A Visit to Las Palmas
Motorcyclists and other adventurers often
ask us about routes into the mountains to visit waterfalls and
enjoy the countryside. The road from the village of Las Palmas
de San Jerónimo Coatlán to the mountain town of San Jerónimo
Coatlán is certainly
worth exploring,
although it is not always
passable during
the rainy season.
Las Palmas is a farming community in the valley between the hills of San Gabriel and San Juan Lachao, a one-hour drive from Puerto on Highway 131. A river flows through it and floods the streets during the rainy season. There is also a waterfall, orchids growing off of trees, and, if you live there, always lots to gossip about.
The village is growing with a 2017 population of 632 up from 583 in 2016. The surge comes from families from the surrounding areas building their houses here.
We were there on February 2 for the fiesta of the Candelaria — a highpoint of which was a dance well attended by young men from neighboring communities.
Coming from Puerto, the sign for
the turn-off for Las Palmas and San
Jerónimo is on the right side of the
highway, around 10 minutes past
San Gabriel.