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Voykit pocket guide · Mexico
Ocozocoautla
Ocozocoautla de Espinoza
Give Coita one night as a base for the Cascada El Aguacero and Sima de las Cotorras, or skip it and day-trip from Tuxtla Gutiérrez.
Ocozocoautla — Coita to everyone local — is a small Zoque town of about 39,000 people 1 h by bus from Tuxtla Gutiérrez, and a Pueblo Mágico. The town itself is a church, a square and a market; the reason to come is the country around it: the La Venta canyon, the El Aguacero waterfall and the Sima de las Cotorras sinkhole, all reached with a local guide or a taxi. Sleep here if you want an early start at the sinkhole; otherwise use Tuxtla as the base.
- Country
- Mexico
- Local name
- Ocozocoautla de Espinoza
- Best months
- Nov–Apr (dry season)
- Avoid
- Jun–Oct (rain, mud on the trails), Holy Week crowds
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- MXN
- Money
- Currency is the Mexican peso (MXN, $). Cards work in hotels, chains and many restaurants; markets, street food, small shops and colectivos are cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget M$500–900 excl. bed · Mid M$900–1,600 excl. bed · High M$1,600+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Telcel has the widest coverage; AT&T and Movistar are cheaper in cities. SIMs sell at OXXO shops and phone stores; registration with an ID may be requested — check.
- Emergency
- All emergencies 911 · Tourist assistance (SECTUR) 078 · Green Angels roadside help 078
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 127 V · 60 Hz · US plugs fit; many older sockets have no earth pin.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: 10–15%; check the bill for an included 'servicio'.; Bars: MXN 10–20 per drink or 10%.; Petrol station attendants: MXN 10–20; more for windscreen and tyres.; Guides and drivers: 10% or MXN 200–400 a day.; Supermarket baggers (often older volunteers): MXN 5–10.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap; garrafón (20-litre jugs) and filtered water in hotels.
- Toilets
- Put paper in the bin, not the toilet, in most places; public toilets charge MXN 5–10.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | M$25–45 |
| Set breakfast or comida corrida | M$120–200 |
| Beer, bottle in a shop / at a table | M$25–40 / M$45–70 |
| Taxi in town | M$40–80 |
| Bus Tuxtla Gutiérrez ↔ Ocozocoautla | About M$50 (check) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | M$200–400 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- TGZ · Tuxtla Gutiérrez (Ángel Albino Corzo)
- About 1 h by bus or taxi from Ocozocoautla; Rapidos Sur buses run roughly every 90 min.
Typical fares
- Bus Tuxtla Gutiérrez → Ocozocoautla, Rapidos Sur
- about M$50, about 1 h (check)
- Taxi Parque Central → Cascada El Aguacero
- M$400–600 each way (check)
- Taxi in town
- M$40–80
Get around
The centre is walkable in 15 min end to end. Taxis wait by Parque Central; for the waterfall, the sinkhole or the reserve you need a taxi or a guided tour, and ride-hailing apps are unreliable here. Agree the fare before you get in.
See and do
Known for
- Sima de las Cotorras sinkhole
- Cascada El Aguacero
- Cañón Río La Venta
- Selva El Ocote Biosphere Reserve
- Carnaval de Coita
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Cascada El Aguacero | Taxi or guided tour from town, then steps down to the river | About 1 h each way |
| Sima de las Cotorras | Taxi or tour, about 20 km from townTaxi or tour, about 12 mi from town | About 45 min each way |
| Cañón Río La Venta | Guided expedition into the Selva El Ocote reserve | Full day or more |
| Tuxtla Gutiérrez | Rapidos Sur bus from the Cruz Blanca terminal | About 1 h |
| Chiapa de Corzo and Cañón del Sumidero | Bus to Tuxtla, then local transport to Chiapa de Corzo | 2–2.5 h |
| San Cristóbal de las Casas | Bus to Tuxtla, then onward bus or colectivo | 3–3.5 h |
Sleep
- Centro
- Around Parque Central and the San Juan Bautista church; walkable to the market and the bus station is a short taxi away.
- Cruz Blanca
- North side by the bus terminal; practical for a one-night stop with bags.
- Santisima Trinidad / San Juan
- Quiet streets 5–10 min walk from the square; most of the small hotels sit here.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | Disculpedees-KOOL-peh |
| Thank you | GraciasGRAH-syahs |
| How much is it? | ¿Cuánto cuesta?KWAN-toh KWES-tah |
| Can I pay by card? | ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?PWEH-doh pah-GAR kon tar-HEH-tah |
| Where is the bus station? | ¿Dónde está la terminal de autobuses?DON-deh es-TAH la ter-mee-NAL deh ow-toh-BOO-ses |
| I want to go to the waterfall | Quiero ir a la cascadaKYEH-roh eer ah la kas-KAH-dah |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; a kiss on the right cheek among friends; avoid: Skipping 'buenos días' when entering a shop
- Punctuality: Be on time for tours and buses; avoid: Expecting social events to start on time
- Talking: Warm small talk, family, food, football; avoid: Jokes about cartels, the wall or migration
- Churches: Covered shoulders, quiet; avoid: Photos during mass
- Dining: Say 'provecho' to other diners when leaving; avoid: Rushing the waiter
Scams and watch-outs
- Natural sites are outside town with no public transport: book a guide or a taxi for the day, not a one-way drop.
- Rappelling into the Sima de las Cotorras and canyon trips run with licensed operators only; check harnesses and insurance before you pay.
- Trails turn to mud in the rainy season and river levels rise fast: ask locally before setting out Jun–Oct.
- Small hotels may not have heating; winter nights at this altitude are cold.
- Carry cash: card machines are not universal in the market and small restaurants.
Coita is a quiet small town and the centre is calm day and night. The real risks are the outdoors — unlicensed rappelling and canyon operators, slippery trails and fast-rising rivers — plus cash-only small businesses and cold nights in rooms without heating.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Ocozocoautla yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Sima de las Cotorras sinkhole
- Cascada El Aguacero
- Cañón Río La Venta
- Selva El Ocote Biosphere Reserve
- Carnaval de Coita
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Visit Mexico — Chiapas: www.visitmexico.com/en/chiapas
- SECTUR Pueblos Mágicos: www.gob.mx/sectur
- Wikivoyage: Ocozocoautla, revision 5313061 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5313061
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
OcozocoautlaOcozocoautla de Espinoza
A esta dirección, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Ocozocoautla; the US, UK and Canadian embassies are in Mexico City, with consulates in Tuxtla Gutiérrez (check services).
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/ocozocoautla). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.