Tapachula sits in the hot lowlands of Chiapas near the Guatemala border, and most travelers pass through quickly on their way to or from Central America. But the small archaeology museum here — the Museo Arqueologico del Soconusco — is worth a stop if you are interested in the pre-Olmec and early Mesoamerican cultures of the Pacific coast.
In This Article
The Collection
The museum covers the archaeology of the Soconusco region — the narrow Pacific coastal plain of Chiapas. This area has some of the earliest evidence of settled life in Mesoamerica, predating the Olmecs. The collection includes ceramics, figurines and stone tools from the Mokaya culture (1500-1000 BC), considered among the first farming communities in Mexico.
There are also pieces from the Izapa culture and later Maya-influenced periods. The museum is small — you can see everything in an hour — but it fills a gap that the big Mexico City museums skip.
Tapachula
The city itself is a border town — hot, busy, utilitarian. The central plaza is pleasant enough in the evening when the heat drops. Coffee fincas in the hills above Tapachula offer tours — the Soconusco region produces some of Mexico’s best coffee. The Izapa ruins are 11km east of town.
Getting There
ADO and OCC buses run from San Cristobal de las Casas (7 hours) and Oaxaca (12+ hours). From Guatemala, cross at Talisman or Ciudad Hidalgo. Tapachula has a small airport with flights to Mexico City.