Boquillas del Carmen
Encyclopedia
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
state of Coahuila
Coahuila
Coahuila, formally Coahuila de Zaragoza , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila de Zaragoza is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico...
, on the banks of the Río Bravo del Norte
Rio Grande
The Rio Grande is a river that flows from southwestern Colorado in the United States to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way it forms part of the Mexico – United States border. Its length varies as its course changes...
(Rio Grande). It is a part of the municipality of Ocampo
Ocampo (municipality of Coahuila)
Ocampo is a one of the 38 municipalities of Coahuila, in north-eastern Mexico. The municipal seat lies at Ocampo. The municipality covers an area of 26,433 km² and is located on the international border between Mexico and the USA, here formed by the Río Bravo del Norte , adjacent to the U.S...
.
Until 2002
Efforts began in the 1930s to create a United States-Mexico International Peace Park in the area, joining Big Bend National ParkBig Bend National Park
Big Bend National Park is a national park located in the U.S. state of Texas. Big Bend has national significance as the largest protected area of Chihuahuan Desert topography and ecology in the United States, which includes more than 1,200 species of plants, more than 450 species of birds, 56...
with the Maderas del Carmen
Maderas del Carmen
Maderas del Carmen is a biosphere reserve in the northern Mexican state of Coahuila.Maderas del Carmen encompasses the Sierra del Carmen, a segment of the Sierra Madre Oriental range...
in Coahuila. Boquillas del Carmen would have been at the center of this proposed international peace park, but these efforts have not yet reached fruition.
Despite this inaction, Boquillas del Carmen cooperated with Big Bend in other ways. In the late 1990s, Boquillas was a small (300 resident) town that was primarily dependent on the Big Bend tourist trade, with visitors crossing the Rio Grande to visit the village's bar, restaurant, and taco stands. Children posted adjacent to the village's mission
Mission (Christian)
Christian missionary activities often involve sending individuals and groups , to foreign countries and to places in their own homeland. This has frequently involved not only evangelization , but also humanitarian work, especially among the poor and disadvantaged...
sold rock
Rock (geology)
In geology, rock or stone is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. In general rocks are of three types, namely, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic...
s collected in the desert
Desert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
or from nearby caves. Tourism options included pony
Pony
A pony is a small horse . Depending on context, a pony may be a horse that is under an approximate or exact height at the withers, or a small horse with a specific conformation and temperament. There are many different breeds...
and donkey rentals, parties at Park Bar and overnight stays at a local bed and breakfast
Bed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...
, The Buzzard's Roost.
Country music star Robert Earl Keen
Robert Earl Keen
Robert Earl Keen, Junior is an American Texas Country singer-songwriter. He is popular with fans of traditional country music, folk music, college radio, and alt-country. Keen currently resides in Kerrville, Texas and maintains a ranch in Medina, Texas.-Early life:Growing up in Houston, Texas,...
was known to frequent Boquillas and even wrote a song about a day he visited the village, "Gringo Honeymoon".
Border crossing closure and reopening
The events of September 11, 2001 destroyed Boquillas del Carmen's traditional way of life. In May 2002 the border crossing from Big Bend National Park to Boquillas was closed indefinitely. As of October 2006, only 19 families, totaling about 90-100 residents, remained in Boquillas. Most of the town's residents had been forced to move away by the closure of the tourist crossing and destruction of the town's traditional economy.On January 7, 2011, the U.S. National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
announced plans to reopen the crossing, using a ferry and a passport control center planned to open in the spring of 2012.