Mazamitla, Jalisco Mexico

Mazamitla (La Capital De La Montaña) is a town and municipality of the Mexican state of Jalisco. It is located 124 km south of Guadalajara in the Southeast Region and is a popular resort destination for travelers from Guadalajara. Its name comes from the Nahuatl and means “place where arrows to hunt deer are made”; its territorial extension is 177.18 km2. According to Count II Population and Housing, the municipality has 11671 inhabitants who are devoted mainly to the tertiary sector. For its natural beauty is considered by the federal Secretariat of Tourism as a Pueblo Mágico.

Etymology

The name comes from the Nahuatl language and is the union of the words “Mazatl” (deer), “Mitl” (arrow) and “tlan” (place). Its meaning has been interpreted in different ways:

“Where deer are hunted with arrows”

“Where deer hunting arrows are made”

“Deer-hunting fletchers’ place”

History

Mazamitla was founded by the Aztecs in 1165. It belonged to the manor of Tzapotlán and paid tribute to the chieftain of Tamazollan. In 1481 the area was invaded by P’urhépecha to seize the Laguna de Sayula. they held dominance for only a few years until they were defeated at the end of The War of Salitre in 1510.

This place was discovered and conquered by Cristobal de Olid together with Juan Rodriguez Villafuerte, early in the year 1522, Their party was sent by Hernan Cortes to explore the region of western Mexico. Upon conquest of the lordship of Tzapotlán people who belonged to him were automatically awarded to Hernán Cortés who appointed Anton Salcedo encomendero. Being named president of the Audiencia of Mexico, Nuno Beltran de Guzman moved to Cortez of these parcels.

It said that Miguel Hidalgo, when he was pastor of internal held a mass in Palo Gordo. He used the trunk of an oak that is saved as a relic (where) to serve as the altar for the mass. In the slope of Zapatero clashed insurgents and realistic in 1812. The insurgents were captained by Francisco Echeverria, who despite having emerged victorious was seriously injured, dying in Mazamitla. During The French intervention, the invaders burned files. After the The French intervention the Mexican locals of mazamitla captured a French officer named Jonny Fuentes and was hung in the year 1815 in the town square.

Since 1825 belonged to 4 ° canton of Sayula until 1878 in what happens at 9 canton of Ciudad Guzman. On April 19, 1894 was erected in town by decree of the state congress.

Physical Geography

Location

Mazamitla is located in the south-central area of Jalisco, south of Lake Chapala at coordinates 19 º 47′30 “19 º 59′00″ north latitude and 102 º 58′35 “to 103 º 10′45″ west longitude, at an altitude of 2200 meters above sea level.

The town abuts the north by the town of La Manzanilla de La Paz, the state of Michoacan and the town of Valle de Juárez, on the east by the town of Valle de Juárez, on the south by the municipalities of Valle de Juárez and of Tamazula de Gordiano; on the west by the municipalities of Concepción de Buenos Aires and La Manzanilla de La Paz.

Orthography
Its surface is composed of hilly areas (35%), with hills occupied by forests, with heights ranging from 2200 to 2800 meters. Land semiplane (40%) are hills and slopes, with heights ranging from 2000 to 2200 meters above sea level and flat areas (25%), with elevations ranging from 200 to 1800 meters above sea level. The maximum heights are Cerro El Jackal and Cerro del Tigre.

Floor
The territory is made up of land belonging to the tertiary period. The land is hilly and broken, its composition is prevalent types luvisol, feozem háplico and litosol. The municipality has a land area of 17718 hectares, of which 3495 are used for agriculture, livestock in 3095, 10516 were from forest use, urban land are 206 hectares and 442 hectares have another use. As far as ownership is concerned, an area of 6432 hectares is private and another ejido 11286 is not exist communally owned.

Hydrography
Its water resources are the rivers: La Pasion, Rio de Gomez, Los Cazos, Ponche Grande and la media luna; streams: El Salto, Barranca Verde, El Ruido, Cuate, Barranca, Los Puentes and La Cuesta;The Springs: Barranca los Hoyos, Paso Blanco, La Pasión y Boca de Tinieblas.

The climate is semiseco, with dry winter, and mild winter without heat exchange well-defined. The average annual temperature is 21 °C with maximum of 25.7 °C and minimum of 7.1 °C. The rainfall recorded between June and September, with an average rainfall of 982 millimeters. The average annual number of days with frost is 52.6. The prevailing winds are heading south.

Flora and Fauna

Its flora is composed mainly of pine, oak, arbutus, huizache, mesquite, palo dulce, nopal, granjeno, and some fruit species.

The wildlife includes deer, porcupine, wild cat, rabbit, squirrel, the eagle, the sparrowhawk, chachalaca and guajolote wild.

Culture

Clothing typical: to man the charro suit and clothing for women of china poblana.

Crafts: objects are developed quarry, sarapes, huaraches and wooden objects.

Eating Out: the highlights of their food jocoque, the mole, tacos, gorditas, Birria, and barbecued meat in marinade; their desserts, Capirotada and cajeta; their beverages atole,mezcal, pulque, ponche and vino.

Sites of Interest

Spa Temazcal Las Jaras
La Garita, Tamazula de Gordiano, Jalisco Mexico.

Located about halfway between Mazamitla and Tamazula de Gordiano on the Jiquilpan-Manzanillo Road.
This site with hot springs offer a wide variety of services for the entire family. From an entertaining water park for the kids to relaxing and theraputic massage therapies.

Jardín Encantado.

Parroquia de San Cristóbal.

Bosque La Zanja.

Bosque Las Charandas.

Bosque El Chacal.

Cerro El Tigre.

La Cañada.

Cascada El Salto.

Los Cazos.

Monteverde.

Bosque El Tabardillo.

Bosque Las Peñitas.

Torre de los Lumbreros.

Bosque Pinos de Mazamitla.

Mirador Las Peñitas.

La casa de los fuentes.

Fiestas

Feast of San Cristobal (patron saint of people) in the second week of July.

Feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe: from 4 to 12 December.

Patriotic Fiestas: September 15 and 16.

Festival de las flores Weekends of October

Celebrations of the founding of Mazamitla: from 27 to 30 March.

Feast Taurine: from 14 to 24 February.

External Links

Mazamitla Mountain Air and a Crackling Fireplace

The little town of Mazamitla, Jalisco lies nestled in the heart of the Sierra del Tigre, in western Mexico, 2,240 meters above sea level and 28 kilometers due south of Lake Chapala. The name of the town comes from a Nahuatl word meaning “the place where arrows are made for hunting deer” and even today mountain lions, deer and golden eagles can still be found among the pine and oak-covered hills which have been called (at least in the tourist brochures) “the Switzerland of Mexico.” …

Mazamitla: its scenery, kitchens and customs

One of the prettiest towns in the state of Jalisco is Mazamitla, set high in the pineclad mountains near the Michoacan border. Among its many attractions are some fine restaurants specialising in Mexican food, more of which later, as well as waterfalls and gardens. …