Neil and I have been meaning to hit this touristy spot since we came to San Cristobal in May, and we finally made the voyage. They canyon was only made accessible in the 1970s when a dam flooded the Grajalva river and made it passable by boat. At the highest point the canyon walls are 1 km high. Local legend has it that a group of Mayans came here to commit suicide rather than submit to Spanish rule.
The ride was pretty exhilarating. Mexico has a refreshing & terrifying lack of safety standards. The boat was loaded with 30 people, and the guide took liberties with speed you may expect from an Indy 500 racer.
The animal life are not hindered by the frequent speedy tourist boats passing by. We saw many crocs, pelicans & other birds, monkeys etc.
Later that night we were commandeered by Dr. Clark (Neil’s archaeologist boss) and an old friend of his Tom Lee, an X pat who has lived here in Mexico for 40 years. They got out a 50’s film projector and we all watched a few film reels together. One of them, as it turns out, was of an expedition group from the US who voyaged the Canyon before the dam was put in. Tom Lee was one of the men on the trip. The rapids used to be so dangerous that they had to drag the several-ton boats through the jungle to avoid many of them. The footage was pretty impressive.
The trip was my perfect nature trip. No personal exertion, animals pointed out to you by a guide danger-free, and plenty of photo opps.