SIERRA GORDA, MEXICO

Winner Destination Stewardship Award 2006

Sierra Gorda Ecotours is an organisation founded by the local grassroots conservation organisation Grupo Ecológico Sierra Gorda IAP. Since 1987, Grupo Ecológico has been working to conserve the Sierra Gorda´s natural resources and to promote the sustainable development of the local population on a personal, social, cultural and economic level. Grupo Ecológico now co-manages the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve, the most ecosystem diverse protected area in all of Mexico.
Sierra Gorda Ecotours was created as a business for conservation whose objective is to promote the unique tourism opportunities of the Reserve within a network of eight locally owned and operated eco-lodges and campgrounds. Sierra Gorda Ecotours creates sustainable livelihoods for the Reserve's inhabitants through supporting small local handicraft businesses and eco-tourism establishments.
The mission of Sierra Gorda Ecotours is to facilitate the introduction of tourists to the natural and cultural richness of the Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve. Through tourist services they promote learning, observation and participation in the conservation of the region.

Visitors to the Sierra Gorda can explore tropical forests, deserts and cloud forests on guided hikes, mountain bike rides or on horseback, enjoy excellent bird watching and wildlife observation, and experience the traditions of rural mountain communities.