Lacandon Rain Forest Lies in a ring of mountains 47 miles southeast of Ocosingo, in the southern state of Chiapas, the heart of the Lacandón Biosphere Reserve. It is also the Zapatista heartland one reason Miramar may not be for everybody. Access is through the Maya community of Emiliano Zapata, where you are already "back there," so to speak. Then it´s a four and a half mile to hike to the lake.

Laguna Mirarmar, the largest natural lake in southern Mexico, is set in a virtually pristine section of the Lacandón Forest. It lies within the Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve -- the largest area of tropical rainforest surviving in North America.

A note of caution: Much of the Lacandón Forest and Laguna Miramar are within the area that the Mexican authorities term the zona de conflicto -- the territory nominally controlled by the Zapatista rebels -- and foreigners travelling in this region of Chiapas will be stopped at all of the many army checkpoints, so you must be prepared to have your passport and tourist card inspected frequently.