Access to hiking trails in the mountain range overlooking Lake Chapala’s north shore has been closed to the public on orders of the Jalisco Environment Ministry (Semadet). The measure is part of the state’s Covid-19 prevention plan.
The prohibition on hiking in the Cerro Viejo-Chupinaya-Los Sabinos range, a Natural Protected Area (ANP) spanning the municipalities of Chapala, Ixtlahuacán de los Membrillos and Jocoteéc went into effect Wednesday, April 8. All paths feeding out of upper Ajijic were cordoned off with yellow police tape by members of the Brigada Xupinayatl and Ejido Ajijic, in coordination with Chapala’s Protección Civil-Bomberos Unit, the municipal police force and the Comunidad Indígena de Ajijic that are sharing responsibility to keep the area under observation.
As of last week, Semadet likewise restricted entrance to other natural reserve such as the Sierra Cóndiro Canales-San Miguel Chiquihuitillo, Sierra del Águila-Piedras Bola, and the Barranca del Río Santiago that are especially popular excursion spots during the Easter holiday period.
The ANPs of the Sierra de Quila, Parque Nacional Nevado de Colima, Bosque La Primavera.and Puerto Vallarta’s Estero El Salado have been closed since last month.