Nature reserve 12 km northwest of Ocozocoautla
A 140-meter sinkhole where hundreds of green parakeets spiral out at dawn, with ancient red rock paintings on its walls.
The Sima de las Cotorras is a huge round sinkhole in the forest north of Ocozocoautla, about 140 meters deep and some 160 meters across, with a patch of jungle growing at the bottom. It sits at the edge of the Selva El Ocote biosphere reserve, in Zoque country, and takes its name from the green parakeets that nest in its walls for most of the year.
The show happens at sunrise. As the light comes up, the parakeets leave the sinkhole together, circling upward in noisy flocks until they spill over the rim and scatter across the forest; in the late afternoon they drift back in smaller groups. Watching from the rim at dawn, with the mist still in the hole, is one of the great natural sights of central Chiapas.
On one of the vertical walls are red rock paintings of human figures, animals and geometric shapes. Some may be very old, while others are thought to date from around a thousand years ago, and they are hard to reach, which makes them all the more striking. The site has been run since 1985 by the local Zoque community, which built cabins and a restaurant so visitors can sleep on the rim and be there at first light.
What to see and do
Be at the rim at sunrise to watch the parakeets spiral out of the sinkhole.
See the red rock paintings on the walls, from the lookout or on a guided walk.
Rappel into the sinkhole with the community's guides, if you are up for it.
Stay overnight in the cabins on the rim so you don't have to drive in before dawn.
Getting there
The sinkhole is roughly 45 minutes to an hour from Ocozocoautla. Take the highway east toward Tuxtla to the turnoff at Piedra Parada, then follow a rough dirt road of about 18 km north to the site; a high-clearance vehicle helps, especially after rain. Tour operators in Tuxtla Gutiérrez run dawn trips. Ocozocoautla saw a wave of organized-crime violence in 2024, so check current conditions locally and avoid driving the back roads at night.
12 km northwest of Ocozocoautla
Directions from Ocozocoautla on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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Weather mild
Sima de las Cotorras shares the climate of Ocozocoautla, 12 km away. The best months to visit are Jan, Mar, Apr, Dec.
Make Ocozocoautla your base
Sima de las Cotorras is an easy trip from Ocozocoautla, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
More around Ocozocoautla
-
El Aguacero
· Waterfall · 16 km away
A waterfall that rains out of the walls of the Río La Venta canyon, reached by more than 700 steps down into the gorge. -
Selva El Ocote
· Nature reserve · 34 km away
A vast biosphere reserve of tropical forest, caves and sinkholes north of town; visit with community guides.
Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.