The Ejido Llano Grande is located within the Zona Sujeta a Conservación Ecológica Cordón Pico El Loro-Paxtal. The protected area covers 61,268.34 hectares; it was established by decree on November 22, 2000. Llano Grande is therefore part of a large protected landscape. When planning your trip, it is helpful to distinguish the area spatially: the locality is not the same as the entire protected area, but it is part of its designated territory.

Waterways and wildlife in the protected area

The protected area has a complex network of waterways. Numerous rivers carry water year-round, while streams flow seasonally. When considering the landscape in terms of its water features, you can keep two distinct forms in mind: perennial rivers and streams that do not flow continuously. This is not just about a single natural attraction, but also about a network of waterways that is part of the protected area’s character.

The documented wildlife includes the Resplendent Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno). The endemic fish Chiapaheros grammodes has also been documented in tributaries of the protected area. Although the quetzal is part of the wildlife, you should not count on seeing one as a fixed part of your itinerary.

Cascada Maíz Blanco and conservation

Cascada Maíz Blanco is located in the Ejido Llano Grande; its drop is approximately 300 meters. This waterfall is one feature within the larger network of rivers and seasonally flowing streams. Its approximate height gives you a sense of scale for this natural attraction, but it remains an estimate. This distinction can help you plan by theme, separating a specific waterfall from the protected area’s broader waterways.

Soil conservation is also part of the conservation work in the ejido: brushwood check dams were built there across ten hectares. Across the protected area, 20 hectares of degraded land in need of restoration were reforested as part of a conservation project. These measures represent different approaches—soil conservation in the ejido and reforestation in the protected area. In 2021, an environmental education activity was also held in the Ejido Llano Grande, during which animals from the protected zone were identified. This adds an educational activity about the animals living there to the landscape and species perspective. It is helpful to distinguish the areas involved: the ten hectares of brushwood check dams are in the Ejido Llano Grande, while the 20 hectares of reforestation relate to the protected area as a whole. The larger measure should therefore not be attributed solely to Llano Grande.

Planning your route

An official program included plans in 2016 to rehabilitate the four-kilometer section of the rural road between Maíz Blanco and Llano Grande. If you are considering this section for your journey, check current road conditions before setting out.

Discover more destinations: Cacahoatán, Ocosingo, Totolapa, Ciudad Juárez, Tapachula, San Cristóbal De Las Casas, El Porvenir de Velasco Suárez, Jiquipilas

For the overview of the wider region: Chiapas.