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Voykit pocket guide · Mexico
Ocozocoautla
Ocozocoautla de Espinoza
Give Coita one night as a base for the Cascada El Aguacero and Sima de las Cotorras, or skip it and day-trip from Tuxtla Gutiérrez.
Ocozocoautla — Coita to everyone local — is a small Zoque town of about 39,000 people 1 h by bus from Tuxtla Gutiérrez, and a Pueblo Mágico. The town itself is a church, a square and a market; the reason to come is the country around it: the La Venta canyon, the El Aguacero waterfall and the Sima de las Cotorras sinkhole, all reached with a local guide or a taxi. Sleep here if you want an early start at the sinkhole; otherwise use Tuxtla as the base.
- Country
- Mexico
- Local name
- Ocozocoautla de Espinoza
- Best months
- Nov–Apr (dry season)
- Avoid
- Jun–Oct (rain, mud on the trails), Holy Week crowds
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- MXN
- Money
- Currency is the Mexican peso (MXN, $). Cards work in hotels, chains and many restaurants; markets, street food, small shops and colectivos are cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget M$500–900 excl. bed · Mid M$900–1,600 excl. bed · High M$1,600+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Telcel has the widest coverage; AT&T and Movistar are cheaper in cities. SIMs sell at OXXO shops and phone stores; registration with an ID may be requested — check.
- Emergency
- All emergencies 911 · Tourist assistance (SECTUR) 078 · Green Angels roadside help 078
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 127 V · 60 Hz · US plugs fit; many older sockets have no earth pin.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: 10–15%; check the bill for an included 'servicio'.; Bars: MXN 10–20 per drink or 10%.; Petrol station attendants: MXN 10–20; more for windscreen and tyres.; Guides and drivers: 10% or MXN 200–400 a day.; Supermarket baggers (often older volunteers): MXN 5–10.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap; garrafón (20-litre jugs) and filtered water in hotels.
- Toilets
- Put paper in the bin, not the toilet, in most places; public toilets charge MXN 5–10.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | M$25–45 |
| Set breakfast or comida corrida | M$120–200 |
| Beer, bottle in a shop / at a table | M$25–40 / M$45–70 |
| Taxi in town | M$40–80 |
| Bus Tuxtla Gutiérrez ↔ Ocozocoautla | About M$50 (check) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | M$200–400 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- TGZ · Tuxtla Gutiérrez (Ángel Albino Corzo)
- About 1 h by bus or taxi from Ocozocoautla; Rapidos Sur buses run roughly every 90 min.
Typical fares
- Bus Tuxtla Gutiérrez → Ocozocoautla, Rapidos Sur
- about M$50, about 1 h (check)
- Taxi Parque Central → Cascada El Aguacero
- M$400–600 each way (check)
- Taxi in town
- M$40–80
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The centre is walkable in 15 min end to end. Taxis wait by Parque Central; for the waterfall, the sinkhole or the reserve you need a taxi or a guided tour, and ride-hailing apps are unreliable here. Agree the fare before you get in.
See and do
Known for
- Sima de las Cotorras sinkhole
- Cascada El Aguacero
- Cañón Río La Venta
- Selva El Ocote Biosphere Reserve
- Carnaval de Coita
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Cascada El Aguacero | Taxi or guided tour from town, then steps down to the river | About 1 h each way |
| Sima de las Cotorras | Taxi or tour, about 20 km (12 mi) from townTaxi or tour, about 12 mi (20 km) from town | About 45 min each way |
| Cañón Río La Venta | Guided expedition into the Selva El Ocote reserve | Full day or more |
| Tuxtla Gutiérrez | Rapidos Sur bus from the Cruz Blanca terminal | About 1 h |
| Chiapa de Corzo and Cañón del Sumidero | Bus to Tuxtla, then local transport to Chiapa de Corzo | 2–2.5 h |
| San Cristóbal de las Casas | Bus to Tuxtla, then onward bus or colectivo | 3–3.5 h |
Sleep
- Centro
- Around Parque Central and the San Juan Bautista church; walkable to the market and the bus station is a short taxi away.
- Cruz Blanca
- North side by the bus terminal; practical for a one-night stop with bags.
- Santisima Trinidad / San Juan
- Quiet streets 5–10 min walk from the square; most of the small hotels sit here.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | Disculpedees-KOOL-peh |
| Thank you | GraciasGRAH-syahs |
| How much is it? | ¿Cuánto cuesta?KWAN-toh KWES-tah |
| Can I pay by card? | ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?PWEH-doh pah-GAR kon tar-HEH-tah |
| Where is the bus station? | ¿Dónde está la terminal de autobuses?DON-deh es-TAH la ter-mee-NAL deh ow-toh-BOO-ses |
| I want to go to the waterfall | Quiero ir a la cascadaKYEH-roh eer ah la kas-KAH-dah |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; a kiss on the right cheek among friends; avoid: Skipping 'buenos días' when entering a shop
- Punctuality: Be on time for tours and buses; avoid: Expecting social events to start on time
- Talking: Warm small talk, family, food, football; avoid: Jokes about cartels, the wall or migration
- Churches: Covered shoulders, quiet; avoid: Photos during mass
- Dining: Say 'provecho' to other diners when leaving; avoid: Rushing the waiter
Scams and watch-outs
- Natural sites are outside town with no public transport: book a guide or a taxi for the day, not a one-way drop.
- Rappelling into the Sima de las Cotorras and canyon trips run with licensed operators only; check harnesses and insurance before you pay.
- Trails turn to mud in the rainy season and river levels rise fast: ask locally before setting out Jun–Oct.
- Small hotels may not have heating; winter nights at this altitude are cold.
- Carry cash: card machines are not universal in the market and small restaurants.
Coita is a quiet small town and the centre is calm day and night. The real risks are the outdoors — unlicensed rappelling and canyon operators, slippery trails and fast-rising rivers — plus cash-only small businesses and cold nights in rooms without heating.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Ocozocoautla yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Sima de las Cotorras sinkhole
- Cascada El Aguacero
- Cañón Río La Venta
- Selva El Ocote Biosphere Reserve
- Carnaval de Coita
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- SECTUR Pueblos Mágicos: www.gob.mx/sectur
- Wikivoyage: Ocozocoautla, revision 5313061 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5313061
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
OcozocoautlaOcozocoautla de Espinoza
A esta dirección, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Ocozocoautla; the US, UK and Canadian embassies are in Mexico City, with consulates in Tuxtla Gutiérrez (check services).
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/ocozocoautla). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.