El Paraíso lies on the edge of Catazajá Lagoon which, unlike times gone by, remains full of water all year round thanks to the floodgates in Tabasco and Guatemala which affect the entire network of rivers throughout Chiapas.

But when those same floodgates need to be opened, to protect the big cities closest to them, the communities further down the river and further down the pecking order, suffer the consequences. Flooding ruins crops and fishing, depriving families of their only sources of income.

With access to a full lagoon all year round, a menagerie of flora and fauna surrounds the town.