In the Cloud Forest (Spanish: Bosque de Niebla) you will find giant plants that survived the last ice age that ended 10,000 years ago, which will remind you of the Jurassic Park movie. Among these plants are the tree ferns and the malanga. The latter it is used as umbrella, a very ecological option.
An impressive tree that grows here are the pivotantes. The peculiarity of these trees is that they do not grow from a trunk like ordinary trees, but first the tree’s crown grows, which clings to other trees and then roots in the air to find the soil. So, these trees do not have a trunk but many trunks.
To visit this forest, you must enter the Chinantec communities of Santa Cruz Tepetotutla and San Antonio del Barrio in the Sierra Norte de Oaxaca.
In addition, in San Antonio del Barrio you can visit the exact site where in 2004 a pre-hispanic tomb from 600-1500 years ago was found. Due to this discovery, a small museum was created in the community where objects and a replica of the tomb are exhibited.
These communities are in the municipality of San Felipe Usila, so you will find here the famous Stone Soup, typical dish of this region.
It is a good idea to stay overnight here. The community of Santa Cruz Tepetotutla offers hotel rooms to sleep in the middle of the forest.
How to get there: From Tuxtepec it is 155 km, around 4 hours by car. Take the federal highway 175 Oaxaca-Tuxtepec and at Km 111 take the deviation towards Yólox. Continue for 44 km more (1h 45m) until you reach Santa Cruz Tepetotutla.
More information: Santa Cruz Tepetotutla, San Felipe Usila
Tel: +52 283 488 3725Facebook: @Tepetotutla
