San Cristobal de las Casas sits at 2,100 meters in the Chiapas highlands and feels like a different country from the hot lowlands below. Cool nights, pine forests on the surrounding hills, a colonial center with amber shops and indigenous markets. The Tzotzil and Tzeltal Maya communities in the surrounding villages maintain traditions that predate the Spanish conquest.
In This Article
The Centro
The pedestrian walking street (Real de Guadalupe) runs from the main plaza toward the Santo Domingo church and is lined with cafes, bookshops, amber shops and restaurants. San Cristobal has the best cafe culture of any Mexican city its size — Chiapas-grown coffee served in small rooftop cafes. The Santo Domingo church and its adjacent market of indigenous textiles are the visual highlight.
Indigenous Villages
San Juan Chamula and Zinacantan are Tzotzil Maya villages accessible by colectivo from San Cristobal (20-30 minutes). The church at Chamula is extraordinary — candles covering the floor, pine needles spread on the tiles, healing rituals involving posh (cane liquor) and live chickens. No photography inside the church. Respect is essential — these are living religious practices, not a museum display.
Zinacantan is known for flower cultivation and textile weaving. Families invite visitors into their homes to see the backstrap loom weaving and offer tastings of homemade posh and tortillas.
Coffee and Chocolate
Chiapas produces excellent coffee and cacao. San Cristobal has specialty coffee shops roasting local beans. The Kakaw museum and shop covers the history of cacao in Mesoamerica and sells high-quality drinking chocolate. The Mercado de Dulces near Santo Domingo sells chocolate ground to order with almonds and cinnamon.
Getting There
ADO and OCC buses run from Tuxtla Gutierrez (1 hour — the nearest big city and airport), Oaxaca (10 hours overnight), Palenque (5 hours through the mountains), and Villahermosa (6 hours). The mountain roads from Palenque are spectacular but winding. Night buses from Oaxaca arrive early morning.