Lagunas de Montebello, also known as Montebello Lakes (Spanish: Parque Nacional Lagunas de Montebello), is a national park located in the Mexican state of Chiapas, near the border with Guatemala. The park includes 59 lakes with many different colors, surrounded by a pine forest and two Maya ruins. It became the first national park in Chiapas when it was created in 1959. In 2009, the park was named a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO.

Location

The Lagunas de Montebello National Park is located in the towns of La Trinitaria and La Independencia in the southeastern part of Chiapas state, near Guatemala. The closest city is Comitán, which is one hour by car to the west. The well-known tourist city of San Cristóbal de las Casas is two more hours to the west from Comitán.

Geography

The Lagunas de Montebello National Park covers an area of 6,411 hectares (15,840 acres), of which 3,412 hectares (8,430 acres) are the "core area." It is located on the high plains of Chiapas, with an elevation between 1,500 and 1,800 metres (4,900 and 5,900 ft) above sea level.

Montebello Lakes

The national park is known for its 59 lakes, which are called the Montebello Lakes. These lakes are famous for their bright colors, which change because of the minerals in them. The colors range from emerald and turquoise to dark green, and even purple and reddish black. About 15 of the lakes can be reached by car or on foot. Lago Tziscao is the largest lake, and there is a village nearby. Other lakes include Montebello, La Cañada, Pojoj, and a group of five lakes called the Lagunas de Colores (Lakes of Colors), which are named Encantada, Ensueño, Esmeralda, Agua Tinta, and Bosque Azul. Many of the lakes allow swimming, canoeing, and kayaking. The park also has cenotes and a group of limestone caves called Grutas San Rafael del Arco, which visitors can explore on foot or horseback. Scientists are worried that the lakes are losing their colors and becoming muddy and lifeless. This is happening because untreated wastewater and agricultural runoff are entering the lakes through the Grande River, which flows directly into them. Deforestation in parts of the lake basins is also contributing to this problem. Metzabok Lake, which usually covers 220 acres (89 hectares), dried up completely in August 2019 because of drought. Six other lagoons outside the park also dried up during this time.

Maya ruins

Within the park boundaries are the medium-sized Maya ruins of Chinkultic, an ancient city built in the third century and abandoned in the 13th century. The site has not been completely explored, and many buildings remain hidden under plant life. From the top of the Acropolis, the main pyramid, visitors can see a view of the park's colorful lakes. The ruins include nearly 200 structures, such as several pyramids and a unique asymmetrical ball court. Hieroglyphic symbols on the ball court show it was used in May 591. Carved stones that show pictures of Chinkultic's rulers are found throughout the ruins.