Lagunas de Montebello, or Montebello Lakes, ( es, Parque Nacional Lagunas de Montebello) is a
national park
A national park is a nature park, natural park in use for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state dec ...
in the
Mexican state
The states of Mexico are first-level administrative territorial entities of the country of Mexico, which is officially named Mexico, United Mexican States. There are 32 federal entities in Mexico (31 states and the capital, Mexico City, as a sepa ...
of
Chiapas
Chiapas (; Tzotzil language, Tzotzil and Tzeltal language, Tzeltal: ''Chyapas'' ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Chiapas ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas), is one of the states that make up the Political divisions of Mexico, ...
, near the border with
Guatemala
Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...
, comprising 59 multi-colored lakes in a
pine forest and two
Maya ruins. It was the first national park in Chiapas when created in 1959, and in 2009 the park was designated a
Biosphere Reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or o ...
by
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
.
Location
The Lagunas de Montebello National Park is in the municipalities of
La Trinitaria and
La Independencia
Jorge Antonio Cafrune (Perico Del Carmen, Jujuy Province, Jujuy, August 8, 1937 – Buenos Aires, February 1, 1978) was one of the most popular Argentina, Argentine Folklore, folklorist singers of his time, as well as an unflagging researcher, ...
in southeastern
Chiapas
Chiapas (; Tzotzil language, Tzotzil and Tzeltal language, Tzeltal: ''Chyapas'' ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Chiapas ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas), is one of the states that make up the Political divisions of Mexico, ...
state, close to
Guatemala
Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...
. The nearest city is
, an hour's drive to the west; the popular tourist city of
San Cristóbal de las Casas
San Cristóbal de las Casas (), also known by its native Tzotzil name, Jovel (), is a town and municipality located in the Central Highlands region of the Mexican state of Chiapas. It was the capital of the state until 1892, and is still consid ...
is a further two more hours to the west.
Geography
The Lagunas de Montebello National Park covers an area of , of which are considered the "core area". It is located on the high plains of Chiapas, with an altitude between above sea level.
Montebello Lakes
The main attractions of the national park are its 59 lakes, collectively called the Montebello Lakes. The lakes are famous for their striking colors, which vary due to their different mineral contents, ranging from emerald and turquoise to dark green, and even purple and reddish black. About 15 of the lakes are easily accessible by car or foot.
Lago Tziscao is the largest of the lakes with a village nearby. Other lakes include Montebello, La Cañada, Pojoj, and a group of five lakes known as the Lagunas de Colores (Lakes of Colors: Encantada, Ensueño, Esmeralda, Agua Tinta, and Bosque Azul). Many of the lakes are open for swimming, canoeing, and kayaking. There are also
cenotes
A cenote ( or ; ) is a natural pit, or sinkhole, resulting from the collapse of limestone bedrock that exposes groundwater. The regional term is specifically associated with the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico, where cenotes were commonly used ...
and a group of limestone caves called Grutas San Rafael del Arco in the park that can be visited on foot or horseback. Scientists have recently expressed concern that the lakes are losing their colours and becoming muddy and lifeless. This is due to untreated wastewater and agricultural runoff entering the lakes (via the Grande River which flows directly into the lakes) and deforestation of parts of the lake basins.
Metzabok Lake, which normally covers 220 acres (89 hectares), dried up completely in August
2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
due to drought. Another six lagoons outside the park have also dried up.
Maya ruins
Also within the park boundary are the medium-sized
Maya
Maya may refer to:
Civilizations
* Maya peoples, of southern Mexico and northern Central America
** Maya civilization, the historical civilization of the Maya peoples
** Maya language, the languages of the Maya peoples
* Maya (Ethiopia), a populat ...
ruins of
Chinkultic
Chinkultic, sometimes ''Chincultic'', is a moderate-size archeological ruin in the state of Chiapas, Mexico. It is part of the Lagunas de Montebello National Park.
This pre-Columbian city belongs to the ancient Maya civilization. The city flou ...
, a
pre-Columbian
In the history of the Americas, the pre-Columbian era spans from the original settlement of North and South America in the Upper Paleolithic period through European colonization, which began with Christopher Columbus's voyage of 1492. Usually, th ...
city that dates back to the third century and was abandoned in the 13th century. The site is not thoroughly excavated and many of the buildings are still hidden under vegetation. A beautiful view can be seen of many of the national park's multi-colored lakes from the top of the Acropolis, the main pyramid. There are nearly 200 buildings including several pyramids and a unique asymmetrical ball court, whose hieroglyphic inscriptions indicate it was dedicated in May 591. Carved stelae depicting Chinkultic's rulers are scattered among the ruins.
Gallery
Image: Estructura 1 Chinkultic.JPEG, Acropolis of Chinkultic
Image: Montebello 01.jpg, Laguna Ensueño
Image: Montebello 02.jpg, Lago Peña Blanca
Image: Border Guatemala-Mexico 1.jpg, Border between Guatemala (left) and Mexico (right)
Image: Lagos de Montebello, Chiapas - panoramio.jpg, Mexican liquidambar at a lakeshore
Image: Chinkultic Panorama2.jpg, Panorama from Chinkultic
See also
*
List of national parks of Mexico
Mexico recognizes 67 federally protected natural areas as national parks ( es, Parques Nacionales), which are administered by the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas (CONANP), a branch of the federal Secretariat of the Environment and ...
References
External links
*
{{authority control
National parks of Mexico
Protected areas of Chiapas
Ramsar sites in Mexico
Important Bird Areas of Mexico
Central American pine–oak forests
Chiapas Highlands
Chiapas montane forests