If you love the Amazon Rainforest, then you will love the Lacandón Jungle in Mexico

A symphony hums beneath the emerald canopy, wherever the aerial hangs heavy with the tropical vigor and the scent of damp earth. Sunlight, fractured into shimmering emerald and gold, pierces the dense foliage, illuminating a satellite teeming with untamed beauty. The Amazon — the world’s biggest rainforest — is home to implicit 10% of the world’s known species and hundreds of indigenous communities.

As an adventure-seeking travel writer who’s spent the past 15 years scouring the world for concealed corners, I’ve had the luck of exploring a tiny portion of the Amazon and tin safely accidental the Amazon delivers connected a standard dissimilar anyplace else. It’s a existent bucket database destination for immoderate intrepid tone – whether you spot it from an Amazon River cruise oregon a hard-earned trek done the heavy jungle.

The Amazon Rainforest (pictured here) is amazing. But there’s a jungle conscionable arsenic chaotic successful Mexico. (Unsplash/Ivars Utināns)

But what if I told you there’s a spot conscionable arsenic wild, with that aforesaid feeling of being heavy successful the wilderness, close present successful Mexico? For the latest installment of our series, wherever we item astonishing Mexican spots that rival satellite wonders, we’re going heavy into the luscious greenish bosom of Chiapas: the Lacandón Jungle.

Amazon vs Lacandón

Spanning 9 South American countries, the Amazon’s dynamic terrain covers an country larger than Western Europe. In comparison, the Lacandón is overmuch smaller, blanketing Mexico’s poorest and southeasternmost authorities of Chiapas, spilling crossed the Usumacinta River into Guatemala.

But it’s nearing the Amazon successful abundance, boasting 25% of Mexico’s full surviving species, from tapirs to spider monkeys and adjacent endangered jaguars. The 1,500 histrion taxon that unrecorded present supply a location for a 3rd of the country’s vertebrate species. 

From the infinitesimal you measurement into the Lacandón, you consciousness arsenic though you’re successful the Amazon. The aerial hangs heavy with the tropical vigor and the scent of damp earth. The precise ambiance is live with dependable – the booming calls of howler monkeys and the ceaseless hum of insects. The Lacandón whitethorn not person the mighty Amazon River, but it’s besides sprinkled with earthy swimming holes and misty cascades wherever you tin easy splash astir and chill off. 

The accessibility of the Lacandón

The Amazon’s legendary presumption is undeniable, but its sheer standard means reaching its deepest, astir untouched corners requires extended travel, often involving aggregate flights, lengthy vessel journeys and navigating challenging territories. Tours into the Amazon are notoriously expensive, with costs rapidly escalating for transportation, specialized guides and accommodations. 

In comparison, the Lacandón is comparatively casual to research and access. You’ll commencement by flying into Tuxtla Gutiérrez oregon Villahermosa – some airports service astir large cities successful Mexico. From there, instrumentality an ADO autobus to Palenque oregon San Cristóbal de las Casas, wherever plentifulness of circuit operators connection overnight trips into the Lacandón Jungle. The intrepid backpacker tin besides proceed onto the Lacandón villages of Frontera Corozal oregon Lacanjá Chansayab via colectivo.

Laguna Miramar successful the Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve, portion of the Lacandón Jungle. (Public Domain)

For a existent and liable acquisition successful the Lacandón, take operators who enactment with the section communities. One radical that genuinely stands retired for helping the assemblage and protecting quality is LacanTours. They signifier multi-day tours successful the Lacandón that see trips to the past Maya ruins and waterfalls wrong the jungle.

Highlights of Lacandón Jungle

Like the Amazon, the Lacandón besides has its ain protectors. For hundreds of years, the Lacandón Maya radical person looked implicit this ecosystem and until today, they proceed to enactment profoundly connected with their land. In fact, erstwhile the Spanish archetypal appeared, the Lacandón radical disappeared into the jungle and lone reconnected with the extracurricular satellite successful the 19th and 20th centuries. Their mode of beingness contiguous is astir surviving successful equilibrium with quality and respecting the forest. 

To instrumentality a heavy dive into the Lacandón culture, I urge staying successful a cabaña with a Lacandón big and going connected treks. Campamento Lacadones, with its rustic bungalows and cabañas located by a river, is owned and tally by Lacandón guides who volition stock insights you simply can’t get from anyone else. Join a taste workshop, larn to weave with thenar leaves, spell trekking oregon adjacent whitewater rafting – these nonstop interactions are incredibly rewarding.

Top Che Ecolodge is different worthwhile basal from which to research the Lacandón. On 1 peculiarly memorable walk, my Lacandón guide, Chan K’in, pointed retired a uncommon quetzal vertebrate and shared a centuries-old Lacandon story astir its significance, past softly showed maine however to place medicinal plants his ancestors used. It was a profoundly idiosyncratic sharing of knowledge, of a beingness intrinsically woven with the wood itself. 

Tracing past roots

And past determination are the past secrets! While determination are hundreds of awesome past Maya sites crossed Mexico (in the likes of Chichen Itza and Palenque), the Lacandón hides 2 Maya sites that present an unparalleled consciousness of discovery: Yaxchilán and Bonampak.

Reaching Yaxchilán is an escapade connected its own. It involves a travel downriver successful a lancha (long, constrictive boat), done a scenery shrouded successful mist and primordial silence. When you yet measurement ashore and spot those monumental, moss-covered temples rising from the jungle canopy, with howler monkeys roaring overhead, you’ll consciousness that visceral thrill of exploring a spot that not galore radical person visited. 

The Lacandón Jungle is location to 24% of Mexico’s terrestrial mammal species, 44% of its birds, 13% of its fish, 10% of its reptiles and 40% of its diurnal butterflies. (Canto de la Selva)

Nearby is Bonampak, celebrated for immoderate of the best-preserved, astir vivid Mayan murals anyplace successful the world. These are breathtaking, full-color narratives depicting battles, ceremonies, and the regular lives of an past civilization. Standing earlier them, I felt similar I was witnessing past travel live close earlier my eyes.

Saving the jungle

Sadly, the Lacandón, similar the Amazon, is facing threats of deforestation. Thus, the Lacandón hazard losing their earthy habitat. Only astir 10 percent of its original, untouched wood remains. Local groups, peculiarly successful Lacanjá Chansayab, are moving hard to halt this deforestation. By choosing liable tourism here, you straight assistance these captious conservation efforts.

The Amazon volition everlastingly beryllium a titan, a monumental unit of nature. But Lacandón makes a bully alternate for those who crave a jungle acquisition that’s much accessible and affordable. I impulse you to spell now, alternatively than later, earlier the Lacandón jungle sadly becomes a happening of the past.

Nellie Huang is simply a self-proclaimed Mexico-holic who’s lived successful San Miguel de Allende and Playa del Carmen. She’s the writer of Lonely Planet’s Mexico guidebook and has written hundreds of articles connected Mexico for assorted publications. Read astir her adventures worldwide connected wildjunket.com and travel her updates connected Instagram @wildjunket.