Ixtapan de la Sal
Ixtapan de la Sal is a town and municipality located in the State of Mexico, Mexico. It is 60 km south of Toluca, the state's capital,, and 120 km south of Mexico City by the Federal Road 55. The word Ixtapan comes from Nahuatl. There are two theories as to the origin of the name. The first one states that it is composed of iztal, which means salt, and pan, which means over or in. The second one states that it comes from iztac which means white; atl which means water; and pan which means in white waters. The phrase de la Sal is Spanish for of salt.
The town
As of the 2005 census, the town had a population of 15,383. Two rivers pass through Ixtapan de la Sal. They are "El Rio Salado" from the east with a year-round current, and "El Rio Salitre" from the northwest with a seasonal current. An aqueduct also passes through the city. But the most relevant part for tourists is the carbonated water of "La Laguna Verde", a spring which filters from the subsoil sprouting naturally in form of water eruptions.On January 22, 1981, Ixtapan de la Sal officially became a city. In 1996, it was integrated to the program of the "100 Colonial Cities", which is a touristic program that gathers the oldest as well as the most important Mexican cities.
Tourism
Tourism is the main economic activity in Ixtapan de la Sal. The natural hot water springs found here attract thousands of visitors every year, Ixtapan is considered one of the primary tourist destinations in the State of Mexico. Some internationally-known hotel chains have locations here, most often placed on or right next to a thermal spring. The best known of these hotel-spas are the famous Ixtapan Spa Hotel and Golf Resort, Marriott Ixtapan de la Sal, Hotel Rancho San Diego Grand Spa Resort. These resorts offer guests baths in volcanically-heated waters, massages, beauty treatments and other services.It is also the home of the Parque Acuático Ixtapan, a water park with thermal spring spa, a children's area, a family area and an area dedicated to "extreme" water rides. The park also has an expanse of green area with a small train that tours it.
The church "La Asunción de María", built in the XVI century by Spanish conquerors, is found downtown along with the townhall and the "Plaza de los Mártires" or Jardin central where the Martires monument and other typical buildings from the 1900s can be appreciated.
A point of interest is the Arturo San Roman boulevard, within a few miles stretch on this road there are some large sculptures. The first one at the entrance of the town is the "Iztapancihuatl", then, there is the water fountain depicting "Diana Cazadora" and finally the sculpture honoring the Independence InsurgentsOn.
A wonder of nature, only fifteen kilometers away from the town, Las Grutas de la Estrella are caverns that have been formed by the dissolving of limestone by groundwater seeping from the Chontalcuatlan and San Jeronimo rivers. These caverns are filled with stalactites and stalagmites of various colors.
On September 2015, the town received recognition for the federal program "Pueblos Mágicos".
The municipality
As municipal seat, the town of Ixtapan de la Sal has governing jurisdiction over the following communities: Ahuacatitlán, Barrio Santa Ana, Coaxusco, Colonia Juárez, Colonia la Joya Tres de Mayo Lindavista, El Arenal de las Ollas, El Colorín, El Refugio, El Rincón de Dios Yerbas Buenas, El Salitre, Ixtamil, La Falda, Llano de la Unión, Llano de San Diego, Los Naranjos, Malinaltenango, Mesón Nuevo, Plan de San Miguel, Portezuelos Dos, Portezuelos Uno, Puerta Grande, Rancho San Diego, San Alejo, San Diego Alcalá, San José del Arenal, San Miguel Laderas, San Pedro Tlacochaca, Santa Ana Xochuca, Tecomatepec, Tlacochaca, Yautepec, and Yerbas Buenas.Demographic information
The population of the municipality according to the 2005 census is 30,073 51% of the population lives in the town of Ixtapan de la Sal itself and 48.1% live in the surrounding municipality.There are currently 114 schools with about 566 teachers. The illiteracy rate is 12.6%. 48.8% of the population is economically active.
Government
The government is formed by:- Municipal president
- Attorney General
- 10 deputies
These authorities have jurisdiction over both the town and municipality of Ixtapan de la Sal.
In each community belonging to the municipality, three representatives are chosen to help in the government and to represent their neighbors. In each community, there are also two or three of these representatives that help with security and with some government projects.
History
In the year 1394, a group of indigenous people came from the Pacific coast. They wanted to get to Tenochtitlan in order to attend the crowning of the emperor. On their way to their destination, these Pacific people established in Ixtapan de la Sal where they formed communities. Here they noticed that once the geothermally heated water was evaporated naturally in the sunlight, salt was formed. This amazed them because back then, salt was a very precious item. When the emperor found out about this discovery, he also ordered men and women to move there, which led to the foundation of Ixtapan de la Sal.At the time of the Spanish conquest, Hernán Cortés sent Andrés de Tapia to conquer Ixtapan de la Sal. The first priest who came to Ixtapan was Juan Guichen de Leyva. Evangelization was carried out by Franciscans who came here after 1543. Tradition states that 13 monks came to Ixtapan de la Sal to convert the Indians by associating Christ with the local deity associated with storms.
In 1822, Ixtapan de la Sal became a municipality of the state of Mexico. In 1825, the first elections to select the municipal council took place on Sunday, December 3 of the same year. On August 9 and 10, 1912, the population of Ixtapan de la Sal was attacked by "pseudo–Zapatistas", who are followers of Zapata's ideology. The invaders were led by Andres Ruiz and Francisco B. Pacheco. On August 1, 1918, by council’s agreement, local mourning was declared for every year’s August 10.
Geographical information
Ixtapan borders the municipalities of Coatepec Harinas to the northwest, Villa Guerrero to the northeast, and Zumpahuacán to the east, the municipality of Tonatico and the state of Guerrero to the south and the municipality of Zacualpan to the west.The climate in Ixtapan de la Sal is predominately cool, semi-arid with rains in the summer. It has an average temperature of and a low of which results in a comfortable place for health and for relaxing.
There is a great variety of plant species in Ixtapan de la Sal, among which are found watercress, borage, chamomile, pine, cedar, ash tree, jacaranda, avocado, date palms, "reeds", "rue", arnico, "holm oak", "oyamel fir", "aile", casuarina, "Mexican fig tree", "cabrillo", cazahauates, liquorice, tepeguaj and pirul. It has a wide variety of animals which includes rabbits, squirrels, sparrowhawks, quails, iguanas, badgers, coyotes, wild cats, skunks, ferrets, foxes, American badgers, tuzas, opossums, mockingbirds and cacomixtles, but also you can find insects, birds and reptiles.
Traditions
Popular celebrations
On the second Friday of Lent the annual religious celebration in honor to the Lord of Forgiveness is celebrated.On August 15, a religious festival in honor of the Assumption of Mary takes place.
Traditions
As part of the ritual to mourn the dead, for nine days after the passing of a loved one, prayers are offered for the deceased. On the ninth day, a wooden cross that has been laid on the ground is raised upright and carried to the tomb to be placed there permanently.Another tradition practiced in Ixtapan is the “tianguis", which is an open street market taking place every Sunday. Here some people still practice “El trueque".
Dances
The most popular is actually a dancing parade called "Apaches, represented by local townspeople on September 15 and 16 in celebration of the Mexican War of Independence.Students from the local schools and the school for the Arts often perform dancing routines in the towns square or other venues in celebration of mother's day, teacher's day and other festivities.
La danza de los Moros is performed by church members in the church"s court during religious festivities.
La danza de los Chinelos is sometimes a dancing parade or 'pilgrimage' to or from a shrine to honor the Saint Patron of said shrine.