Many years ago, I stumbled upon a hidden pool fed by a cold spring, the source of a bubbling stream of clear, clean water, all shaded by the most magnificent trees imaginable: enormous, stately, ancient Montezuma cypresses—sabinos in Spanish, though still popularly known by their Nahuatl name ahuehuetes, or “old men of the water.”
These majestic trees truly deserve their title as Mexico’s National Tree.
Where was this idyllic haven found? Not in the heart of the impenetrable Lacandon jungle, but just outside the quaint village of La Cañada, located only eight kilometers north of Ajijic, as the melodic jilguero bird flies.
Back then, this enchanted pool was accessible via the airport road, but only through bumpy, rough trails that required a big truck or 4x4 to navigate. To complicate matters, the spot was on private property, and getting permission to visit was no easy feat.
Fast forward nine years. My friend Josh is looking for an interesting place to take his kids—and he has a four-wheel drive vehicle. “Let’s go to La Cañada,” I suggested.
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