Llano Grande – Nature in a Protected Area

Llano Grande as a Destination

If you’re looking for a hotel in Llano Grande, the natural setting helps put the destination in context. The Llano Grande ejido is located within the Zona Sujeta a Conservación Ecológica Cordón Pico El Loro-Paxtal. The protected area covers 61,268.34 hectares; it was decreed on November 22, 2000. This protected-area framework gives the destination a clear focus on landscape, water, and nature conservation. If you’d like to take nature into account when choosing where to travel, the rivers, wildlife, and named initiatives offer specific points of reference in Llano Grande.

Water and Landscape

The protected area has a complex water network, with numerous rivers that flow year-round and streams that flow intermittently. Their flow patterns distinguish these two elements of the natural environment: rivers flow year-round, while streams flow only intermittently. The water network therefore describes not just individual waterways, but different flow patterns within the protected area.

One specific natural attraction is Cascada Maíz Blanco in the Llano Grande ejido, with a drop of approximately 300 meters. It adds a named waterfall to the water network. If waterfalls are important to your choice of destination, the cascade offers a specific point of reference alongside the broader description of rivers and streams.

Wildlife in the Protected Area

The resplendent quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno) is among the wildlife found in the protected area. The endemic fish Chiapaheros grammodes has been recorded in its tributaries. Their geographical references differ: the quetzal is associated with the protected area as a whole, while the fish is specifically associated with the tributaries. This extends the picture from wildlife throughout the area to a species linked to its waterways. Their presence does not guarantee that you will see them in person.

Conservation Work and Getting There

Conservation work also has a local dimension: soil conservation work using woven brushwood barriers was carried out on ten hectares in the Llano Grande ejido, in the municipality of Motozintla de Mendoza. The stated area and type of work make the initiative specific; alongside the protected area’s broad designation, it represents a distinct conservation effort at the ejido level.

An environmental education activity took place in the ejido in 2021 and focused on identifying the animals living in the protected area. Unlike the soil conservation work, this past activity focused on wildlife and its identification. Thus, conservation-related activities include both soil protection work and an educational initiative.

An official program in 2016 proposed rehabilitating a four-kilometer stretch of the unpaved road between Maíz Blanco and Llano Grande. Check current road conditions when planning your trip. The years refer to different matters: 2000 marks the decree establishing the protected area, 2016 refers to the program at the planning stage, and 2021 to the environmental education activity that took place. This keeps the protected-area framework, road planning, and past educational activity distinct in time.

Discover more destinations: Cacahoatán, Zinacantán, Tuzantán, Maravilla Tenejapa, La Trinitaria, Seontaltic, Champa, Ocozocoautla de Espinosa.

For the broader travel overview: Chiapas.