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MEXICO
-- The Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve is bounded by the state of
San Luis Potosí to the northeast, Río Moctezuma to
the southeast, Río Estorax to the southwest, and Río
Santa María and the state of Guanajuato to the northwest.
Jalpan, in the center of the reserve, is 175 kilometers
(107 miles) from Querétaro
City. But it takes three and a half hours to drive there (four
and half by bus) because you take 'the road of 700 curves.'
HOT SPOT
Economically, this is a very poor area of the state,
while environmentally, it is one of Mexico's biodiversity hot spots
because of the variety of its ecosystems, ranging from coniferous
forest to jungle to semi-desert. The Sierra Gorda is also a refuge
for several animal species in danger of extinction: jaguars, tigrillos,
jaguarundi and the military macaw.
Migratory species such as the monarch butterfly and
the peregrine falcon trace their paths through the Sierra. There
are also more than 500 archeological sites, many of which have yet
to be studied and documented.
In fact, the mountains offer cloud forests and canyons
sheltering more than 300 species of migratory and native birds,
including the euphonia, trogon (closely related to the quetzal),
woodcreeper, parrot, and peregrine falcon.
The region is rife with wells and subterranean rivers
that have burrowed through the soluble rocks of the Sierra over
millions of years. Within the reserve is the famous Sótano
de Barro (Mud Basement), a gigantic sinkhole 600 meters (1,970 feet)
wide and 450 meters (1,475 feet) deep, called by some the second-deepest
well in the world. At night a colony of military macaws roosts in
the sinkhole and emerge en mass at dawn the next morning. In order
to reach the well, you'll need to hike for two hours, climbing 900
meters (2,950 feet) through an oak forest. You can arrange to make
the trek with mules.
TIPS
Your best bet is to arrange to spend the night before
your morning hike in the cheerful town of Santa María de
los Cocos, 7 kilometers (4.5 miles) from the base of Sótano
de Barro.
The town is 30 kilometers (19 miles) from Jalpan.
If you are taking a bus from Mexico City, take a bus to Jalpan,
where you can get a combi to Santa María de los Cocos. The
lodging is just outside of town.
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