The Arcotete Ecotourism Park (or El Arcotete Parque Ecoturístico) is about 20 minutes outside of San Cristóbal de las Casas. They’re located in the southern state of Chiapas, México. The lush park includes a short-paved hike, that leads through a limestone cave system. The caves have incredible views of the surrounding area. This cave system is most often visited by locals. It tends to be off the beaten path for the average backpacker.
It’s a tourist attractions that is easy to get to and budget friendly. Besides it only takes a few hours to explore in it’s entirety. The park has tons of lush green pine trees and fauna. It’s the perfect place to escape into nature and get away from the hustle and bustle of city life.
There are three ways to get to El Arcotete and the option to walk is not recommended, so I am not going to cover it here. Taxis are by far the easiest way to get to the caves. They take about 15 minutes and generally cost between 75-100 MXN ($3.75-$5 USD). A taxi is convenient because it will pick you up from you’re accomodation and drop you off at the entrance to the park. It leaves the option to get dropped off anywhere in the city after a visit.
The best choice, and the one I recommend, is to take the adventurous route and travel with a collectivo. Collectivo’s run every 30 minutes between the city and the park. A collectivo is a white van that can have a majority of the seats pulled out. This allows more people to fit inside. They’re one of the cheapest ways to navigate local areas in Mexico.
Going to the caves by collectivo should only cost about 10 MXN ($0.50) in one direction. To go by collectivo, head to the Iglesia de Santo Domingo Market area. Keep an eye on the vans as they pass by. Look for the one that has a sign that reads El Arcotete Ecotourismo on the windshield, and flag down the driver.
Caves, Hiking, River Boats, and Ziplines
The path in the caves takes about 45 minutes to traverse. It offers incredible views of the surrounding park. The caves are high above the park, inside rocky limestone cliffs. Water eroded away the limestone, creating the caves as they’re seen today. There are a handful of labeled rock formations along the route. With a little imagination visitors can see a couple of aliens, a mermaid, and spiderman’s den.
The lush park has a slow-moving river that runs through the center. Take a calm short ride on a small boat for 20 MXN ($1). It takes about 15 minutes from start to finish and offers a new perspective of the terrain.
There is a budget friendly zipline course for the more adventurous visitor. It costs 100 MXN ($5) and provides sweeping views above the jungle’s canopy. If you want to zipline, be sure to let the staff know at the entrance of the park. They’ll get you set up with the safety equipment. The zipline is about 300 meters. It gives an interesting perspective of the eco-park, and the clearest view of El Arco de Piedra (The Rock Arch).
There are a few hiking trails with lots of signs pointing where to go. The path’s interconnect and are pretty short. So, it doesn’t matter which direction you take. The path from the entrance splits in two directions. One leads to the cave entrance and the other leads downhill.
The downhill path leads to a view point of the formation the park is famous for, El Arco de Piedra. The river flows through the center of the arch and the path provides incredible views of it. It’s tough to miss the beautiful stalagmite and stalactite formations around it.
Overall, the Arcotete Caves are a fantastic experience. They provide a nice escape from the busy city life and are a little off the beaten path. If you’re traveling with a family then it’s the perfect place to spend a day. There are plenty of picnic tables and trash cans. So, don’t forget to bring a lunch and enjoy some nature. I enjoyed my afternoon here and would definitely come back to this excellent park!
