All five of Mexico’s big ecosystems just happen to converge in West Mexico, resulting in wonderful biodiversity and geodiversity.

Many years ago, I told two rockhounds from Texas, Kurt and Kitty, that I had discovered a place in the middle of nowhere abundant with blue obsidian. (Rockhounds are people who search for geodes and other rocks to trade or sell at gem and mineral shows.)

I am in the pueblo of Casa Blanca, Jalisco, population 600, located seven kilometers north of Lake Chapala.

Birdwatching enthusiasts and serious birders alike may want to head to Puerto Vallarta next weekend for the 2025 Vallarta Bird and Nature Festival, taking place at the Vallarta Botanical Garden on Sunday, February 23, from 7:30 a.m. to mid-afternoon.

Aldo Santana is a member of the Cuzalapa people living in La Pareja, a small village tucked away deep inside some of Mexico’s most picturesque mountains, located along the state line dividing Jalisco from Colima.

During years of wandering the back roads of Western Mexico—in search of caves, of course—I came upon fascinating natural attractions often known only to local people.