For some time, I’ve wanted to spend a night at Igloo Kokolo – said to be an environmentalist’s dream come true – on the ribera sur of Lake Chapala, between Tuxcueca and Tizapán.
Since the town of Petatan is merely a half hour’s drive farther along the road, I hoped we’d have a last chance to see this year’s crop of pelicanos borregones (flying white sheep) before they begin their 4,000-kilometer flight back to Canada.
Fifteen friends carpooled in four vehicles and off we went to Igloo Kokolo, where we were met by the owner, Salvador (Chavo) Montaño. Under the shade of a huge, beautifully constructed palapa offering a gorgeous view of Lake Chapala, Chavo, a Mexican, and his Spanish wife Jessica, spoke to us of their personal challenge, which is trying to live “una vida sustentable al aire libre,” a sustainable lifestyle in the great outdoors.
The result of their efforts is Igloo Kokolo, a learning center located on virgin Lake Chapala waterfront, that teaches first by doing and later by talking about it.
“Here we have no electricity,” Chavo said, “but we do have energy-saving wood stoves, efficient filters made of natural materials for reusing gray water, buildings made of superadobe, palm-tree roofs, dry toilets which produce odorless compost, solar ovens and even bicycle-powered devices, from blenders to cement mixers.”
It’s the superadobe house, of course, that gives Igloo Kokolo its name. This was the brainchild of Iranian architect Nader Khalili, who proposed making houses out of the most easily available building material: earth. You mix dirt with a small amount of cement and water, put it into old feed bags and pile them on top of one another in ever smaller circles to create an igloo. Khalili’s solution was designed not only for homeless refugees on earth, but also for future colonies on the moon or Mars, where, it seems, every inch of the surface is covered with dust.
We left our luggage at Igloo Kokolo and headed for Petatan, where an official pelican-viewing point has been constructed at the traditional spot where – at about 3:30 p.m. –kilos of fish remains are thrown to the pelicans. These are produced by local ladies who fillet thousands of fish by hand every day but Sunday. Amazingly, the pelicans know there will be no free handout on Sunday, so they don’t show up … and neither should you!
On this occasion there were only a few hundred borregones around, not the thousands we have seen in past years, but it’s always a thrill to be among these beautiful creatures and now you can be the one to feed them, if you pay a few pesos for your own bucket of fish guts.
After this spectacle, we sat down to a great fish dinner at La Mojarra Blanca restaurant. That night, back at Igloo Kokolo, we watched the full moon rise over the lake, with the lights of Chapala and Ajijic twinkling in the distance.
The two largest igloos have clean, comfortable beds, lights (solar powered, of course) and you’ll even find elegantly wrapped, environmentally safe soap and shampoo on your nightstand. What you won’t find in your igloo is a toilet or a sink or a shower or a stove. All of these, however, are available a stone’s throw away and, yes, the showers have hot water – solar-heated, naturally. Although it goes without saying, I will nevertheless say it: This is one hotel where you’d better not forget your flashlight! By the way, in case you dislike being disconnected, note that there is great 3G reception here.
Igloo Kokolo is now listed on Glamping.com, a website for people who love spending the night at unusual – albiet attractive – sites off the beaten track, but who’d rather do without pitching tents and unrolling sleeping bags (glamping means “glamour camping”).
I also found Igloo Kokolo on Airbnb where, among 22 reviews, I could not find a single complaint. A guest named Katja wrote: “What an amazing place, so far the best Airbnb in Mexico for us!”
Another happy Igloo-camper was Luis: “The hosts were very welcoming and always in constant communication. They even picked us up at the bus stop about three kilometers away from the igloos. Get out of the stress of the city and give yourself a weekend of calm.”
Finally, David said: “It was beautiful and cozy: Awesome place!”
If you have questions or want to book an igloo, call Chavo Montaño, who speaks English, at (cell) 331-835-8026. Their website is www.iglookokolo.com and they are also on Facebook.
How to get there
From Guadalajara, take Highway 54 toward Colima for about 36 kilometers and turn off onto Highway 15, signposted Morelia or Jocotepec. Go around to the south side of the lake and head east until you reach Tuxcueca, which is also the turnoff point for Mazamitla. Set your trip odometer at zero here and continue east along the lake shore for six kilometers. On your left you’ll see the gate (N20.16151 W103.13117) for Igloo Kokolo, marked with a big sign. Driving time is just over an hour from Guadalajara and less from Ajijic and Chapala. Petatán is located about 30 kilometers further east, along the south coast road and the Mojarra Blanca restaurant is at N20.16154 W102.86572.