Corredor Biológico Chichinautzin

Much of the volcanic ridge that closes off northern Morelos is protected as the Corredor Biológico Chichinautzin, formally a flora and fauna protection area. Its decree appeared in the federal Diario Oficial on 30 November 1988 and names eight Morelos municipalities: Huitzilac, Cuernavaca, Tepoztlán, Jiutepec, Tlalnepantla, Yautepec, Tlayacapan and Totolapan. The state environment ministry's table, built on CONANP data, gives 37,302.40 ha, of which 36,986.82 ha lie in Morelos. Add the two neighbouring national parks and the total passes 65,000 ha, which is the figure many news articles quote.

The area comes in two pieces, one west and one east of El Tepozteco National Park, and its job is to tie that park to the Lagunas de Zempoala park. It has three core zones: Chalchihuites (783 ha), Chichinautzin-Quiahuistepec (2,873 ha, with the Chichinautzin volcano and the Quiahuistepec ridge) and Las Mariposas (1,740 ha, at the eastern end of the Tepoztlán range). Cerro Chichinautzin reaches about 3,470 m and neighbouring Cuatzin 3,510 m. Seven vegetation types grow inside the boundary: pine, oak and oyamel fir forest high up, cloud forest, and tropical dry forest on the lower slopes.

Volcanic rock here is very porous, so rain sinks in and recharges the aquifers that supply Cuernavaca and part of southern Mexico City. Species native to the mountains of central Mexico include the volcano rabbit (Romerolagus diazi), the volcano mouse and a mountain rattlesnake; surveys list about 237 bird species and over 300 fungi, more than 80 of them edible and gathered by local communities.

There is no single gate. The corridor is a belt of forest and villages that you visit in sections: from Huitzilac and the Zempoala side, from Tepoztlán, or from the slopes above Cuernavaca. Official guides list hiking, camping, mountain biking, rappelling and wildlife watching as the main activities.