Exploring Southern Veracruz State (part 4) - Veracruz-smile.com

Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve
Declared a Protected Area in 1979, this
mountainous region is one of Mexico’s most biodiverse
ecological treasures. The Reserve is centered
on the San Martín Volcano, with mountainous
terrain between 3300 and 5,600 feet altitude.
The centerpiece (literally) in the San Martin
Volcano, the highest peak in the region. There
are three craters, countless streams, and ideal
(humid) conditions for a proliferation of plant and
animal species.
For guide services to explore this region, look
into the directory at www.mexicosagaz.com.
The smiling stat
CATEMACO continues
Exploring North: Lake Catemaco
Hollywood producers. Several major films have
been shot here including Medicine Man (starring
Sean Connery) and more recently Mel Gibson’s
Apocalypto. Consider staying at, or stopping by the
charming, 1950’s style La Finca Resort & Spa. The
junior suites are named after famous actors.
The town of Catemaco (population: 30,000) is
located on the lake’s western shore. The tree-shaded
city slopes gently toward the lake. Two blocks up
from the waterfront is an attractive Plaza (zócalo),
with its delightful Iglesia del Carmen and municipal
palace. This colorful church has an ornately
painted interior, while blue and silver accents highlight
the golden stucco exterior. Note: In front of the
palace, notice the ancient stone carved blocks that
almost litter the sidewalk . It’s as if they had so many
they didn’t know where to put them!
Two blocks down from the zócalo is the malecón or
boardwalk -- alive with restaurants, merchant stalls
and hawkers enticing visitors onto boat tours. A
two-hour shoreline/island tour costs around $6 US
per person and is among the state’s highlights. For
lake swimming, there are sandy beaches just a short
walk north from downtown.
Catemaco has a number of nurseries growing a wide
variety of ornamental plants, fruit trees and medici-
nal herbs. It is said that one thousand types of bromeliad
grow along the shores of Catemaco. Floating
water lilies dot the lake’s surface and several inlets
are carpeted by flowering aquatic plants.
Hotels in Catemaco include the 3-star Del Brujo (in
town) and the lakeside 4-star La Finca (www.lafinca.
com.mx) and 4-star Playa Azul (www.hotelplayaazul.com.mx).
Note: La Finca is the most complete
and comfortable with a spa, lakeside pool, swimming
beach and a good restaurant. Mel Gibson lived here for
some four months while filming Apocalypto in 2005.
Lake Tours
To experience the lake from the water, there are dozens
of boats to rent (literally on-demand) from different
points around the lake. The per-person cost is
usually around $6 US or $45US if you want a private
tour. A typical trip goes something like this…
Your panga will cruise from the waterfront of
Catemaco City to the north shore, a zone rich in mineral
springs. The most famous are those of Coyame,
which provide mineral water for beverages with
reputed medicinal benefits. Along the shore you’ll
also see sandy beaches, birds of all sizes and colors
(some nesting in the small islets), and enormous
floating patches of water lilies.
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