Sima de las Cotorras

Sima de las Cotorras lies about 60 km northwest of Tuxtla Gutiérrez in Ejido Piedra Parada, with no regular public transport reaching the site, so a rental car or a private tour arranged in Tuxtla is the practical way in, taking roughly 4-5 hours round trip including time at the sinkhole. The defining reason to visit is the dawn parakeet flight: between March and October, thousands of green parakeets nesting in the sinkhole walls spiral out of the depths around 5:30-6:30AM, so a pre-dawn departure from Tuxtla Gutiérrez is necessary to be in place before the birds leave. The sinkhole itself is a dramatic 160-metre-wide, 140-metre-deep vertical shaft, and a viewing platform at the rim gives an unobstructed view of the flight without any climbing required. For those wanting to go further, a rope-assisted descent arranged with a community guide from the ejido reaches prehistoric red rock paintings on the interior wall, a physically demanding option that requires basic fitness and comfort with exposure, and is not included in a standard rim visit. The parakeets return to roost at dusk, so travellers who want to see both flights typically stay the day, and the ejido that manages the site runs a small restaurant and cabañas for exactly that purpose, serving simple regional meals such as grilled chicken and fresh tortillas. Outside the March-October nesting season the parakeets are largely absent, so the site is better treated purely as a scenic sinkhole viewpoint in the remaining months. A hat, water and sturdy shoes are worth carrying regardless of whether the descent is attempted, since the rim area has little shade.