Catemaco Beaches

Well, these two really are not in Catemaco, but  few people know  that they are in San Andrès Tuxtla, the largest burg in Los Tuxtlas.

I stopped publishing English stories in catemaco.info a year ago.  This one is a temporary rarity, because it is still awaiting translation to Spanish. I am mentioning it here, because it has 2 nice videos.

Visita a Montepío y Balzapote

Catemaco Sports

Catemaco and Los Tuxtlas promoters religiously push the same banal recommendations to visit the area.

Extreme sports are virtually overlooked and under appreciated. Many of  the items mentioned below have been covered in this blog.

There is cave exploration along the shores of the Gulf of Mexico and around the San Martin Volcano.

Hang Gliding is possible off the 2000 foot drop at La Ventana in the Sierra Santa Marta, although I have never seen one flying.

Wreck Diving is possible off the northern shore of Los Tuxtlas.

Mountain Biking is possible most anywhere.

Kite, wind or sky surfing is possible much of the year, although, again, I have never seen someone doing it.

White water kayaking is seasonally possible on many of the Los Tuxtlas rivers.

Rock climbers could be in heaven, especially when ascending the steep faces of waterfall canyons.

Cliff diving and rappelling is possible off the Roca Partida rock face along the gulf.

Where else in the world exist opportunities like that in a 50 mile circumference?

The photo is of a recent 50K bike ride along the Catemaco Lake circumference. Because of political ineptness, there is a 5 km gap in the road which has to be transversed  in many parts by carrying the bike.

Catemaco Gay

A day ago or so the Mexican presbyterians disavowed their association with the US presbyterians because of gay concerns.

Who cares?. Actually I do not know if there are any presbis in Catemaco.

What is more pertinent is that Mexico City came out of the closet and declared itself gay friendly a few months ago.

Catemaco, too, should raise its banner and declare itself  gay friendly.

Gays, speaking generally, have more than the average disposable income, enjoy natural wonders, cultural activities and nooks and crannies.

Catemaco qualifies, and could use the business.

What's missing is a boutique hotel declaring itself gay friendly. Actually what's missing is a boutique hotel.

Meanwhile, most of the raunchy cantinas along the federal highway crossing Catemaco serve transvestites as part of their offering.

Catemaco qualifies as a gay destination and should seriously consider promoting itself  as such.

Catemaco Tourism - part 5

I chuckled when the Catemaco tourism director recently admitted to a 40% occupancy rate instead of the expected 80% during the recently deceased tourist season. He blamed it on newspapers that reported that it was raining in Veracruz, and of course on insecurity. Even at 40%, I think he was stroking his thing. 

Insecurity, though is really becoming a cause celebre. This last month Veracruz City and State has been horrifying with murder rates not seen since the 1980's when the targets were politicians instead of narcos. I expected it, but I would much rather have been wrong.

Of course the director did not mention that less than 2 years ago, the principal paid for attraction in Catemaco raised its rates from 50 to 80 pesos per person for a boat ride to see monkeys.

The key element of Catemaco Tourism is boat trips around the Catemaco Lake, across Laguna Sontecomapan and to a much minor degree, along the coast.

Catemaco Lake tourism began with the introduction of southeast Asian monkeys to a small island within the lake in the 1970's. Fishermen soon discovered the profitability of hauling tourists to see these monkeys, and by now there are more than 154 permissions to operate tourist boats on the lake. 52 of those are owned by cooperatives, 102 others are owned by 39 individuals, (based on outdated statistics from 2000).

All but one of the boats is operated with environmentally damaging 2 cycle outboard engnes. All the boats were apparenty produced on the same set of 2 molds, with mostly 12, plus 16, 20 and 24 passenger configurations. None of the boats have flush decks, none are suitable for anyone with the least handicap, none provide adequate ingress and egress, and none are weather proof.

Almost all boats are shabby, uncomfortable and driven by taciturn drivers, most of whom are not owners but employees.

Additionally they have pretty much wasted and destroyed much of the Catemaco shoreline with flotsam, glass shards, every boat repair and maintenance chemical available and just your nice general household trash from visitors.

Current tariffs for the 1 hour tour are 80 pesos per passenger with a minimum of 450 per boat, including 6 passengers. Other rates are negotiable, and the 100 or more shills promoting the rides are reputed to rip off the unaware.

Because of inclement weather, boats operate perhaps only 2/3 of the year.

The best experiences I ever had on the lake were the rental of a now gone catamaran, shared with friends to many destinations on the lake. The Cat failed, first because of importation legalities and then because of partner squabbles.

Personally I would like to see a a few 50 to 100 seater party boats on the lake, suitable for lunch, dinner moonlight and "see the monkey" cruises.

So called "six pack" and larger weatherproof cabin cruisers with comfortable seating, an ice chest and onboard toilet would be a welcome addition. Even a few captained speed boats would  do wonders for well heeled  visitors.

A few rental Hobie Cats would really look great on the lake, and a few rental captained sail boats would do wonders for the lake`s skyline. But please, dear god, pass a law against unthrottled rental jet skies. 

I agree with a past proposal to erect a boat pier in the laguna on La Punta (proposed, studied, and supposedly funded in 2006), but ignored by succeeding administrations. Even a local Belgian's idea of importing a few hundred sail boats was a good, but I thought unfeasible, idea. 

The idea of a boat pier is wagging its tail again this year, with supposedly an 11 million peso construction going up near La Ola restaurant. At best this is a band aid, and a political rip off.

Catemaco needs a Marina/harbor with seawalls to keep the small boats out of harm's way. If you have ever seen teams of up to 20 men sweating and cursing to haul each of the 150 plus boats on shore before a dozen weather events, you would understand my suggestion.

Of course, I would like to see most of these boats disappear to be replaced with less and bigger boats with lower rates for the big ones.
But that would mean a political war in Catemaco.

Meanwhile something that would really help would be to prepare an accurate script describing the stops and sights of the boat trip, and forcing operators to memorize the script and convey it to passengers. And  shucks, maybe one of them could advertise a trip in English or German or whatever.

Soon: Catemaco Lanchas - in Spanish


All my posts on the subject of Catemaco Tourism are drafts for Spanish transformations  and  meanwhile serve to annoy local politicians and tourism promoters who read them in Google translations. I keep publishing and disappearing them while footballing items with a few friends. Readership of regulars of the blog, compared to the thousands of my regular publications mostly in Spanish, is so minute, I care less who else reads it. See all parts:
http://www.catemaco.info/s/catemaco/3/turismo.html

Catemaco Tourism is going down the tubes -9

You thought I forgot about the "Tubes"? WRONG

It's just that I seem to have more exciting things to do.

But you can read a draft here:

http://www.catemaco.info/s/catemaco/3/turismo.html

Meanwhile the photo is from a recent exhibition at city hall, and should accompany a fantasy article of the pre -hispanic history of Catemaco. In Spanish, of course.

Historia de mi abuelo

La Barra de Sontecomapan, Catemaco

Usually when the Catemaco carnival comes to town, I head out of town. 

This year I revisited La Barra, an idyllic beach 330 days of the year, took a video, some more photos and updated the story.

Visit La Barra 

Catemaco Colon

No, stupid, not that colon.

Christopher Columbus is blessed with the name Cristobal Colon in Spanish. He was the first "white " tourist to get anywhere near Mexico. He should have statues in his name in front of any tourist office in Mexico. Instead he is a disappeared person.

In his place are dozens of statues of so called "revolutionary" heroes in whose names millions of Mexicans were massacred.

Oh yeah, try finding a statue of Hernan Cortez, the second most important tourist to Mexico. There are no statues of him, that I have found.

Obviously, Mexicans do not care about the history of their tourism.

The photo is of a statue I found in Alvarado, uphill. Nearby are some great eateries including one who would like you to worship your ablutions.

Catemaco Bound

This is just about the death knell for Texas border to Veracruz and beyond  vehicular tourist traffic.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/driving-mexicos-highway-of-death/2011/04/21/AFpdA7KE_story.html

The only good thing may be that those driving up from the south will decide to stay a year or so until that mess clears up.

Ironically, I think I've noticed a healthy upsurge of foreign tourists to Catemaco this winter season. Most arrive via Mexican tour buses, presumably after having flown to Veracruz or Mexico City. Last month, the Veracruz airport showed a significant 21% jump in foreign arrivals. I wish there were better statistics available such as rental car usage, toll road usage, hotel occcupancy, etc.

What the government provides is blown out of someone's nose. I missed  most of the 30 thousand arrivals for the non-brujo weekend and am now counting the supposed 60 thousand semana santa visitors,  half of whom will probably take the shortcut to the San Andrès beaches. Of course there is no clicker lying on that road  that might provide a good indicator.

The major very prominent new presence in the Catemaco area is cops. They are all over the place. Small ones, big ones, skinny ones and fat ones, even one on small heels, most dressed in full black on black battle gear and riding around on the back of pickups and sucking up the current extreme temperatures.

That someone buy them all a nice cold Coca Corona.

Catemaco's other option

A few years ago a rich dude from Cordoba, Veracruz, acquired 60 or more hectares in the nucleus of the Los Tuxtlas Biosphere, in the eastern mountains of Catemaco, an area so stripped of vegetation, even cows refused to live there.

Mr. Knopflmacher, assisted by the Mexican army, local ecologists and Mexican federal funds proceeded to plant upward of 75 thousand trees and by now the area is well on its way to recover some of the splendor lost over the last 50 years.

He now operates the equivalent of a dude ranch, offering cabins, horses, animal exhibits, communion with nature and isolation. There is no road access. Visitors ride horses or ATV's to get to their destination above the village of  Miguel Hidalgo.

I wish more rich dudes would discover the hills of Catemaco.

Recobrando la Biodiversidad Perdida from Ernesto Macip on Vimeo.

Catemaco Tepetapan

Tepetapan is a suburb of Catemaco City, located on the west side of the federal highway crossing Catemaco. 

Its primary fame is the presence of a slaughterhouse and vicinity to the sewage plant of Catemaco.

The polluted Rìo Grande de Catemaco borders the community, which also features access to the Catemaco cemetary.

There are indications that Popoluca Indians settled in its area in the 1500's, but they have since disappeared. The area was not developed until the 1950's when an attractive waterfall was converted into a dam for a hydroelectric powerplant further down the river, and its lands were subdivided

At present Tepetapan houses a kindergarden, an elementary school, the only condominium in Catemaco, dozens of  Mexican standard homes, several tiny housing projects, a few river front villas, and a secluded gringo haven of several rental units and a trailer park.

The colonia (suburb, city segment) is not seen favorably in Catemaco, because of its high incidence of  minor crimes.

Visit Tepetapan.

El Cerrito, Catemaco

El Cerrito means small hill in English and that is what it is, a small hill plunked down in the middle of the hilly slope that leads to the edge of the Catemaco lake.The hill is more or less round, about 35 feet tall and capped by a concrete structure.

Over the last 50 years the hill has become the geographic center of the city of Catemaco, and various streets lead away from it, similar to many zocalos in Mexico.

Its history is debatable. Nothing is actually known, although local residents, including the "Fool on the Hill" believe it to be covering a pre-hispanic temple. No archaeological excavation has ever been done on the hill.

Visit El Cerrito

The Fish Traps of Catemaco

Never seen by hurrying motorists, 2 miles north of Catemaco, lie some of the most beautiful and interesting shores of Laguna Catemaco.

Remaining forest and crystal clear waters await an adventurous tourist

Visit Los Ameles

Catemaco Fire

Just the day before yesterday I walked onto the dock and noticed its deteriorating condition with missing and loose planks. As usual I was accosted by one of the resident winos for a handout. Today at 2 in the morning, the son of my Popoluca came racing into the house grabbing my fire extinguisher and  yelling "the dock is burning".

In 2006, a local Belgian quiropractor and sailing enthusiast promoted the idea of a Yacht Club in Catemaco, assuring that 200 sail boats would arrive and make the Laguna a sailing center. He found some support in government circles, and  a Veracruz  government agency approved plans to solicit construction of a marina at the end of the Malecón of Laguna Catemaco. And then the project died.

Apparently the Belgian and some unknown associates then went ahead and constructed a dock and a palapa, a little north of the Koniapan hotel. Sometime later ownership apparently changed hands, and the dock is now supposedly owned the by the son of the owner of  Nanciyaga, who also manages the sewage running down Catemaco streets.

For about a year, the Belgian, who owns the only sail boat anchored in the Laguna, stationed his boat next to the dock until it sank from the side effects of a tropical storm passing over the lake.

Meanwhile the vaunted dock found absolutely no use and became a favorite hangout for the dozens of winos that congregate in the area and the occasional kids who used it as a dangerous playground and diving platform.

In 2007 the surrounding are was again heavily promoted as the site of a 30 million peso marina project. That also died.

Apparently the fire was caused by firecracker, common this time of year, and dangerous because Catemaco has no fire department. Now, I presume, for the next few years, Catemaco will just have another eyesore encumbering the beauty of Laguna Catemaco.

 

See more photos of the Dock

Catemaco Volcanoes

For being a little hick town in the middle of nowhere, Catemaco has a plethora of natural beauty almost unequaled anywhere in the word within a 30 mile diameter.

Rocky coves hidden on the desolate Gulf coast, sand dunes harboring endangered turtles and plants, fresh water lakes teeming with fish, a coastal lagoon, pine and mangrove forests, orchid riddled jungle, majestic waterfalls, kayakable rapids, raging rivers in the rainy season, and mostly overlooked although hitting you in the eye, a series of majestic volcanoes.

They are actually my favorite spots in Los Tuxtlas, mostly bereft of tourists but welcoming any lover of nature. But an article I wrote about them was well hidden in the catemaco.info pages which are only read by connoisseurs. Now it's in the touristic section:

The Volcanoes of Los Tuxtlas

The Corn Trail from Catemaco to Soteapan

There is almost no functional access to the Sierra Santa Marta from Catemaco. The Brecha del Maiz, corn trail, is supposed to fix that.

Still under construction after 4 years, the road was heavily damaged by the weather events of late 2010. Right now the road is passable.

I recommend the trip for any adventurous soul in Catemaco who wants to see and know more about an area of Los Tuxtlas that holds most of its indigenous history, is totally impoverished, out of the mainstream, and ignored by Veracruz and Mexican politicians.

Travel the Corn Trail

Laguna Encantada, near Catemaco

A short drive from beautiful downtown Catemaco lies a picture perfect lake in which an Indian princess supposedly sacrificed herself to assure fresh water for her people.

Nowadays brujos (witches) use a cave near the lake's edge to hold satanic masses, sacrifice whatever is available and other bewitching stuff.

Visit Laguna Encantada

Photo: Carlos Ferrer

Isla Tepetapan, Catemaco

One of the totally unknown wonders of beautiful downtown Catemaco requires you to find a your  way among dilapitated housing in the suburb of Tepetapan to the entrance of the trail leading along the Rio de Catemaco.

 

Unknown to most, there is a large river island just south of Catemaco within the Rio de Catemaco, which runs from below the sluice gates  of the bridge near the main highway to just below Hotel Tepetapan.

 

Technically, the island is a federal zone. Practically it seems to be used by someone grazing cattle.

It is one of the very few areas immediate to Catemaco, that might give you an idea of what the city was like before it was pulled into the third millenium by the construction of a road to Catemaco in the 1950's.

Visit Isla Tepetapan

Isla Agaltepec, Catemaco

85 years ago, a Danish archaeologist visited beautiful downtown Catemaco and noticed an island across from the city shores and said: "We went to the island and saw that in ancient times, the island had been transformed into a sacred center. We found terraces, staircases, mounds and plazas, and, thanks to the cattle, a tick paradise from hell".

85 years later, the island is still a mystery to Catemaco visitors and residents alike.

Visit Isla Agaltepec

Enchanted Waterfalls, Catemaco

The ecotouristic center of Benito Juarez, known as Cascadas Encantadas (Enchanted Waterfalls) sits on a mountain side,  a few hundred feet  above Laguna Catemaco.

The center is a touristic enigma. Almost nobody knows about it.

Visit the Enchanting Waterfalls of Benito Juarez.

Photo: Pia goes international!

Catemaco Beach Walk

More than 160 intrepid beachcombers participated in the annual DEMATAC (Defendors of the Los Tuxtlas Environment) exploration of the touristically virtually unknown beaches of La Barra to El Salado.

See lots more more photos here: DEMATAC Caminata 2010 

(in Spanish until the Fool on the Hill gets off his butt). He got off.