The Canyon Sumidero
Travel Location: San-Cristobal-Las-Casas,Mexico
the twelve million year old Sumidero Canyon. The 3,000 foot high, 20 mile long canyon, now part of a national park, is truly spectacular. During a two hour boat ride we visited Vulture Island, so called because of the large number of black carrion birds hanging out or hovering overhead. En route, we observed cormorants, pelicans, herons and egrets – and even more exciting, several small crocodiles, thanks to our boat guide, who seemed to instinctively know where they would be sunning themselves. Sightings of the human kind were also interesting, as the local fishermen threw their fanned nets into the water or waved as we speeded by. Women washed their family’s clothes by the water’s edge, while men washed themselves. Pointing to the canyon’s highest point, our guide recounted the story of how 100 Chipanecans in the 16th century threw themselves from there rather than surrender to the conquering Spaniard Luis Martin. It gave me an eerie feeling to look up and think about that. We also saw the Cave of Silence, which, as its name implies, has no echo, and the Madonna de Guadaloupe shrine, built high in the cliff wall. A procession of boats goes there every December 12 to pay homage.
At times, the canyon’s walls seemed to surround us, and the long shadows that formed by mid-afternoon made the location a cool, ideal location to escape the day’s heat. The high cliffs gave way to coconut and palm trees and small islands as we emerged from the natural wonder.
