Where to Go / What to Do in San Cristóbal de Las Casas

Among the sites of interest we can find is the XVII century cathedral, a festive mix of Spanish baroque architecture and naïve Indian art; as well as the Church and Convent of Santo Domingo, belonging to the same era, it exhibits a beautiful classic and pure baroque architecture. During most of the year, this convent’s surroundings are transformed into Indian markets, where women from Chamula, dressed in their typical clothes of blue blouses and black skirts and sarapes, offer a variety of clothes and other textiles carefully handmade. Near the Church of Santo Domingo you will find knits from San Jolobil, name meaning Weaver’s House, a gallery and a cooperative store of Tzotzile Indian weavers.

Amber is abundant in the region and the Amber Museum, located in the Ex-convent La Merced, it exhibits different types of the fossilized resin, as well as its extraction processes.

Near San Cristobal are the towns of San Juan Chamula and Zinacantan, where we find great samples of Indian art and tradition, as Christian-Indian rites the residents of San Juan Chamula carry out inside the town’s church. These Santeria practices inside a Catholic church are fascinating for visitors, who once inside can observe the convergence of cross symbols with magic potions, fruit spirits and dead chickens.

LAGOS DE MONTEBELLO
One of the favorite excursions for everyone venturing into Mexico’s south border with Guatemala, only 59 kilometers from Comitan, are the Montebello Lakes. This chain of cenotes is currently formed by 52 beautiful lagoons of different colors, shapes and sizes. It was declared national park in 1959.

In the middle of the border dividing Mexico from Guatemala is the Laguna Tziscao, where visitors can swim, camp and enjoy the restaurant’s local stews.

Very near this park is the archeological area of Chincultik, where you can go up 200 steps to admire the ancient Maya temple and the cenote where priests threw the bodies of beautiful young girls that were sacrificed in worship to their gods.

GRUTAS DE SAN CRISTÓBAL
Located inside the pine forest, these beautiful grottos offer facilities of family recreation like games, food court and shops of regional crafts.