I visited Sumidero Canyon yesterday, which is about an hour away from San Cristabol. It was a really peaceful and scenic trip, as you can see from the pictures I’ve posted below. Per Wikipedia: “The Canyon was formed by cracks in the earth’s crust along with erosion by the Grijalva River, which still flows through it. The process of its formation began about 35 million years ago, making the Sumidero contemporary with the Grand Canyon on the Colorado River.” From what I saw it’s not remotely as large or dramatic as the Grand Canyon, but it’s still a wonderful place to visit.
Also from Wikipedia, the canyon has an interesting history: “The history of the area is connected to the Chiapa people, who occupied the Central Valley area before the arrival of the Spanish. The Chiapa fiercely resisted Spanish conquest and were not subdued until the arrival of Diego de Mazariegos in 1528. Legend states that when this last fortification fell, the remaining Chiapa committed collective suicide by jumping into the canyon.
Until the 20th century, the canyon area was relatively unexplored. In 1895, three Frenchmen attempted to explore the canyon but were drowned in the river. An American came in 1932 but also perished. This gave rise to legends about witchcraft in the areas as well as the ferocity of the area’s crocodiles. In 1960, an expedition of soldiers from the Mexican army, nicknamed the ‘red handkerchiefs’ succeeded into crossing through the canyon by boat over twenty km. This opened up the canyon to local exploration and exploitation.”
