National park · Mexico
Selva el Ocote Biosphere ReserveReserva de la Biosfera Selva El Ocote
Treat El Ocote as a guided day trip, not a self-drive park: base in Ocozocoautla or Tuxtla Gutiérrez, hire a Zoque guide there, and do Sima de las Cotorras or Cascada El Aguacero in one day; the Río La Venta canyon needs 3–5 days, a CONANP permit and 4WD.
Map to the park
Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.
Area
1,012 km²391 sq mi
approximate
Established
2000
Best months
Dec–Mar
UNESCO
Biosphere
Rules in force · 7Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…
- North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
- North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
- North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
- Mexico ↗Check entry rules for your passport with Mexico's National Migration Institute (INM) or your nearest Mexican consulate; keep proof of your entry (stamp or digital record) until you leave.
- Mexico ↗Security advice differs by state: some governments advise against travel to parts of several states. Check your own government's advice for each region on your route.
- Mexico ↗Do not drink tap water; use bottled or filtered water and ice from reliable places.
- Mexico ↗Foreign visitors to Quintana Roo (Cancún, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Bacalar, Holbox) pay the state VISITAX online at visitax.gob.mx only; lookalike sites add fees.
At a glance
- Country
- Mexico
- Area
- 1,012 km²391 sq mi
- About 101,000 ha (1,012 km²) of core and buffer zone; the buffer zone holds Zoque farmland and coffee plots (check).
- Established
- 2000
- Best months
- Dec–Mar
- Permits
- For some areas
Selva el Ocote is a 1,012 km² biosphere reserve in the Chiapas highlands west of Tuxtla Gutiérrez, protecting limestone forest, sinkholes, underground rivers and the Río La Venta canyon. It was declared a protected area in 2000 and joined the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves in 2006. There is no single visitor gate and no waymarked trail network: Sima de las Cotorras is the one place you can reach on a paved road and visit without a guide, while the waterfall, the caves and the canyon need a local Zoque guide from Ocozocoautla de Espinosa. Zoque families still farm corn, beans and coffee in the buffer zone.
Decide
Why go, which months, and what lives here when
At a glance
Status
- UNESCO Biosphere Reserve · 2006Added to the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves.
Size and age
1,012 km²391 sq mi · national park since 2000
About 101,000 ha (1,012 km²) of core and buffer zone; the buffer zone holds Zoque farmland and coffee plots (check).
Why go
- One of the largest forest reserves in southern Mexico, with limestone cliffs, sinkholes and underground rivers.
- Sima de las Cotorras: parrots leave the 140 m sinkhole at dawn and return at dusk, watched from a rim platform.
- Cascada El Aguacero drops into the Río La Venta canyon at the end of a stepped trail.
- Zoque guides run the trips and the reserve's buffer zone is their farmland and coffee.
When to go
- JanBest
- FebBest
- MarBest
- AprGo
- MayCaution
- JunCaution
- JulCaution
- AugCaution
- SepAvoid
- OctCaution
- NovGo
- DecBest
- JanDriest window; cooler nights
- FebDry, clear; good for the canyon
- MarDry but hot by midday
- AprHot; start early
- MayRains begin; trails greasy
- JunHeavy rain; river levels rise
- JulWet; leeches and mud
- AugWet; canyon trips may be cancelled
- SepWettest month; storm risk
- OctRain easing late in the month
- NovDrying out; green forest
- DecDry, comfortable walking
Wildlife and nature calendar
| What | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parrots at Sima de las Cotorras (dawn and dusk flights)All year · Most reliable in the dry months; the birds nest in the sinkhole walls. | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Birdwatching generally (395 species recorded)Nov–Apr · Dry-season mornings are best; the reserve list is long but sightings need a guide. | yes | yes | yes | yes | no | no | no | no | no | no | yes | yes |
| Leeches and biting insects on wet trailsMay–Oct | no | no | no | no | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | no | no |
| Snakes and other dangerous animalsApr–Sep · Watch where you put hands and feet; guides know the local species. | no | no | no | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | no | no | no |
Arrive & move
Getting in, how the park is divided, and where things are
How to get there
From Tuxtla Gutiérrez
Car or taxi west on MEX-190 to Ocozocoautla, then a local guide or 4WD to your access point.
1–1.5 h
From Ocozocoautla de Espinosa
Guide's vehicle to Sima de las Cotorras (paved) or to the El Aguacero trailhead.
30–60 min
From San Cristóbal de las Casas
Road via Tuxtla Gutiérrez, then as above.
2.5–3.5 h
Open the page →
From Tuxtla Gutiérrez airport
Domestic flights from Mexico City, Cancún, Guadalajara, Monterrey and Tijuana; rent a car or take a taxi.
Open the page →
Zones and sectors
| Zone | What is there | Access |
|---|---|---|
| Sima de las Cotorras (Piedra Parada) | A 140 m limestone sinkhole with parrots nesting in the walls, a rim overlook, a restaurant and cabins. | Paved road; open to day visitors. |
| Cascada El Aguacero | Waterfall on the Río La Venta reached by a stepped trail, about 700 steps down. | Trailhead off the Ocozocoautla road; guide useful. |
| Río La Venta canyon | Deep canyon, caves and petroglyph sites in the reserve core. | Guided expeditions only, with a CONANP permit. |
| Zoque buffer zone | Farmland, corn, beans and organic coffee around the core, with villages and caves. | Village land; ask before entering. |
Sketch map
See & do
Caves, trails and wildlife, with how hard each is and whether it needs booking
Top experiences
Practical
Fees, permits, rules, where to sleep and what can go wrong
Entry fees and permits
| Item | Range | Per | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reserve entry (CONANP fee at staffed access points) | MXN 0–100 | person | 2026 estimate; some access points are unstaffed and free, and fees are not always collected. |
| Local Zoque guide, day trip | MXN 800–2,000 | group | 2026 estimate; price depends on group size and whether transport is included. |
| Sima de las Cotorras rappel, 140 m | MXN 500–1,200 | person | 2026 estimate; instruction for beginners is included by most operators. |
| Multi-day Río La Venta canyon expedition | MXN 6,000–15,000 (≈ US$350–850) | person | 2026 estimate; 3–5 days with guide, boats, food and camping gear. |
| Sima de las Cotorras cabins | MXN 500–1,200 | room | 2026 estimate; simple cabins with hot water and screens. |
Ranges, not quotes: fees change without notice. Check with the park or your operator · checked Sep 2026.
CONANP permit for camping and the Río La Venta canyon permit or guide
Local guide permit or guide
Sima de las Cotorras access no permit
Park rules
- Guides
- Hire a local guide for anything beyond Sima de las Cotorras; the reserve has many entry points and no marked trail system.
- Camping
- Only at established camps or on river sandbars, with a CONANP permit and a guide; leave-no-trace rules apply and fines are levied.
- Water
- No potable water in the reserve; treat or boil river water and carry out everything you bring in.
- Fires and litter
- No fires outside established camps; pack out all rubbish.
- Village land
- Zoque families farm inside the buffer zone; ask permission before crossing fields or photographing people.
Where to stay
Near the park
Ocozocoautla de Espinosa
The nearest town with hotels, showers and restaurants, about 20 km from the reserve.The nearest town with hotels, showers and restaurants, about 12 mi from the reserve.
In the park
Sima de las Cotorras cabins
Simple cabins at the sinkhole with hot water and screens; book ahead in high season.
Near the park
Tuxtla Gutiérrez
Full range of hotels and the airport, 1–1.5 h away.
In the park
Campamento Emilio Rabasa / El Encajonado
Research base camps with no electricity, toilets or potable water; access only with a permit.
Safety
Heat, dehydration and sunstroke high
Getting lost off-trail high
River levels in the wet season medium
Rappel and cliff edges at the sinkhole medium
Snakes, spiders and poisonous plants medium
Accessibility
- Sima de las Cotorras has a paved access road and a rim overlook reachable without descending; the ground is uneven.
Visiting lightly
- Hire Zoque guides and buy coffee or meals in the buffer-zone villages so the reserve pays its neighbours.
- Do not book trips that promise close parrot handling or cave-art touching; both damage the site.
- Carry out all rubbish and use a filter or boil water instead of buying plastic bottles.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to enter Selva el Ocote Biosphere Reserve?
There is no single ticket gate. Where CONANP staff are present you may pay a small entry fee of roughly MXN 0–100 per person (2026 estimate). The real cost is the guide: about MXN 800–2,000 per group for a day trip, MXN 500–1,200 per person to rappel into Sima de las Cotorras, and MXN 6,000–15,000 per person for a multi-day Río La Venta canyon expedition.
What are the best hikes in Selva el Ocote Biosphere Reserve?
The Cascada El Aguacero trail, about 700 steps down to the waterfall on the Río La Venta, is the most accessible walk. Everything else — the canyon, the caves with petroglyphs and the forest routes — needs a local guide and, for camping, a CONANP permit. Sima de las Cotorras is not a hike: you drive to the rim and either look from the platform or rappel 140 m.
When is the best time to visit Selva el Ocote Biosphere Reserve?
December to March is the driest and most comfortable window for walking and for the parrot flights at Sima de las Cotorras. September is the wettest month and the worst for canyon trips. The reserve is hot and humid most of the year, so start early whatever the month.
Do I need a guide to visit Selva el Ocote?
For Sima de las Cotorras, no — the road is paved and there is a rim overlook. For anything else, yes. The reserve is over 1,000 km² with many entry points, unpaved roads and no waymarked trails, and local Zoque guides in Ocozocoautla know the routes, the camps and the cave sites.
Can I camp inside the reserve?
Sometimes. Established camps such as Emilio Rabasa and El Encajonado have no electricity, toilets or potable water and are normally used by researchers; travellers may be allowed with a CONANP permit and a guide. Backcountry camping on river sandbars is possible with a guide who knows which bars are safe. Leave-no-trace rules are enforced with fines.
How do I get to Selva el Ocote from Tuxtla Gutiérrez?
Drive or take a taxi west on MEX-190 to Ocozocoautla de Espinosa, about 35 km and 40–60 minutes, then continue with a local guide. Sima de las Cotorras is reached on a paved road; other access points need a 4WD truck or a hike.
Deep dive
Every source; fees and rules change, so check before you go