How a croaking frog became a symbol of tourist Mexico in the mid-20th century
In Mexico, the image of a croaking frog was associated with the country’s tourist attractions in the mid-20th century — from the Cantarranas nightclub in Taxco to Señor Frog’s. Tourist booklets from the collection of the Doris Z. Stone Latin American Library at Tulane University tell this story, Mexico News Daily reports.
Nightclub in Taxco
The name Hacienda Cantarranas literally means “croaking frogs” and comes from the loud frog chorus in the area. Construction of the estate in the silver-mining city of Taxco, about a 2.5-hour drive from Mexico City, began in 1538 on the orders of Hernán Cortés to extract the region’s valuable materials. Construction was overseen by his son Martín de Cortés, but the structure was later abandoned because of the site’s instability.
For the next four centuries, the site remained abandoned. In 1957, entrepreneur Antonio “Tony” Reyes Ramírez, who later became Taxco’s tourism minister, opened the Cantarranas club there. The venue gained international popularity in the 1960s and 1970s.
A promotional booklet for the club promised guests flamenco performed by Estela Calderón, a performance by Carl Bryce from Nassau, drum numbers by Reyes Ramírez, and Latin American rhythms by pianist Juan García Esquivel. Cantarranas also became the location for an episode of the NBC series “I Spy” titled “Return to Glory,” which aired on February 23, 1966.
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In 1983, the state of Guerrero acquired the complex and converted it into a culinary school and arts center. In 1992, the property was transferred to the National Autonomous University of Mexico, which used it as a school for foreign nationals.
From Cantarranas to Señor Frog’s
Twelve years after Cantarranas opened, Mexican restaurateur Carlos Anderson opened Señor Frog’s in Mazatlán. The first Señor Frog’s began operating in 1969 and offered guests tequila, spontaneous conga lines, and entertainment in a neon interior.
The library’s collection also holds a booklet by the state oil company Pemex featuring an image of a croaking frog. The publication contained maps of Mexican highways and invited travelers to explore routes across the country. According to Mexico News Daily, by that time the frog image had become a symbol of Mexico’s exotic landscapes, vibrant nightlife, and cultural spectacle.
