Desert Jewel in Mexico Offers Mystery, Relaxation

CUATRO CIENEGAS, Mexico — We drove across the scorched land, past stunted mesquite and pillows of white gypsum dunes, and looked for the water. Here in this isolated corner of the Chihuahua Desert, a harsh wasteland stretching from Texas to Zacatecas, we had been promised a unique oasis.

We pulled our rented SUV onto the sandy access road, made our way past huts made of palm fronds and spotted what we had been looking for: a crystal clear pool of perfectly warm spring water, with fish found nowhere else in the world. Swimmers luxuriated in the waters as coffee-colored mountains, gashed by ancient gullies, loomed in the background.

For thousands of years, the valley of Cuatro Ciénegas has shielded one of the world's unique ecosystems and still maintains conditions that scientists believe spawned the first gasps of life on earth.

And as an increasing number of visitors are discovering, Cuatro Ciénegas also provides a unique get-away, a chance to combine desert education with some serious relaxing.

Although it is just a four-hour drive from the Texas border, Cuatro Ciénegas remains mostly unknown north of the border, something tourism officials are hoping to change.

It's only in the last five or six years that tourism has arrived in this corner of Coahuila state, opening up the valley's secrets to the larger public. Last year 50,941 tourists visited the region, which is within a federally protected bioreserve, compared to 25,087 in 2001.

A smattering of hotels, some of the boutique variety, have popped up in the formerly sleepy burg of Cuatro Ciénegas and tour guides are plentiful in the town of 11,000. Kayaking, snorkeling, camping and mountain biking all are now available in the desert.

For many, the lure of Cuatro Ciénegas is its unusual waters, fed by a network of underground channels. The highly salty water in Cuatro Ciénegas is almost entirely free of phosphorus, meaning there's little for bacteria and algae to feed on. The result is water so translucent that Cancun would be jealous.

Plunging into the pools, surrounded by a dramatic background of desert and mountain, is an otherworldly experience. The constant 90 degrees feels cool against the desert heat and the water seems especially slippery against the skin.

Swimming is available at several privately owned swimming holes, which come complete with barbecue grills and camping spaces, and a slow-moving river that offers kayaking.

Other visitors are lured by the mysteries to be found on the desert floor.

"You can't see what makes it so special from the highway," said Arturo Contreras, a local biologist and tour guide. "It's the soil and this strange water that makes this a unique place."

With 1,074 species, including 80 that are found nowhere else on earth, Cuatro Ciénegas is often compared to the Galapagos Islands when it comes to biological diversity.

The valley is surrounded by sheer mountains on four sides, serving to keep local animals and plants in and foreign species out. Turtles, fish, scorpions and cacti evolved here in virtual isolation.

The waters of Cuatro Ciénegas also guard one of the world's largest collections of living stromatolites, coral-like organisms that helped bring oxygen to earth by performing the planet's first feats of photosynthesis. NASA has studied Cuatro Ciénegas' stromatolites, hoping the glimpse at ancient life on earth will help scientists find primitive life forms on other planets.

One of the largest living stromatolites inhabits the Poza Azul, behind Cuatro Ciénegas' visitor center and museum. At this water hole, where swimming is prohibited, salty minerals give the water a deep blue hue. Squint and you'd swear you were in the Caribbean.

While much of Cuatro Ciénegas is covered with cool pools and flowing water, other parts look like the Sahara Desert. Dunes made of gypsum — a talc-like substance left when salty waters evaporate — turn the desert into an eerie moonscape. On its powdery soft surface you can find footprints left by native lizards, jackrabbits and kangaroo mice.

In other crannies you can find ancient Indian drawings of arrows etched into overhangs. Cuatro Ciénegas was once home to fierce tribes of Chichimeca Indians and their descendants. The Chichimeca resisted the Spanish for nearly three centuries after the Aztecs were conquered and prevented settlement in the Valley of Cuatro Ciénegas until just 200 years ago.

Today the town of Cuatro Ciénegas makes a relaxing base to explore the adjoining valley, which can be comfortably visited over a weekend.

Hoping to make the town more attractive, officials are burying overhead utility lines and a number of charming restaurants dot the town's laid-back plaza. Contreras's excellent aquarium, containing a sampling of the valley's unique animals (and some truly frightening scorpions), is a major attraction. Two wineries, which offer free tastings and tours, can be found north of town.

Tourism officials say visitors from nearby cities like Monterrey and Saltillo still make up 90 percent of Cuatro Ciénegas's tourism as they try to lure more tourists from Texas and the rest of the United States.

While officials and local businesses are trying to attract more visitors, conservationists warn that the valley's fragile ecosystem could be in danger from pollution, trash, and changes to the water composition from swimmers, who are required to use natural sunblock.

Visitors are suspected of introducing several non-indigenous species — mainly fish and turtles, most likely people leaving their pets behind — that have proven to be a menace to the ecosystem. And development, including the extraction of groundwater for a nearby dairy operation, has been lowering water levels for decades.

Officials, townsfolk and scientists are all hoping to strike a balance between tourism and conservation, between sharing the valley's mysteries and maintaining the natural isolation that birthed them.

IF YOU GO

Getting to Cuatro Ciénegas:

The town of Cuatro Ciénegas is about a 4-hour drive from the Texas border town of Eagle Pass. Buses from the border run frequently to nearby Monclova and then onto Cuatro Ciénegas. The easiest way to explore the valley is with your own vehicle, although some guides provide transportation.

The closest large airport is in Monterrey, about 4 hours away.

In Cuatro Ciénegas:

Some, but not all tour guides speak English and it is generally spoken at hotels, although it is not widely spoken in the town.

Hotels are plentiful and often have vacancies, but it is wise to check beforehand, especially on holiday weekends and during Semana Santa, Mexico's holy week before Easter. Lodging ranges from bare bones to bed and breakfasts, but there are no luxury accommodations. Two of the best hotels are Quinta Santa Cecilia (www.hotelquintasantacecilia.com), which also has guesthouses complete with kitchen and eight beds, and the Hotel Plaza (www.plazahotel.com.mx), just off the town's main plaza. Rates run about $60 per night. Hotels can put you in touch with guides. The Sertuco travel agency (www.sertuco.com) provides tours in English as well as kayaks, mountain bikes and snorkeling equipment. Camping is allowed at Poza de la Becerra, the largest and most developed pool in the valley.

Summer temperatures in the valley can be extreme (120 degrees is not unheard of), but much more moderate in the late fall and early spring.

You should bring natural sunscreen to avoid introducing chemicals into the pools.