Cliffs of Piedra Volada (photo by Izennen courtesy of Flickr)

Piedra Volada translates to “flying rock”. The reason for the name is not really know, although some creative ideas have floated around.  What is known, however, is that the area is absolutely breath taking with stunning landscape and beautiful weather.

The valley (photo by Izennen courtesy of Flickr)

During the wet season, the gorgeous area offers a bonus with one of the world’s largest waterfalls. The falls can only be seen from a moderate distance, but are the largest in Mexico and the eleventh largest in the world. When they run, it is off Candamena Canyon in the Copper Canyon area of Chihuahua, Mexico.

The rock seems to hover or be thrown (photo by Izennen courtesy of Flickr)

The great thing about Volada is that it has landscape to  meet all hiking levels. There are trails for beginners, as well as, more advanced treks for more expereinced visitors. The area offers a supurb collection of flora and fauna with enough plain space to make camp if an overnight suits your visit.

Gorgeous country (photo by Izennen courtesy of Flickr)

The area around Piedra Volanda is strickingly beautiful and travel-friendly. The falls were only recently discovered in 1996 although there are ruins of mining camps and other proof of man enjoying this spectacular area. There are several tours that venture into the area or many choose to make their own way, however, it is usually better to travel with locals who know the area. Piedra Volada is definately worth a camp out in order to fully appreciate the beauty of its night skies and early morning daybreaks.

The Ik Kil Cenote is located a little under two miles from the famed Chichen Itza ruins. Like the 6,000 other cenotes across the Yucatan peninsula, Ik Kil has majestic charectieristics where the sunlight from 85 feet above filters through holes in the ground and vegetation. Known as “the Sacred Blue Cenote”, the fresh water is an intriguing clear  turquoise blue and hovers at a comfortable 78 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cenote Ik Kil (photo by Kyle Simourd courtesy of Flickr)

Ik Kil offers a dizzying array of scenry in addition to the gorgeous watering hole. Emerald green vines and plants decorate the area as well as picturesque waterfalls to explore. The stalactites and stalagmites that have formed over the past million years are breath taking and great care should be taken during your visit.

View from above (photo by R Mceoin courtesy of Flickr)

The cenote costs only 35 pesos and is open to the public from 8:00 in the morning until 6:00 at night. The 120 foot deep swimming area is accessible by a staircase that meanders down into the amazing area. The Ik Kil cenote boasts a restaurant with buffet-style eating, as well as, rental bungalows to enjoy an overnight stay.  A five star resort is in the works and will offer future visitors a luxurious experience when completed. Ik Kil is a wonderful example of the transformations of land and water that can occur over millions of years and superb are to revel in Mayan grandeur.

Swimming hole (photo by Kyle Simourd courtesy of Flickr)

Waterfall at Tepeyac (photo courtesy of Wikipedia Commons)

The Basilica de Guadalupe must find a spot on your itinerary when in Mexico City. Second only to St.Peters in Vatican City, the Basilica de Guadalupe is highly regarded as one of the holiest destinations of the Catholic world. While important to the Catholic church, the basilica is visited and appreciated by all faiths, beliefs and agnostics alike. Located on Tepeyac Hill, the site where the Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin reported seeing a vision of what become known as the Virgen de Guadalupe. The site is part of a expansive campus often referred to as the Villa de Guadalupe.

View of Basilica by Dwayne Deslatte(photo courtesy of Wikipedia Commons)

The Basilica contains the tilma which is believed to contain the image of the Virgen de Guadalupe. Even after a bomb attack in 1921, the poncho-like cape made from a cactus-based fiber is open to public exhibition. The image has been examined as advanced scientific-based methods become available and still, the exact method of creation for the image is unknown. Some may discount the miraculous event, however, there is no denying the popularity of the Basilica for locals and tourists alike.

Our Lady of Guadalupe (photo taken by Jan Zatko courtesy of Wikipedia Commons)

It is said that the vision asked Juan Diego to call her Santa Maria de Gudalupe. It is often corrected that Guadalupe was a mistranslation for the local Aztec dialect word “Coatlallope” which meant “one who treads over snakes”. The connection to Tepeyac, which was the ancient celebratory temple for the Aztec Mother Earth Goddess, Tonontzin, may be why people of Mexico, Catholic or not, have such an affinity for Guadalupe.

Exterior of Basilica (photo by Jan Zatko courtesy of Wikipedia Commons)

The holy day for Santa Maria de Guadalupe is the 12th of December and quite extravagant ceremonies can be enjoyed through out the week. During this time, devotees of Guadalupe travel from far and wide making a pilgrimage which sometimes ends with worshipers walking the last few yards, quite painfully, on their knees. The campus is absolutely beautiful and a must see while in Mexico City. The Basilica is located at Paseo Zumarraga, Atrio de América, Col. Villa de Guadalupe in Mexico City.

Coastal town, with sandy beaches  in the middle of open sea. Playa Azul is known for its beautiful waters of the unique color which it’s very appropriate to its name (blue beach). It is one of the most visited beaches of the entity and offers, in addiction to soft and yellow sands, strong waves and gentle slope.

In Playa Azul you will enjoy a stunning landscape of steep mountains, rivers, waterfalls, and great beaches. Playa Azul is a simple holiday town with a solid surfing population and plenty of beach-side restaurants and shops. As far as the surf goes, the coastline is rich and varied, with cobblestone reef breaks, point breaks and river-mouths. It’s open to all swells from the south to the west-northwest, meaning there are waves all year. In the summer is when you will catch big and occasionally huge waves and smaller ones in the winter.

American and Canadian surfers have been coming here for decades, and many are understandably tight-lipped abut various hidden gems along this stretch of coast. This place is best explored with a good 4WD, lots of time, and a small crew of friends or family that like to explore and surf.

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Photo by: Hannelore M.

A hour and a half of Mexico City, you can see one of the most beautiful geological phenomena in nature, these are the Prismas Basalticos (Basaltic Prisms), located in the town of Santa Maria Regla in the state of Hidalgo.

The Prism Basalt are geometric basalt columns that decorate the walls of the gully impressive of Santa Maria Regla. Each of these pillars has the peculiarity of being an hexagonal prism, some of them 150 feet tall and more than 4 feet wide. The origin of these formation with an approximate height of 30 meters, goes back to accelerated cooling lava during a spill millions of years ago, which was poured at the bottom of the gully.

In addition to the spectacle of Basalt Prism, the area has been equipped with a good tourism infrastructure, so you’ll have the facilities necessary to spend a very pleasant visit, such as restaurants, bars, an area for camping, boat rides, horseback riding and handicraft shops.

In the shopping area, you will find a stairway leading down to the bottom of the canyon, where you can walk between the prisms. All year round, there are some waterfalls fed by the artificial lake. During the rainy season, a great portion of the wall is covered by the falling water, making an incredible curtain with the water hitting the stones at different heights. It’s just Beautiful.

The waterfalls are a place removed from a story which breathes a sense hard to described.

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The “Lic. Eduardo Ruiz” National park is guarantee to refresh, relax, and delight all your senses. It is the only National Park in Mexico, inside the limits of the city.

Here, you will find the Cupatitzio River, word in the puerepecha language that means the River that sings because along its flow are tourist attractions. This river is famous for the beaty of its flora and crystal clear water. Then as the river flows throughout the ravine water, it’s diverted and spilled back to the river throughout a series of fountains and waterfalls. The ravine is cool, shady, and filled with tropical plants.

“The wall of rain” waterfall is one of the most popular places for taking pictures with friends and family.

Young boys like to show their bravery by diving off a bridge into a tiny pool of blue water. They gladly accept some pesos in return for their feats of danger.

There are different shops where you can buy drinking water, which you will need because in order to see the entire park, you will need to walk a lot. There are also shops where you can get something to eat (a snack) and specially shops where you can buy really nice souvenirs.

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Valle de Bravo is a small picturesque colonial town located in the state of Mexico. It is surrounded by beautiful mountains in the middle of a big forest. As you can see, Valle de Bravo also has a beautiful lake where people like to sail and practice other water sports. This colonial town is only an hour away from the industrial city of Toluca. In order to get to Valle de Bravo if you are coming from abroad, you will need to take a plane to the city of Toluca and then catch a bus or rent a car to drive there.

There are many reasons why people like to come to Valle the Bravo on vacations. Some wealthy mexicans from Mexico city come here every weekend or on holidays to spend some relaxing time in their nice homes that they built just for that. Nature lovers come here to enjoy some of the town’s natural beauty such as the forest, the lake, the rivers, the waterfalls, and the amazing views you can have from the different mountains there are.

There are also others that come here to enjoy the food, the colonial style architecture, and the different handcrafts stores that makes this town a very peaceful and colorful place. And what can I say about extreme sports lovers? Well, there is something for them, too. As for extreme sports Valle de Bravo has become a popular spot for hangliding and paragliding, making this town a preferred destination for thrill seekers.

As far as accomodations in Valle de Bravo, I can say that there are quite a few nice and luxurious hotels. However, I strongly recommend that if you come to this place and you are going to be in the mountains, in the forest, and near a lake, you should rent one of those nice wooden “cabañas”.

Anyway, If you are thinking of spending some relaxing time toguether with your family or friends, come to Valle de Bravo. I can guarantee that you will have a very relaxing and at the same time exciting mexican vacation.

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These amazing waterfalls get their name “Cascadas de Agua Azul” (blue waterfalls) from the blue color of the water on a sunny day. These waterfalls can be found in the beautiful state of Chiapas. They are located about an hour drive from the ruins of Palenque so you can easily visit the ruins in the morning when it’s not too hot and then go to the waterfalls to refresh yourself.

In order to get to the waterfalls you can either pay for a tour that will include not just going to the ruins of Palenque but also going to these waterfalls as well as other smaller ones, or you can rent a car and drive there. The road to get to the falls is in very good condition but you have to drive carefully because of the many curves you will find and also because you are driving in the mountains. Of course, I guarantee amazing views as you drive to get there.

Once you get to the waterfalls, you will be able to swim in very clean and refreshing waters. Among the different things that you can do there besides swimming, are: buying handcrafts, eating, taking pictures, having a picnic, and hiking.

I have been to the waterfalls togheter with my wife and some friends and we had a wonderful time. We first went to the ruins in Palenque and spent there a couple of hours and then we drove to the falls. By the time we got there, we were so hot and swetty that we got into the water right away. We also bought some handcrafts and had lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch, we spent some time walking around the park and taking lots of pictures. Anyway, if you ever get the chance to visit mexico and if you love nature, you must come to chiapas and see some of its beautiful places like this one. More Pictures…