By John Pint
Los Cazos is a rustic subdivision located in the incredibly beautiful
hills outside Mazamitla, about 30 kilometers due south of Lake Chapala.
Years ago, we visited this community in search of its deservedly
celebrated waterfall, El Salto, which is some 30 meters high and truly
elegant. At that time, we were told that the name Los Cazos refers to
“large cauldrons” carved in the bedrock of a small river somewhere on
the premises. We had no chance to check out this curiosity on that
occasion and almost forgot about Los Cazos until we came upon 44 huge
pots carved in rock near Amatitán: giant containers once used to
ferment sweet agave juice for what is claimed to be Mexico’s oldest
tequila distillery.
Could the great stone cauldrons of Los Cazos have been carved for a
similar purpose? A few weeks ago we drove to Mazamitla to have a look.
With a blue sky and fleecy clouds overhead, we followed the ribbon of
asphalt through enchanting pine-covered hills until we drifted into
Mazamitla. This time we entirely ignored the charming plaza, the quaint
balconies and the enigmatic “pagoda-style” church, and drove straight
southwest for two kilometers to the attractive suburb of Los Cazos.
Outside the entrance to this little community, we found a confusion of
horses, caballeros and “cuatrimotos” (four-wheeled All-Terrain
Vehicles). Apparently, Los Cazos and the surrounding area is so
attractive that lots of people are quite happy to rent either a quiet
horse or a noisy ATV to explore the network of cobblestone roads which
wind through these pine-covered hills. Seeing all this, we suspected
that we would not be allowed to drive our car into Los Cazos, but such
was not the case at all. As long as you pay a fee of 12 pesos per
person, you may enter the fraccionamiento (between 9 AM and 5 PM), no
matter whether the vehicle carrying you has wheels or legs.
Happily, we discovered that the Great Stone Cauldrons are much easier
to reach than the waterfall. “Drive straight ahead 500 meters until you
come to a T. Turn left and go only 60 meters. Park right there and walk
downhill.”
This we did and immediately spotted a charming wooden footbridge
crossing a stream only 100 meters away. This is the start of the
Enchanted Garden, a series of bridges, narrow paths and small
waterfalls which follow the stream downward.
From the first bridge you’ll have a great view of the Cauldrons, which
are holes carved in the soft rock of the stream bed. Some of these are
round and some are rectangular. They come in a variety of sizes and may
be up to a meter deep. The rock is a kind of rhyolite, locally known as
tepetate, the very same material in which Indians carved the
fermentation pots near Amatitán.
Hand carved channels a few inches deep permit water to flow in and out
of each cauldron and in many cases there are by-pass channels alongside
the pots. By blocking or unblocking the channels, one could easily fill
a pot with water and then “turn off” the water supply.
The tourism promoters of Mazamitla say the Cazos were used to ferment
mezcal, but on a nice hot day you could also use them as mini-swimming
pools.
After wandering through the enchanted gardens, admiring the waterfalls
and trying to figure out the purpose of Los Cazos, you can return to
Mazamitla and enjoy a delicious, home-cooked meal at the town’s very
first restaurant, Posada Mazamitla, which, like me, has been in
operation continuously since 1941. Not only is their food and service
excellent, they also make—and sell—the best Ponche de Granada
(Pomegranate Punch) I’ve ever had the pleasure of tasting. You’ll find
the restaurant behind the store at the northwest corner of the Plaza.
How to get there
From Guadalajara, take highway 54 toward Colima for 12 kilometers and
turn off onto highway 15. After 20 kilometers, follow the Jiquilpan
sign and keep going another 33 kilometers to the Mazamitla turnoff,
just past Tuxcueca. Now go uphill 41 kilometers southeast to Mazamitla.
In town, pass Morelos Street and turn right on Galeana which becomes
Manuel Cardenas. Go south until the street ends. Take a right and an
immediate left to get onto J. Chavarria which takes you past Monteverde
Enterprises to the entrance of Fraccionamiento Los Cazos. Driving time
from Guadalajara to Los Cazos gate: two hours and 20 minutes. And from
the lake? Well, Mazamitla is practically in your back yard.
PHOTO GALLERY
Susy Pint
ponders the origin of several round “cauldrons” carved in the soft rock
of the riverbed at Los Cazos.
El Salto:
the picturesque waterfall at Los Cazos.
Street
scene in Mazamitla.
Manmade
containers and channels are carved into the living rock at Los Cazos.
The church
at Mazamitla: decidedly oriental.
Visitors
to Los Cazos ponder a rectangular pit carved in rock and filled with
water which has seeped into it from the nearby river.
A shaded
bench alongside a hand carved stone stairway at Los Cazos.
“To Los
Cazos!” Susy and John Pint test the local Ponche de Granada at
picturesque Pozada Mazamitla.
Text and Photos © 2019 by John & Susy Pint unless
otherwise indicated.
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