Nature reserve 9 km east of Cosalá
A university-run reserve around an old mining town east of Cosalá, with a macaw aviary and one of Mexico's longest zip lines.
East of Cosalá, around the old mining settlement of Nuestra Señora, the Autonomous University of Sinaloa (UAS) runs an ecological reserve of some 5,000 hectares of dry tropical forest in the foothills of the Sierra Madre Occidental. It combines nature, mining history, and a good dose of adventure.
The headline attraction is the zip line. Its four sections cross deep canyons, and the longest, about 750 meters, flies over the Río Habitas; it is often described as the second-longest zip line in Mexico. Back on the ground, a trail leads to a large aviary of military macaws (guacamaya verde), one of the biggest in the country, and the reserve also has a deer enclosure, a lookout, an observatory, a swimming pool, and a small museum about the area's mines.
More than a hundred bird species have been recorded here. Walk about 2 kilometers upriver to find petroglyphs carved on the rocks, and in the rainy season a waterfall runs in the canyon. Cabins and simple rooms make it possible to stay overnight.
What to see and do
Fly the zip line, including the long run over the Río Habitas canyon.
Visit the military macaw aviary.
Walk about 2 kilometers upriver to the petroglyphs.
Learn about the old mines in the reserve's museum.
Stay overnight in a cabin and watch the stars from the observatory.
Getting there
The reserve is about 12 kilometers from Cosalá, around 25 minutes by car on the road to Nuestra Señora. There is a small entrance fee, and the zip line is paid separately; check opening times before you go, especially outside holiday periods.
9 km east of Cosalá
Directions from Cosalá on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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Weather warm
Reserva Ecológica Nuestra Señora shares the climate of Cosalá, 9 km away. The best months to visit are Jan, Feb, Dec.
Make Cosalá your base
Reserva Ecológica Nuestra Señora is an easy trip from Cosalá, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
More around Cosalá
-
Vado Hondo
· Waterfall · 8 km away
Cosalá's favorite swimming spot: three waterfalls, a small lake, and natural pools of warm, mineral-rich water west of town. -
Guadalupe de los Reyes
· Town · 24 km away
A remote old mining town in the sierra with an aged church and narrow streets, reached by a long dirt road from Cosalá.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.