Santo Domingo, Unión Juárez & Volcán Tacaná

Introducing Santo Domingo, Unión Juárez & Volcán Tacaná

Volcán Tacaná’s dormant cone towers over the countryside north of Tapachula. Even if you’re not interested in climbing to its summit, two villages on its gorgeously verdant lower slopes make an attractive trip, their cooler climate offering welcome relief from the Tapachula steam bath.

Santo Domingo lies 34km northeast of Tapa­chula, amid coffee plantations. The imposing three-story wooden 1920s casa grande of the German immigrants who formerly owned the coffee plantation here has been restored as the Centro Turístico Santo Domingo (627-00-55; 8am-8pm), with a restaurant (mains M$35 to M$80), a small coffee museum (M$10) and a well-tended tropical garden and pool (M$10).

Nine kilometers beyond Santo Domingo, Unión Juárez (population 2700, elevation 1300m) is the starting point for ascents of Tacaná and other, less demanding walks. Tapachula folk like to come up here on weekends and holidays to cool off and feast on parrillada, a cholesterol-challenging plate of grilled meat and a few vegetables.

The best months to climb Tacaná are late November to March. There are two routes up the mountain from Unión Juárez. Neither requires any technical climbing, but you need to allow two or three days for either, preferably plus time to acclimatize. Be prepared for extreme cold at the top. The less steep route is via Chiquihuites, 12km from Unión Juárez and reachable by vehicle. From there it’s a three-hour walk to Papales, where you can sleep in huts for a donation of M$20. From Papales to the summit is about a five-hour ascent. The other route is via Talquián (about two hours’ walk from Unión Juárez) and Trigales (five hours from Talquián). It’s about a six-hour climb from Trigales to the summit. The two routes meet a couple of hours below the summit, and on both you have access to camping areas.

Combis from Unión Juárez will carry you to the small town of Córdoba, about halfway to Talquián, also passing the turnoff for Chiquihuites (about 1½ hours’ walk away). It’s a good idea to get a guide for Tacaná in Unión Juárez. Ask for the Valera brothers at Hotel Colonial Campestre (647-20-15), or Humberto Ríos at the Cafetal de la Montaña (647-20-31). Expect to pay about M$500 for an ascent.

Another local place to head for is Pico del Loro, a parrot’s beak-shaped overhanging rock that offers fine panoramas. The rock is 5km up a drivable track that leaves the Santo Domingo–Unión Juárez road about halfway between the two villages. Or ask directions to La Ventana (the Window), a lookout point over the valley of the Río Suchiate (the international border), or the Cascadas Muxbal, each about one hour’s walk from Unión Juárez.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009