Travel Guide Parque Nacional Nevado De Colima

The area straddles the states of Jalisco (83%) and Colima (17%), and is 33 km from the city of Colima. It was declared a national park in 1936 and includes the two peaks Nevado de Colima (4,280 m) and Volcán del Fuego (3,800 m); only the summit of the former is accessible, while the latter has been spewing lava and smoke fairly regularly for some years.The park is located at one end of the Mexican transverse neovolcanic system, a relatively new mountain range that begins in the State of Nayarit and ends in the State of Veracruz, crossing the centre of the country: it includes the active volcanoes of Paricutín (Michoacán) and Popocatepetl (State of Mexico). Covering altitudes from 2,200 to 4,280 metres, there are significant changes in vegetation as one moves from the tropical mountain zone to the colder peaks: pine and oak forest remains characteristic of the park, but from 4,000 metres an alpine tundra of moss and tall grasses becomes the norm. Local wildlife includes white-tailed deer, peccary, puma, oncilla, and various species of snakes and reptiles. A visit is highly recommended during the winter months when the skies and peaks are clearest.