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 Travel & Outdoors | January 2008 
Adventure Guide to Mexico
Hiking: The Sierra Norte
 Bonnie Tsui - NYTimes
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| | The Sierra Norte is part of a bioregion designated by Conservation International as one of the richest and most endangered in the world. | | |
The Sierra Norte is one of the most biologically diverse mountain systems in Mexico, blanketing an area of about 6,500 square miles in the northern part of Oaxaca state. Its diverse topography includes steep mountain slopes covered in pine and oak, cactus-clad 5,000-foot valleys and lush tropical coastline, with an elevation range from sea level to 10,000 feet. Much of the biological richness of the Sierra Norte is found in its mountainous cloud forests, long isolated because of their steep slopes and high altitudes.
The Sierra Norte is part of a bioregion designated by Conservation International as one of the richest and most endangered in the world, with unique species of orchids and wildlife including southern flying squirrels, Pacific orange tip butterflies, Oaxaca hummingbirds and white-throated jays.
Because of its remoteness, the Sierra Norte is seldom explored beyond the fringes of the city of Oaxaca, and much of it is inhabited by various indigenous communities. But the hiking in the Sierra Norte is stunning, and the Puerto Vallarta-based travel company Journey Mexico leads a nine-day tour that takes trekkers through a tapestry of ecosystems. The outfitter has also partnered with local residents to visit indigenous villages.
The trip starts with an exploration of the colorful and historic city of Oaxaca, including visits to the pre-Columbian ruins of Monte Alban and Mitla. From there, it continues to the mountains, where a few days are spent hiking and living in the Sierra Norte with Zapotec communities that remain largely traditional and untouched by modern life.
Residents have set up a system of trails and cabins. The tour company hopes that by creating opportunities for local people to become guides or lodge owners, they will have alternatives to working in logging, which has already cut through some areas. The hiking level throughout is moderate, with some full- and half-day hikes; most are through valley and forest landscapes.
A big draw is the rare chance to meet with local people and learn about the sacred traditions of the rural region. The itinerary also includes two nights spent at a beach-side lodge in the fishing village of Puerto Escondido on the Pacific; from here, guests can kayak and hike into mangrove-lined estuaries and perhaps view endangered sea turtles laying eggs. They can also scuba dive, snorkel, kayak and surf. The best is saved for last, when a hike from the slopes of the Sierra Madre del Sur leads through deep tropical lowland jungle to a crashing waterfall and swimming hole.
Journey Mexico, (800) 513-1587; www.journeymexico.com; nine-day Oaxaca Mountains to the Pacific trek from $2,490, including lodging, most meals and transportation including flights between Oaxaca and Puerto Escondido.
Bonnie Tsui is editor of “A Leaky Tent Is a Piece of Paradise” (Sierra Club), a collection of essays on the outdoors. |
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