In the Mexican state of Chiapas lies the beautiful Sumidero Canyon, with walls towering up to 1,000 meters above the river. However, during the rainy season, the river fills up with 5,000 tonnes of rubbish and waste. Scroll down to find out where the waste and rubbish in the Sumidero Canyon is coming from and what is being done to stop it.
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The Sumidero Canyon (Cañon del Sumidero) is the second most popular tourism site in Chiapas after Palenque, and rightly so, due to its natural beauty and proximity to San Cristobal de las Casas. The canyon is situated in a tropical rainforest and spans a 13km stretch of the Río Grijalva, with its highest walls reaching 1000m above the river.
However, one thing that visitors might notice is the rubbish that floats along the river, making the visit a little less enjoyable.
The beginning of our boat ride along the Sumidero Canyon was stunning and pristine, but as we got further into the canyon, where the canyon walls started to tower us, we started noticing some unnatural items. This area is known as “The Plug”, as it’s where two currents of water meet.
Funnily enough, the first bit of rubbish in the Sumidero Canyon that I noticed was a croc (of the shoewear, not animal kind).
While some of the rubbish was floating downstream, most of it was caught in the water plants and lilies that covered the river’s surface.
I had a conversation with one of the guides to find out why this was such an issue.
Why there is so much rubbish in the Sumidero Canyon?
The tour guide began to describe how during the rainy season, the rainfall runs through the towns and ends up into the Río Grijalva, taking with it any rubbish that may be lying in the streets and drains.
There are 14 municipalities surrounding the National Park that contribute to the waste in Río Grijalva. Of these 14, the municipalities of Chiapa de Corzo, Acala, San Fernando, Berriozabal, Chicoasén, and the Chiapas capital of Tuxtla Gutierrez are the major contributors of the contamination, with the latter contributing at least half of the total waste. See the map below for their locations. In 2020, these municipalities shared a total population of 849,236. That’s a lot of people’s waste.
Because Mexico does not have the same approach to waste management or waste education that countries such as Australia do, many bottles, chips wrappers, plastic bags and cigarette butts are discarded on the streets and end up being caught by the rain and washed down into the canyon.
Sadly, the plastic on the surface only accounts for 5% of all the waste found in the canyon. There is also waste and debris from sewerage, agricultural activities and related chemicals, illegal logging and dead animals.
About 5,000 tonnes of rubbish are estimated to get deposited in the river each year.
In 2005, tourism in the canyon was closed for a week due to the accumulation of waste, however the large amount of waste has not stopped tourist from visiting the canyon. At the very least, it’s raising awareness about the tonnes of debris and other rubbish in the Sumidero Canyon.
How organisations and the community are working to combat the problem of waste
The guide (an employee of the National Park) told us that part of their job is to assist with the removal of waste in the Sumidero Canyon.
Up to 12 tonnes of garbage is extracted from the river every day and up to 3,700 tonnes of solid waste each year. He told us that during May, the canyon is mostly clear from rubbish, however, the rainy season (June to September) undoes their efforts. Towards the end of the boat ride we passed one of the barges carrying the plastic retrieved from the surface.
There are cleanup activities being hosted to combat the rising levels of trash.
The National Commission of Protected Natural Areas (CONANP) organised two clean-up events in late 2024. After the first event, the Director announced that half a ton of waste had been removed just by people in kayaks.
In January 2025, the Colectivo MadreSelva (Jungle Mother Collective) also organised a clean-up day to also help educate local citizens about the importance of conservation efforts and the environment.
While these clean-up activities are a positive step, they are reactive and not addressing the cause. Without the appropriate waste management infrastructure and education on disposing of rubbish and waste, these cycles of contamination and cleaning will not end.
Despite this, the Sumidero Canyon is worth a visit during your time in San Cristobal de las Casas. Read my guide here. Also make sure you visit the Tzotzil Indigenous town of Chamula.