Lagunillas () is a

rural In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry are typically desc ...

town in the

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

San Martín de Hidalgo San Martín de Hidalgo, formerly San Martín de la Cal, is the largest town and municipal seat of San Martín de Hidalgo Municipality, in Jalisco in central-western Mexico. As of 2015, the town had a population of 7,819. It is located 16 km (10 mi ...

in the

Mexican state A Mexican State (), officially the Free and Sovereign State (), is a constituent federative entity of Mexico according to the Constitution of Mexico. Currently there are 31 states, each with its own constitution, government, state governor, a ...

Jalisco Jalisco, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in western Mexico and is bordered by s ...

. The town is enclaved in the local and statewide touristic area

Sierra de Quila Sierra de Quila, officially the Sierra de Quila Flora and Fauna Protection Area, is a Mexican Flora and Fauna Protection Area in the state of Jalisco, Mexico. It has an area of 15,193 hectares, and is located within six municipalities: San Martín ...

, one of Jalisco's largest protected forests. Lagunillas is known region-wide as an enchanting place with red-colored dirt roads and

adobe Adobe (from arabic: الطوب Attub ; ) is a building material made from earth and organic materials. is Spanish for mudbrick. In some English-speaking regions of Spanish heritage, such as the Southwestern United States, the term is use ...

houses with wooden accents contrasting a solid dark green forest and the silhouette of the

Cerro El Huehuentón The Cerro El Huehuentón ( "little old man") is the highest peak of the Sierra de Quila; it stands at 8,298 ft above sea level. El Huehuentón is located at about a 30-minute drive from Lagunillas, the largest population enclaved in the for ...

Toponymics

''Lagunillas'' (lah-gun-nee-yahs) in

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

means "small lakes". The word is a combination of the noun ''laguna'', meaning "lake", and the suffix ''illa'' which means "small".

History

Lagunillas was probably founded by a group of settlers who, when searching for farmland, found small freshwater lakes. The town is atop a

mesa A mesa is an isolated, flat-topped elevation, ridge, or hill, bounded from all sides by steep escarpments and standing distinctly above a surrounding plain. Mesas consist of flat-lying soft sedimentary rocks, such as shales, capped by a ...

surrounded by forests of

oak An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...

and

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. ''World Flora Online'' accepts 134 species-rank taxa (119 species and 15 nothospecies) of pines as cu ...

trees. The town is still surrounded by the

, whose beauty symbolizes untouched nature. The population of Lagunillas has had a steady decline due to its rural location, it is currently 106 as of 2010.

Economy

During the

peach The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and Agriculture, cultivated in China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and the glossy-skinned, non-fuzzy varieties called necta ...

harvest in Lagunillas, many residents from adjacent towns come to pick peaches for no cost, due to the hospitality of Lagunillas' residents.

Maize Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago from wild teosinte. Native American ...

and

agave ''Agave'' (; ; ) is a genus of monocots native to the arid regions of the Americas. The genus is primarily known for its succulent and xerophytic species that typically form large Rosette (botany), rosettes of strong, fleshy leaves. Many plan ...

are farmed, but not in a significant quantity. Orchards of peaches and cherries are the town's agricultural symbol.

References

External links

Official Site
{{Municipality of San Martín de Hidalgo Populated places in Jalisco