Sierra Gorda

For the commune of Chile, see Sierra Gorda, Chile.

Sierra Gorda
Waterfall in the Sierra Gorda, 2007
Map showing the location of Sierra Gorda
Map showing the location of Sierra Gorda
Location of Sierra Gorda Natural Reserve within Mexico
LocationQuerétaro, Mexico
Nearest cityJalpan de Serra
Coordinates21°18′39″N 99°40′05″W / 21.31083°N 99.66806°W / 21.31083; -99.66806
Area383,567 ha (947,810 acres)
EstablishedMay 19, 1997
Governing bodyNational Commission of Protected Natural Areas (CONANP), Secretariat of the Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT).
www.sierragorda.net

The Sierra Gorda (lit. 'fat mountain(s)')[1] is an ecological region centered on the northern third of the Mexican state of Querétaro and extending into the neighboring states of Guanajuato, Hidalgo and San Luis Potosí.[2] Within Querétaro, the ecosystem extends from the center of the state starting in parts of San Joaquín and Cadereyta de Montes municipalities and covering all of the municipalities of Peñamiller, Pinal de Amoles, Jalpan de Serra, Landa de Matamoros and Arroyo Seco, for a total of 250 km2 of territory.[3][4] The area is extremely rugged with high steep mountains and deep canyons. As part of the Huasteca Karst, it also contains many formations due to erosion of limestone, especially pit caves known locally as sótanos. The area is valued for its very wide diversity of plant and animal life, which is due to the various microenvironments created by the ruggedness of the terrain and wide variation in rainfall. This is due to the mountains’ blocking of moisture coming in from the Gulf of Mexico, which generally makes the east side fairly moist and the west semiarid scrub brush. Most of the region is protected in two biosphere reserves, with the one centered in Querétaro established in 1997 and the one centered in Guanajuato established in 2007. The Sierra Gorda is considered to be the far west of the La Huasteca region culturally and it is home to the Franciscan Missions in the Sierra Gorda of Querétaro World Heritage Site. Sierra Gorda has become the first National Park in Mexico to join the EarthCheck Sustainable Destinations program.[5][6][7]

  1. ^ Viva Sierra Gorda: Livelihood from the Land, Earth Island Journal, Laura Perez-Arce, Winter 2009, retrieved August 16, 2020
  2. ^ "Grupo Ecológico Sierra Gorda" [Sierra Gorda Ecological Group] (in Spanish). Mexico: Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad. Retrieved March 29, 2011.
  3. ^ Velasco Mireles, Margarita (January–February 2006). "El mundo de la Sierra Gorda" [The World of the Sierra Gorda]. Arqueología Mexicana. 77 (in Spanish). XIII. Mexico City: Editorial Raíces S.A. de C.V.: 28–37. Archived from the original on January 30, 2011. Retrieved March 29, 2011.
  4. ^ Cornejo, Josué (January–February 2006). "La Sierra Gorda de Querétaro" [The Sierra Gorda of Querétaro]. Arqueología Mexicana. 77 (in Spanish). XIII. Mexico City: Editorial Raíces S.A. de C.V.: 54–63. Archived from the original on January 30, 2011. Retrieved March 29, 2011.
  5. ^ "The Sierra Gorda joins the EarthCheck Sustainable Destinations program". The 4 Returns Community Platform (in Dutch). Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  6. ^ "Bulletin February 2022 - EarthCheck: Sierra Gorda Sustainable Destination - Grupo Ecológico Sierra Gorda IAP". Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  7. ^ "Capacitan a 30 prestadores de servicios turísticos de la Sierra Gorda de Querétaro". www.periodicodebatepolitico.com.mx (in Spanish). April 8, 2023. Retrieved December 4, 2023.