This is for you all of you who never had the thrill of walking along Mexico's most beautiful lake while being accosted by vultures shouting "Lancha Lancha".
In 1974 an animal "research" project imported macaque monkeys from Thailand onto an island in Laguna Catemaco. Presumably this was to be a breeding facility of monkeys for vivisectionists. Nothing is mentioned about that subject anywhere, but why would anyone import foreign monkeys into an area that was already aware of the imminent extinction of its resident monkeys?
A few years later the monkey colony was abandoned and fishermen in Catemaco recognized a golden opportunity and started offering boat rides to the monkey islands to visitors from the beach of beautiful downtown, Catemaco, Veracruz, Mexico.This monkey opportunity developed into one of the major cash earners for many local fishermen (there is an absence of fisherwomen), so that by now more than 70 small boats, seating up to 20 people in front of noisy outboard motors are authorized to transport tourists to see the monkeys and the scenery along the way.
The current transport charge is 50 pesos per person or 350 pesos for a private boat, and during the apex of the tourist season, the smog, noise and wakes of dozens of small boats compete to cast noxious spells on novice tourists on this laguna of enchantment.
During the off season, these boat rides are actually very pleasant. Unfortunately during any time, none of the boat operators speak English. The boat tour will stop at Nanciyaga, Laguna Catemaco's "famous jungle" resort, and if you like, you can exit, tour Nanciyaga, and return on a later boat.
If you ever have the chance to do so, hire either a sailboat or the pontoon boat and spend half a leisurely and unforgettable day on the lake. The cost is not much more than what some over priced local hotels charge for a room.
