Lagunas de Montebello

Lagunas de Montebello, or Montebello Lakes, (Spanish: Parque Nacional Lagunas de Montebello) is a national park in the Mexican state of Chiapas close to the border with Guatemala, comprising 59 multi-colored lakes in a pine forest and two Maya ruins. It was the first national park in Chiapas when created in 1959, and in 2009 the park was designated a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. The Lagunas de Montebello National Park is in the municipalities of La Trinitaria and La Independencia in southeastern Chiapas state, close to Guatemala. The nearest city is Comitán, an hour's drive to the west; the popular tourist city of San Cristóbal de las Casas is a further two more hours to the west The main attractions of the national park are its 59 lakes, collectively called the Montebello Lakes. The lakes are famous for their striking colors, which vary due to their different mineral contents, ranging from emerald and turquoise to dark green, and even purple and reddish black. About 15 of the lakes are easily accessible by car or foot. Lago Tziscao is the largest of the lakes with a village nearby. Other lakes include Montebello, La Cañada, Pojoj, and a group of five lakes known as the Lagunas de Colores (Lakes of Colors: Encantada, Ensueño, Esmeralda, Agua Tinta, and Bosque Azul). Many of the lakes are open for swimming, canoeing, and kayaking. There are also cenotes and a group of limestone caves called Grutas San Rafael del Arco in the park that can be visited on foot or horseback