Colonia Anáhuac: A Working Town Near Laguna de Bustillos
Colonia Anáhuac is a small settlement in Chihuahua’s Cuauhtémoc municipality, near Laguna de Bustillos. Its character comes more from industry, farming and everyday local life than from tourism. A cellulose plant shaped the town’s development, while fields and the changing lake define its surroundings. It is worth understanding as part of the wider Cuauhtémoc area: a highland region where agricultural communities, Mennonite businesses and a larger city sit within a relatively short drive of one another.
A town shaped by work
The lake and the highland landscape
Cuauhtémoc makes the wider area easier to explore
What is there in Colonia Anáhuac?
A quick overview of the most notable things you can find in Colonia Anáhuac.
Laguna de Bustillos
A shallow lake near town whose water level and shoreline vary with conditions.
Cellulose-industry legacy
Industrial facilities associated with cellulose production are an important part of Anáhuac’s identity.
Open agricultural country
Fields and long views surround the settlement and show its place in the wider Cuauhtémoc farming region.
Mennonite agricultural communities nearby
The wider Cuauhtémoc area includes Mennonite farms and businesses that are central to its regional character.
What to see in Colonia Anáhuac?
Notable places and attractions connected to Colonia Anáhuac.
Laguna de Bustillos
The lake is the most distinctive natural feature near Anáhuac. Its appearance changes with the seasons, so it is best visited without expecting a fixed shoreline or developed recreation area.
Museo Menonita
In the wider Cuauhtémoc area, this museum explains the history and daily life of the region’s Mennonite communities. It is a separate outing from Anáhuac, not an attraction in town.
Corredor Comercial Manitoba
This commercial stretch near Cuauhtémoc brings together businesses serving the area’s farming communities and gives a sense of the local economy.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- ✓A useful base for understanding a working community outside Cuauhtémoc.
- ✓Laguna de Bustillos adds a distinctive feature to the nearby landscape.
- ✓Open countryside provides broad views of Chihuahua’s highlands.
- ✓Cuauhtémoc’s services and regional stops are within driving distance.
Cons
- −Few conventional attractions or organized activities in town.
- −A vehicle is useful for reaching the lake and other places in the region.
- −The lake’s water level and appearance can change considerably.
- −Strong sun, wind and dust can make exposed outings uncomfortable.
- −Shopping and dining choices are more limited than in Cuauhtémoc.
Location
Colonia Anáhuac is located in Chihuahua.
Explore more places in Mexico
Discover more cities, towns and destinations across Mexico.
Champoton
Champotón is a small coastal city in the Mexican state of Campeche, roughly 60 kilometers south of the state capital. It sits where the Champotón River meets the Gulf of Mexico, with fishing boats, waterfront restaurants, and low-rise neighborhoods shaping its character. Seafood and the meeting of river and sea are the main draws, rather than a large collection of tourist attractions. For travelers following the coast between Campeche and Ciudad del Carmen, it makes a straightforward stop for a meal, a waterfront walk, or a quieter overnight stay.
San Francisco de Campeche
San Francisco de Campeche is the capital of Campeche state, on the Gulf of Mexico along the western side of the Yucatán Peninsula. Usually shortened to Campeche, it is a working coastal city with a compact, UNESCO-listed historic center. Pastel-colored houses, surviving defensive walls, and church towers give the old town its distinctive appearance, while a long waterfront promenade opens onto the Gulf. Its appeal lies in walking the historic streets, exploring fortifications and Maya collections, and experiencing a less resort-oriented side of southeastern Mexico.
Mexicali
Mexicali is the capital of Baja California, Mexico, directly across the US border from Calexico, California. It is a flat, sprawling desert city shaped by manufacturing, irrigated agriculture, cross-border trade, and a Chinese Mexican community whose influence runs deep in local food and history. State government offices and industrial parks are as much a part of the picture as restaurants, baseball, and cultural venues. People come for business, family visits, medical appointments, or a food-focused stop rather than a conventional sightseeing vacation.
Valladolid
Valladolid is a small inland city in eastern Yucatán, Mexico, between Mérida and Cancún. Its compact historic center has pastel-colored houses, substantial colonial churches, and shaded plazas, while cenotes punctuate the limestone landscape in and around town. Maya culture remains part of everyday life, from the language spoken in markets to regional cooking. Travelers often stay here to explore archaeological sites and swimming holes, but the city itself rewards a slower look at its neighborhoods, food stalls, and streets beyond the main square.
Huasca de Ocampo
Huasca de Ocampo is a small highland town northeast of Pachuca in Hidalgo, central Mexico. Its cobbled center sits amid farmland, wooded hills and ravines, with former silver-processing estates scattered through the surrounding countryside. The nearby Basaltic Prisms are its best-known sight: tall volcanic columns lining a gorge crossed by waterfalls. But the wider appeal lies in the combination of industrial history, rural scenery and a compact town center. It makes more sense as a base for exploring several nearby places than as a town packed with monuments.