|
|
| Cuautitlán and Cuzalapa |
| Cuautitlán de García Barragán is a tiny town of some 2,000 inhabitants located roughly 2,900 feet above Cihuatlan and the Barra de Navidad and Melaque area in the Sierra Manantlán. Cuautitlán has been interpreted as meaning either place in the trees or place where there is lots of firewood in Náhuatl. |
| This beautiful area is forested with both deciduous and coniferous trees and part of it lies in the officially designated Sierra Manantlan Biosphere Reserve. Conquered by Spain in 1522, directly after the conquest of Colima, it features a beautiful over 200-year old Church and some other Colonial architecture. The two main industries in the area are farming - sugar cane being the main cash crop - and ranching. |
| Tiny Cuzalapa located in the municipio of Cuautitlán is also completely located in the Sierra Mantlan Biosphere Reserve. Cuzalapa is known for it's wonderful shade grown, organic arabica coffee. The women of the town of Cuzalapa formed a co-operative to sell hand made and hand embroidered clothing and to harvest and sell the product of the over 100 year-old coffee plants that grow throughout their lands. Starting off with a traditional light roast coffee they began doing a dark roast a few years ago when Nan from Sea to Sierra begged them to. Having combed Mexico far and wide unsuccesfully looking for a good french roast coffee Nan had almost given up when the hospitable and gracious ladies of the co-op willingly came through when asked to and make a rich aromatic dark roast coffee that rivals any on the planet. The ladies also sell home made preserves, honey, stone ground white corn meal, breads and organic dried hybiscus flowers used to make the bright red infusion called Jamaica. Visitors are welcomed at the Cuzalapa Coffee Co-operative. |
|
|
