Mexican Iconic Natural Places

Mexico is one of the most megadiverse countries of the world. It is estimated that more than 10% of all world’s species live in this country. Therefore, when it comes to comes to flora, fauna, and amazing landscapes, Mexico is extremely diverse. There are so many stunning natural areas that were very hard for me to select a present only three.

 

Mesoamerican Barrier Reef

The Mesoamerican Barrier reef also called “The Great Mayan Reef” is an ecosystem that runs along the Caribbean coastline of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, and is the second largest barrier reef in the world. This reef system is home to more than 65 species of stony coral, 350 species of mollusk and more than 500 species of fish, as well as several species of sea turtles, dolphins, and whale sharks.

Last summer I had the opportunity to visit The Mayan River Area and I can say that is full of stunning natural places. Whenever you look, you would see trees and beautiful lakes or rivers.

Another amazing place which is not too popular internationally and is part of the Mayan River Protected Area is "Las Colaradas". A small fishing village in the state of Yucatan, this place is recognized for having lakes of different colors, even pink! The pink color of the lake is due to the microorganisms that live in the lake and its high salinity level. If you enter to swim you would float due to the lake's salinity.

 

Another beautiful place is “Hierve el Agua” it name means “Water that boils”. It is a System of petrified waterfalls, formed by calcium carbonate. The waterfalls are of natural origin and formed thousands of years ago. I had the opportunity to visit this place a few years ago, and I can say that I have not seemed something similar again. When I visited it, I realized the name is misleading because the springs aren’t actually boiling. They are heavily carbonated instead, and its temperatures varies between 22-26 °C.  Therefore, people can swim in the natural pools. Moreover, the view from this place is just awesome.

 

 

The last place I selected is very different from the others, and it is “Gran Desierto de Altar” which means “Great desert of altar” is part of the protected area of The Sonora Desert in Mexico. This dry, hot desert ecosystem is also the lushest and diverse of the North American deserts, with many unique plants like the saguaro cactus. This desert seems like the Middle East, but it’s actually in the state of Sonora in Mexico. It is the house of mammals, many of them like the coyote, the fox, the rodents, the hares and the rabbits live in underground burrows. Due to its great biodiversity, there are more protected areas in the Sonoran Desert than in any other desert in the world (Cornett, 1997).

 

 

References:

Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources. ( 2018). El Pinacate and Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve. 02-17-19, de Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Sitio web: https://www.gob.mx/semarnat/articulos/reserva-de-la-biosfera-el-pinacate-y-gran-desierto-de-altar-161908

City Express. (2018). El Lago Rosa en Las Coloradas, Yucatán: como nadar en un sueño. 02-17-19, de City Express Sitio web: https://www.cityexpress.com/blog/el-lago-rosa-en-las-coloradas-yucatan-como-nadar-en-un-sueno