Tapijulapa and Parque Villa Luz

Tapijulapa lies 112 km south of Villahermosa in the forested foothills of the Sierra, about two hours by car via Highway 195 through Teapa and Tacotalpa. The town itself, built along the Río Oluta and Río Amatán, is one of Mexico's officially designated Pueblos Mágicos, with steep cobbled streets, whitewashed walls and red-tile roofs, and small workshops producing woven baskets from mimbre (wicker) that visitors can watch being made. A short lancha ride from the town's river landing, or a walking trail through the surrounding forest, leads to Parque Villa Luz, a state park centred on the Cueva de las Sardinas Ciegas, a sulfurous cave whose milky, mineral-rich springs are home to a population of small blind fish. According to local Zoque tradition tied to the festival of San Isidro Labrador, held around Semana Festival de la Sardina Ciega in the days after Holy Week, community members net the fish from the cave's outflow as an offering, an event that has become a notable local festival. Outside the festival dates, visitors can walk the forest trails around the park, view the cave entrance and its outflow pools, and swim in cooler river sections nearby. A day trip works well pairing a morning walking around Tapijulapa's town centre and workshops with an afternoon visit to Parque Villa Luz, before returning to Villahermosa by early evening.