You have probably seen the island from the shores of Ajijic or Chapala and wondered what’s there and why it’s called that… Are there a lot of scorpions there? No, it is not an island full of scorpions. This little island got its name because its shape is similar to that of a scorpion.
Isla de los Alacranes is a ceremonial center of the Wixáricas. For them, the island serves as a union of the earth and the underworld through the waters of Lake Chapala. In the cosmogony of the Wixárica people there are three cycles, and this island represents the second. This cycle talks about the flood, the creation of corn and the origin of human beings. Legend tells us that Watakame, the first cultivator, cut down a tree on the island in order to build a canoe that saved him from the flood along with his little black dog who became the first woman, the mother of humanity.
Every October the Wixáricas from Jalisco and Nayarit visit the island and ask for protection of the lake by performing rituals, such as offering candles in gourds to the spirits of the lake, because if the lake disappeared they would too. They also leave ribbons, candles and Si’kulis as offerings.
On the island there is also a chapel dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe. This chapel is an example of the unification between the Wixáricas and the Catholic religion.
To visit Isla de los Alacranes you can take a boat ride from the Malecon in Chapala or Ajijic for a reasonable price. They drop you off at the island and you can wander around the island and visit the ceremonial sites. There are also restaurants where you can sit down and enjoy a nice meal and a refreshing beverage while taking in the views of the mountains and towns that surround the lake.
