On Monday, November 20, we went to explore the Sumidero Canyon, which is located just North of Tuxtla Gutiérrez and was about a 20-minute ride from our accommodation. The creation of the canyon began around the same time as the Grand Canyon by a crack in the area’s crust and subsequent erosion by the Grijalva River that still runs through it today. The canyon has vertical walls that reach as high as 1,000 meters and serves as a home to numerous species of wildlife.
We started off with a boat ride along the river that cost 450 pesos (~31 CAD) for the two of us and lasted 2 hours. The cost of the boat ride included a paper wristband that also granted access to the national park. A few minutes into the ride, the boat was slowed down near a tower and we were asked to show our wristbands to the guards on the tower. I’m not exactly sure what this was about as you cannot get on a boat without the wristband. And what if it fell off before the boat got to the tower? Do you get thrown into the water? Do you get fed to the crocodiles? Do you become a monkey’s piñata?
We thought the boat ride would be a cruise at a leisurely pace; however, it turned to be a speedy ride with stops only at places where our guide wanted to show us something and provide information on what we were seeing. This was a good thing since the canyon is big and a leisurely ride would have caused us to spend the whole day there.
Ready for a Boat Ride!
The Sumidero Canyon from the Grijalva River
A crocodile hiding in plain sight… maybe scoping out lunch options on the tour boat
A sunbathing crocodile
A spider monkey showing off
So many birds… it’s almost like the Hitchcock movie 😐
Christmas Tree Waterfall
That brown area at base of the cliff is full of garbage… this is where humans fail as a species
The Sumidero Canyon from the Mountains
After the boat ride, we went to a nearby mall for a quick lunch, and then returned to view the canyon from a higher viewpoint. There are six viewpoints or miradores from which you can see the canyon and river. Since it was late afternoon by the time we got there, most of the canyon was covered in shadows so we left after visiting the three major ones. The views were still stunning so we did enjoy the viewpoints we visited.
We encountered more creatures on our way to and from the viewpoints. There was a snake hanging out on the road on our way to the top, but it didn’t hop on the bike to tag along so all was good. On the way back; however, a rogue bee attacked my knee. Here I was, minding my own business, sitting on the back of the bike, and I get ambushed by a miniature terrorist. Luckily, I didn’t have an allergic reaction so the swelling from the bite was gone in under an hour. You should pick on someone your own size, bee! 😛
