| Accommodations in the Biosphere-- a community by community guide to food, lodging, and activities |
| Gomez Farias Alta Cima San Jose La Gloria |
GOMEZ FARIAS Food In Gomez Farias, there are 4 restaurants-- three on the main plaza and another on the way into the reserve called Gorditas. Prices (including a drink) are generally $30- 50 pesos per meal. Hotel Casa de Piedra also has a good restaurant. Hotel Posada Campestre is currently building a restaurant Lodging Hotel Casa de Piedra Hotel Casa de Piedra has rooms for 1-6 people. Their rates are $500.00 (pesos) for 2 people, plus $100.00 extra for each additional person. Breakfast is included. Hotel Posada Hotel Posada has 6 rooms with 2 Queen beds and 2 rooms with 4 Queen beds. The price is $340.00 pesos per night for 2 people. Additional people are $100.00 pesos/person. Hotel Posada is currently in the process of constructing a restaurant. ALTA CIMA Entrance Fees Walking No fee Vehicle $10 pesos Guide Fees Guides may be hired at Hotel El Pino or La Fé, the store/restaurant. Be sure to specify if you want a bird guide or just a regular guide who can show you sites of interest such as waterfalls, caves, or scenic overlooks. Price: $100-150 pesos per day/per person (for large groups, the rate may vary). Food Once you’re beyond Gomez Farais, food in the El Cielo can be obtained in a variety of ways. Most communities have tiendas, or small stores with snacks, drinks, and occasionally fruit and vegetables. In all of the communities, most families are happy to cook meals for you if you ask-- don't be shy, as this is how many of them make money. Just approach their gate, call, and wait for someone to greet you- it's the El Cielo equivalent of a fast food window! La Fé, the local women’s cooperative, has a restaurant open from about 9am to 5pm daily. Just remember, all the food is made fresh so it may take a bit (approx. 20 minutes). However, if you know your schedule, you can make arrangements for meals at specified times during your stay. The menu is relatively diverse considering its remote location. Common menu items include tacos, gorditas, entomatadas (very good), soups, nopalitos (cactus pads, often with garlic, onion, and chile), and tostadas. Common ingredients include eggs, beans, rice, potatoes, goat cheese, fresh salsa, chorizo (spiced sausage), machacado (spiced dried beef), avocados, squash (calabaza) and occasionally chicken. They are very willing to accommodate vegetarians or others with special diet needs. They have a made a number of great vegetarian meals, but we can’t remember their names. If you are bringing a large group (more than 8 people) or are planning on staying for an extended amount of time, we encourage you to make advance arrangements. This can be done through WildShare International (info@wildshareintl.org) or Sergio Medellin (sgmede@prodigy.net.mx). Cheba’s small restaurant located just as you get to town on the right side of the road as you enter Alta Cima. You may also buy a wide range of food, from snacks to rice, beans, and fresh fruit at Doña Lupita’s store, across from La Fe or at the State-run store (tienda comunitaria), also across from La Fe, but closer to the road. Lodging Hotel Alta Cima has 2 rooms which can hold up to 6 people in a room (next to Doña Lupita’s store). Rooms have hot water, indoor toilets and showers. One room (sleeps 3) is $350 pesos/night, but you can rent both rooms for $500 pesos/night. Contact Rosalio Berrones Martinez (Spanish only: +(831) 989-3564). Rosalio also has two 4x4 trucks for transporation throughout El Cielo. Hotel El Pino, run by the local men’s cooperative, has 10 rooms. All rooms have hot water, indoor toilets and showers (Remind the hotel person to turn on the hot water heater when you arrive.) 4 rooms with 4 double beds each $300 pesos/night/room 3 rooms with a Queen size bed $250 pesos/night/room 3 rooms with a Queen size bed and a double bed. $250 pesos/night/room Camping $25 pesos/night/tent To make reservations, call +(831) 236-9014 (Spanish only) or Email Sergio Medellin (sgmede@prodigy.net.mx). If you do not speak Spanish email us is at info@wildshareintl.org to make arrangements. Rancho Viejo Alta Cima is also in the process of constructing two very nice cabins in Rancho Viejo that should be completed by April 2005. Rancho Viejo is a beautiful valley about a 2-3 hour hike past the village of Alta Cima (near San José) located in the transition zone between the cloud and oak-pine forests. In addition to the cabins, 4 palapas are being made for tent camping in various locations around the valley. Each palapa has cooking area and the floor is off the ground to keep your tent from getting wet during heavy rains. Money generated from these cabins is used to enhance tourist services in Alta Cima. SAN JOSÉ Entrance Fees Everyone $5 pesos/person $20 pesos if you are using a guide outside of the community for transportation (burro/horse/4x4’s). Guide Fees In San José, families alternate guide days (very egalitarian, though a tad difficult for tourists). Ask at any store who could guide you that day. There is only one person from San José who is in El Grupo de Aves (local bird guide organization) – Pancho Marin – ask for him at the El Oso restaurant. Price: $150-200 pesos per day/per person (Yes, the price does reflect how much people make a day. San José’s climate produces more and a higher quality of harvestable palm leaves than in Alta Cima). Again, for large groups, the rate may vary. Food There are at least three stores in San José. You will recognize these by their advertising signs, and have a variety of snacks and drinks. There are currently two restaurants in San José - El Oso and Manual Cedillo’s restaurant, though neither have specific hours (if someone is home, they will prepare meals). Meals can be obtained from almost any family in the ejido. See list below. Lodging Many families have rooms available for rent and are happy to prepare meals. If you do not want to stay in a cabin, you may pitch a tent near people’s house for a small fee. The ejido of San José is also constructing 2 very nice cabins and one palapa (for tent camping) in “El Vivero,” a secluded valley about 15 minutes from the village. Below you can find families to contact for various services. Bernardino Camacho Barrera Provides transportation (4 x 4) and guide services. Moises Camacho Barrera Provides transportation (4x4) and has a small hotel. We don’t believe these have indoor toilets or running water (One building has 4 rooms, another has 2 rooms). Manual Cedillo Provides transportation and guide services. He has a restaurant and a small store, with snacks, sodas, beer, and gift items for sale. He has two cabins with 3 beds each, there is one flush toilet and shower (not sure if there is hot water). Another two rooms are under construction. Pedro Gonzáles Martinez Provides guide services. The Gonzalez family has two cabins for rent with 2 beds each. They will also prepare meals (They recently cooked a meal for 15 students from the University of Illinois on short notice). Francisco Marín Berrones Provides transportation, guide services (bird guiding also), and a rental cabin. His family also runs the restaurant “El Oso.” A member of the Grupo de Aves. Juan Villeda Nava Provides guide services and two rental cabins. Status of the Canido Research Station Before you get to San José (right past the gate where you pay your entrance fee) you will come to “Las cabanas,” the old El Canindo research station, which has been turned into 2 hotels (one on each side of the road) run by 2 brothers whose family had ties to San José in the past. Property rights to the land are still in dispute with the State of Tamaulipas. LA GLORIA, EL ELEFANTE, AND JOYA DE MANANTIALES LA GLORIA AND MANATIALES In La Gloria, a new hotel is open. Contact Efren Guerrero Gudino for reservations: (01 831) 898-20-02 |