Zahuatan

The Sierra region of southern Tabasco lies where rivers descend from the Chiapas highlands into the Gulf lowlands. Zoque-speaking communities lived around Tacotalpa, Tapijulapa and Oxolotán at the time of Spanish rule. In 1677, after corsairs attacked Villahermosa, the provincial authorities moved their government inland to Tacotalpa. The town became a refuge for administration as coastal settlements endured repeated attacks.