Less grand, more green

In geological terms, you can think of Sumidero Canyon as the Grand Canyon's fraternal twin: Though much different in size and appearance, it came into the world at nearly the same time. About 35 million years ago, while the Colorado River was carving grand gashes through the American Southwest, the Grijalva River was hard at work here in Chiapas, Mexico. The result is substantially shallower than the Grand Canyon at around 3,200 feet deep, but Sumidero Canyon makes up for that shortcoming with its friendlier climate (no hundred-degree desert slogs here!) and abundant greenery.