () was a Pre-Columbian era, pre-Columbian Mesoamerican culture that ruled a state centered in Tula (Mesoamerican site), Tula, Hidalgo (state), Hidalgo, Mexico, during the Epiclassic and the early Post-Classic period of Mesoam ...

s in the year 1509, who were on a pilgrimage from Malinalco, State of Mexico. At first, they settled what is historically known as ''Coatlán Viejo'' (Old Coatlan), where there are stone ruins of the walls of buildings. Coatlán Viejo is located 5 kilometers south of the municipal seat, on the hill known as ''Las Paredes'' (the Walls). Later, they moved to the hill of ''Axoyochi'', located 3 km to the east, where archaeological remains of carved stones, known as Momoxtles (mound of earth), were found. It is believed there is a pyramid that has not been discovered. Other ruins of a town have been found in ''San Rafael'', on the banks of the Chalma River. The stone called ''Escudo'' (now in the Palace of Cortés, Cuernavaca a.k.a. ''Museo Regional Cuauhnahuac'') is a series of hieroglyphic and pictographic figures represent the history of the area. There is a similar stone on the civic plaza of Coatlán del Río. Other groups, such as the Aztecs and the Tlahuica, may have settled in this area. This town belonged to the religious and political center of

Xochicalco Xochicalco () is a pre-Columbian archaeological site in Miacatlán in the western part of the Mexican state of Morelos. The name ''Xochicalco'' may be translated from Nahuatl as "in the house of Flowers". The site is located 38 km southwest ...

, to then become part of the lordship of ''Cuauhnahuac'' (Cuernavaca), a tributary city of the

Aztecs The Aztecs ( ) were a Mesoamerican civilization that flourished in central Mexico in the post-classic period from 1300 to 1521. The Aztec people included different ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the ...

. In the Colonial Era (1521-1812), Coatlán del Río was given in ''encomienda'' (entrusted to) a

conquistador Conquistadors (, ) or conquistadores (; ; ) were Spanish Empire, Spanish and Portuguese Empire, Portuguese colonizers who explored, traded with and colonized parts of the Americas, Africa, Oceania and Asia during the Age of Discovery. Sailing ...

named Juan Zermeño. In 1782, Zermeño's family filed a lawsuit against the

Marquessate of the Valley of Oaxaca The Marquessate of the Valley of Oaxaca () is a hereditary marquessal title in the Spanish nobility and a former seignorial estate in New Spain. It was granted to Don Hernán Cortés, ''conquistador'' who led the conquest of the Aztec Empire, by ...

over control of the town church, ''San Gaspar'', which had been built in the 16th century. The current church of Coatlán del Río was founded in 1808, and the bells were added in 1809. There is also a church called ''Santos Reyes'' or ''Epifania del Señor'', and the chapel of ''Dolores'', also called ''el Calvario''. Coatlán del Río was declared a municipality on May 22, 1862. The old municipal presidency was located to the south of the civic square, where the elementary school ''Prof. Miguel Salinas'' is today. In 1939, city hall has been at the former home of General ''Pedro Saavedra Brito'' (d. 1935). The current city hall was built in 1957 by Colonel ''Ezequiel Cruz Ortiz'' (1890-1970). Carlos Nieto Estrada, an independent candidate, was elected Presidente Municipal (mayor) in the July 1, 2018 election. The state of Morelos reported 209 cases and 28 deaths due to the

COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico The COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico is part of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, worldwide pandemic of COVID-19, coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by SARS-CoV-2, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). The virus was confirmed to hav ...

, as of April 27, 2020, two cases were reported in Coatlán del Río. Schools and many businesses were closed from mid March until June 1. On June 2, Coatlán del Río reported five confirmed cases and one death from the virus; the reopening of the state was pushed back until at least June 13. Coatlán del Río reported 17 cases, 12 recuperations, and six deaths as of August 31. Twenty-five cases were reported on December 27,2020.

Water Resources

Federal government page in Spanish (Dec 19, 2018)
The municipality has important hydrological resources, which greatly benefit the regional economy and influence the climate, microclimates, and vegetation. The most important river is the Chalma River, which source is in Chalma, State of Mexico. It crosses the municipality through Colonia Morelos, Cocoyotla; and Coatlán del Río. There are three dams: ''La Toma'' in Cocoyotla, and ''Apantle Chico'' and ''Cazahuatlánfrom'' in San Rafael. The ''Apantle Grande'' is derived from the Coatlán Dam; there is also another small dam in Cocoyotla, which is the source of the ''Agua Salada''. There are other low-flow streams such as the ''Cuates'', the ''Cocoyotla'', and the ''Axixintle'' that carry water throughout the year, and the ''Joyas'', the ''Arenal'' and the ''Milpillas'', which carry water only during the rainy season (May-November). There are also eight springs and seven wells.

Tourist Attractions

*Parish of the ''Santos Reyes'' *Chapel of ''Calvario'' *Chapel of ''Cerrito'' (the Little Hill) in Coatlán del Río *Chapel of ''San Andrés'' in Colonia Morelos *Exhacienda and chapel of ''Santa Rosa'' in Cocoyotla *Exhacienda Coatlán *Ruins of ''Coatlán Viejo'' (Old Coatlan), the site of a

settlement, founded in 1509 CE, located 5 km from the center of town *Palacio Municipal *Los Arcos Campo la Chia *''Piedra Coatlán'', a stone with a series of figures that describe historical events according to the hieroglyphic and pictographic symbols that it presents. It is in the civic plaza of Coatlán del Río.

Fiestas, dances, and Traditions

*January 1-6 —

Epiphany season The Epiphany season, also known as Epiphanytide or the time of Sundays after Epiphany, is a liturgical period, celebrated by many Christian denomination, Christian Churches, which immediately follows the Christmastide, Christmas season. It begi ...

, fair and ''jaripeos'' (a type of rodeo), fireworks and a brass band; Coatlán del RíoFestivals (in Spanish) Dec 19, 2018
*March 19-25 — Feast of

Saint Joseph According to the canonical Gospels, Joseph (; ) was a 1st-century Jewish man of Nazareth who was married to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and was the legal father of Jesus. Joseph is venerated as Saint Joseph in the Catholic Church, Eastern O ...

, jaripeos; Michapa *April 25 — ''Feria del Mango''; Coatlán del Río *May 15-20 — Feast of Saint

Isidore the Laborer Isidore the Laborer, born Isidro de Merlo y Quintana, also known as Isidore the Farmer () ( – 15 May 1130), was a Mozarab farmworker who lived in medieval Madrid. Known for his piety toward the poor and animals, he is venerated as a Catholic pa ...

, jaripeos; Chavarría *June 24 — Feast of Saint

John the Baptist John the Baptist ( – ) was a Jewish preacher active in the area of the Jordan River in the early first century AD. He is also known as Saint John the Forerunner in Eastern Orthodoxy and Oriental Orthodoxy, John the Immerser in some Baptist ...

jaripeos; Cocoyotla *September 15-20 —

Independence Day An independence day is an annual event memorialization, commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or Sovereign state, statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or after the end of a milit ...

, fair and jaripeos; fireworks and a brass band; Coatlán del Río *September 30–October 5 — Birthday of

José María Morelos José María Teclo Morelos Pérez y Pavón () (30 September 1765 – 22 December 1815) was a Mexican Priesthood in the Catholic Church, Catholic priest, statesman and military leader who led the Mexican War of Independence movement, assuming it ...

(b. 1765), parade; jaripeos; Cocoyotla *November 11-15 — Feast of Saint Martin de Porres, jaripeo, Chinelo dancers, ''Mojiganga'' (a traditional theatrical production), and a parade; Col. Benito Juárez *November 20-25 —

Mexican Revolution The Mexican Revolution () was an extended sequence of armed regional conflicts in Mexico from 20 November 1910 to 1 December 1920. It has been called "the defining event of modern Mexican history". It saw the destruction of the Federal Army, its ...

, parade with a brass band and floats, jaripeos; Tilancingo *December 8 — Feast of the Virgin of the

Immaculate Conception The Immaculate Conception is the doctrine that the Virgin Mary was free of original sin from the moment of her conception. It is one of the four Mariology, Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Debated by medieval theologians, it was not def ...

, Mojiganga, brass band, Chinelos, ''jaripeo''; Buenavista de Aldama and Colonia Benito Juárez *December 12-18 — Feast of

Our Lady of Guadalupe Our Lady of Guadalupe (), also known as the Virgin of Guadalupe (), is a Catholic title of the Blessed Virgin Mary associated with four Marian apparitions to Juan Diego and one to his uncle, Juan Bernardino reported in December 1531, when t ...

, parade, jaripeos; Apancingo *December 24-31 — Christmas, jaripeos; Chavarría *December 31 — New Year's Eve parade; Coatlán del Río

Communities

There are several small towns and villages in the municipality. The principal economic activities are farming, ranching, dairy, and cultivation of fruit and flowers. *Coatlán del Río is the municipal seat. It has 1,907 inhabitants and is located 65 km from Cuernavaca, at an altitude of 1,010 m / 3,314 ft. *Cocoyotla has 1,333 residents and is located 3.5 km from Coatlán del Río at an altitude of 1,060 m / 3,478 ft. *Tilancingo has 1,280 residents and is located 2 km from Coatlán del Río at an altitude of 1,020 m / 3346 ft. *''Michapa'' has 1,127 residents and is located 12 km from Coatlán del Río at an altitude of 1,190 m / 3,904 ft.Michapa
accessed Jan 1, 2019 *Chavarría has 990 residents and is located 8.5 km from Coatlán del Río at an altitude of 1,124 m / 3688 ft. *CEFERESO Número 16 CPS Femenil Morelos (Women′s

penitentiary A prison, also known as a jail, gaol, penitentiary, detention center, correction center, correctional facility, or remand center, is a facility where people are Imprisonment, imprisoned under the authority of the State (polity), state, usually ...

), population 833 Other communities have fewer than 1,000 residents.

References

External links

*https://web.archive.org/web/20040607043735/http://e-municipios.e-morelos.gob.mx/Coatlan_del_Rio.htm *https://web.archive.org/web/20050124110809/http://www.e-morelos.gob.mx/e-gobierno/DirMunicipios/Coatlan_del_Rio.htm Municipalities of Morelos Populated places in Morelos Populated places established in 1509 {{Coord, 18.744, N, 99.435, W, display=title