Ocozocoautla, or Ocozocoautla de Espinosa, is visited for the sheer beauty of the landscape. The fog here is so omnipresent, one can't help but imagine that the entire town is blanketed in the comforting wisdom of history. And spirits really do soar here.
The name in Nahuatl means simply forest of ocozote trees. Ocozote is the Nahuatl name for the majestic Montezuma pine. It grows here, in Guatemala, and at other limited places in central Mexico. But that only begins to give you an idea of the place.
Ocozocoautla is a town of some 95,000 residents. It's visited for the Sima de las Cotorras where birds circle, and for the Aguacero waterfall. The very landscape will convince most guests that this is somewhere very special.
The Zoque Coiteco Carnival, likely the most important civic celebraiton, takes place every year at the beginning of Lent. But throughout the year, the San Juan Bautista church provides a central backdrop to the town. Dating from the 16th century, the Mudejar influence is striking and nearly unique.
People arrive to Ocozocoautla from the state capital at Tuxtla Gutiérrez. Rapidos del Sur runs multiple buses each day for trips that take just about an hour from Tuxtla. Fypsa (Autobuses Fletes y Pasajes) runs a slightly faster route, at half an hour, but they run just two buses daily.
