Sima de las Cotorras (“Sinkhole of the Parrots”) is a large open pit cave in the state of Chiapas that is home to an impressive number of green parakeets. Similar to the cenotes of the Yucatan Peninsula, this sinkhole is a karst formation in limestone, but instead of water at the bottom, it has abundant vegetation at the base. It is located within the Selva El Ocote Biosphere Reserve.
This sinkhole has nearly vertical walls and is about 140 meters (460 ft) deep and 160 meters (520 ft) around – roughly the size of a 30-story building. The vegetation here is tropical forest, but interestingly, the vegetation at the bottom of the cavity is quite different from what you’ll find at the top, with trees that reach up to 30 meters in height, while those at the surface level tend to be much shorter. This is attributed to the higher humidity and warmer temperatures lower down. The parakeets who live here bring seeds from other places, which then take root in the lower level of the sinkhole.
There are many birds and animals in this region, including grouse, hawks, owls, foxes, and coyotes, but the thousands of Green parakeets (Aratinga holochlora) who make their home here for a large part of the year are the main attraction. The parakeets are attracted to this place because of the absence of predators, and the protected area inside the sinkhole makes for ideal nesting conditions.
Sima de las Cotorras is similar to El Sótano de las Golondrinas (“Cave of the Swallows”) in San Luis Potosí, though that hole is much deeper and with a smaller mouth. It is the nesting area of swallows rather than parakeets.
Read about more of Mexico’s natural wonders.
What To Do
There is an observation path that leads all the way around the perimeter of the sinkhole. From here, you can see the parakeets and observe the vegetation from a variety of different vantage points. More adventurous visitors can rappel down into the hole, spotting some ancient rock paintings along the way. You will then rock climb to the top to come back out again.
There is a restaurant, and there are tourist services available at the site. There are cabins available for rent, and it is also possible to camp there.
When To Go
You can visit the Sima de las Cotorras any time of the year, but to see the green parakeets, you should visit between March and October. In the morning, the parakeets leave their nests to fly out, so for the most spectacular sight of the birds flying up in a circular pattern out of the sinkhole, get there at dawn. In the evenin,g they fly back again. I was there around 3:30 pm on an afternoon in May, and I still saw many parakeets flying around – and the sound of their chirping was quite impressive. Have a look at this short video on my Instagram account.
Getting There
From the Chiapas state capital, Tuxtla Gutierrez, travel west to the town of Ocozocoautla (about 20 miles). From there, you take an unpaved road for another 10 miles to the Sima de las Cotorras. The drive from Tuxtla takes about 90 minutes.
