Cuatro Ciénegas

Introducing Cuatro Ciénegas

The tranquil town of Cuatro Ciénegas is the perfect base for exploring the Área de Protección de Flora y Fauna Cuatrociénegas. With hundreds of shimmering cerulean pozas (pools), some up to 18m deep, and streams in the middle of the Chihuahuan desert, the reserve is special. Fed by a network of over 500 underground springs, it’s a desert habitat of both extraordinary beauty and biological diversity. Over 75 endemic species, including three turtles and eleven kinds of fish, thrive in this fragile environment, an 843-sq-km protected reserve.

Within the pellucid waters of these desert aquariums is a wide variety of small fish (who like to nibble on you harmlessly), as well as organisms called estromatolitos (stromatolites), found in only two other places on earth, which are similar to the first oxygen-producing life forms. A few of the pools have been set aside as recreational spots and are ideal for swimming and snorkeling (you can buy cheap gear at several stores in town).

The town of Cuatro Ciénegas is an agreeable place with some adobe buildings and a handful of hotels and restaurants. You’ll find a bank (with ATM) on the corner of Zaragoza and Escobedo, one block north of the plaza, and an internet café a block and a half to the southeast on Morelos. The tiny tourist office (696-09-02; Carranza 100 Sur; 9am-3pm Mon-Fri) is in the Presidencia Municipal.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009