Cycling Backroads To Lagunas De Montebello
Lake Tziscao is the largest of the 59 lakes found at Parque Nacional Lagunas de Montebello.
We had heard good things about Lagunas de Montebello from our new friends in San Cristobal de Las Casas. The main highway from Comitán to the lakes looked pretty busy, so we decided to look for some side roads. I discovered a dirt road leading from El Triunfo through a beautiful pinewood forest which connects to the lakes and highway 307.
The lakes are indeed beautiful, but I found the abundance of Pinus chiapensis (Chiapan pines) equally impressive. Entry to the bigger lakes is $20 pesos per person and this gives full access to all the lakes for one day.
We stopped at the namesake lake, Montebello, for lunch before riding on towards Lago Tziscao. There is beautiful lakeside camping at Lake Tziscao about 500 metres from the Guatemalan Border for $30 pesos. We enjoyed the nice weather whilst we cooked up a massive pasta feast to satisfy our relentless cycling hunger.
Jenny has a real soft spot for these floppy eared cows. She giggles every time we see one.
The dirt road from El Triunfo to the lakes is about 20km.
We lucked out with the weather considering it’s middle of rainy season.
Nice and cool cycling through the pinewoods in the morning
Another one of Jenny’s floppy eared friends just hanging out amongst the Chiapan pinos
Big, beautiful beetles
Agua Tinta, the bluest of the blue lakes
Jenny taking a snooze after our lakeside lunch at Montebello’s namesake lake
Cycling around Montebello
Self portrait at the lookout above Lake Tsizcao
The ice cream guy kindly took a photo after we bought some of his limón sorbet
View of the border monument on the hill at Lake Tziscao
Camouflage camping as the sun creeps over Lake Tziscao
Just after sunrise on Lake Tziscao 500 metres from the Guatemalan border
Lago International is a tiny lake, half Mexican, half Guatemalan, divided down the middle by orange buoys. We joked about hiding out in the international waters, paddling back and forth between the two to avoid the authorities.