Travel Guide Catemaco - Los Tuxlas

The Los Tuxtlas area is a vast region in the south of the state of Veracruz, enclosed along a mountainous chain that runs along the coast, and has the particularity of being totally separated from the volcanic axis that crosses Mexico from one side to the other; its most famous volcano is that of San Martin (last eruption in 1793). The area was occupied by the Olmecs from the Middle Preclassic period (they extracted enormous blocks of basalt from here and transported them further north by river), and then came into contact with the civilization of Teotihuacan. When the Spaniards arrived, the region paid tribute to the Aztecs of Tenochititlán: cocoa, feathers, jade, turquoise, etc. The arrival of the Spaniards brought about a radical change in agricultural activities, especially with the introduction of intensively cultivated sugar cane, which, combined with livestock farming, has been almost fatal to the region's vast forests. Nowadays, the region is inhabited - among others - by Nahuas and Zoque-popoplucas groups. It is a region of great biodiversity: 565 species of birds (40% of which are migratory); 139 species of mammals; 166 species of amphibians and reptiles; 109 species of fish and 1,200 species of insects. Los Tuxtlas is also one of the regions in Mexico with the highest number of endemic tree species. To protect this rare ecosystem from predatory activities, the Mexican government has designated part of the region as a protected natural area under the name of Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve, in an attempt to preserve the biodiversity around three key areas: Volcán San Martín Pajapan, Volcán Santa Marta and Volcán San Martín TuxtlaCatemaco is a small town located on the banks of the beautiful lagoon of the same name. The area is known to be inhabited by many healers and sorcerers. Every March1, traditional healers from different parts of Mexico come to Catemaco to celebrate their annual meeting. The area around Catemaco is worthy of interest and lends itself to many ecotourism excursions, from wild beaches protected by hundreds of hectares of mangroves, to venturing into the rainforest to catch a glimpse of rare species of birds and mammals, and admire exuberant waterfalls.