Community Tourism Project at Cave of the Hanging Serpents Renews Certifications

Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Quintana Roo — Members of the Cueva de las Serpientes Colgantes (Cave of the Hanging Serpents) cooperative have signed an agreement with Mexico’s National Institute of Indigenous Peoples (INPI) to renew their Moderniza and Punto Limpio certifications, boosting the community-run tourism project in Kantemo, José María Morelos municipality.

Nearly 20 years after its creation by a group of Maya women, the initiative has become an international benchmark for community-based tourism that balances economic use with conservation of flora and fauna, said Baltazar Florentino Borges Cob, a project member.

Borges Cob explained that the project began when a group of women sought to make better use of their plots by installing irrigation systems. During that search, they discovered what is now known internationally as the Cave of the Hanging Serpents.

After the discovery, biologist Arturo Bayona guided the project, which continues to receive support from INPI through its Indigenous Paradises program.

INPI representative Venancia Coh Chuc announced the renewal, stating: “The National Institute of Indigenous Peoples, through our director general Adelfo Regino Montes, promotes such initiatives to strengthen community economies and support cooperatives belonging to indigenous paradises, protected by indigenous communities.”