Experiences and local guides in San Cristóbal de las Casas

Nature

San Cristóbal, at 2,200 m in the Chiapas highlands, is a colonial town surrounded by Tzotzil and Tzeltal villages. An hour away, the Sumidero canyon rises 1,000 m above the Grijalva river; to the south, the Montebello lakes change colour among pine forests; towards Palenque, the Agua Azul and Misol-Ha waterfalls; and on the Guatemalan border, the Lacandon jungle, Mexico's last great rainforest.

Activities

• Boat through the Sumidero canyon with crocodiles and spider monkeys, viewpoints from the rim
• Indigenous communities: San Juan Chamula and its church, Zinacantán and its looms, with local guides
• Agua Azul and Misol-Ha waterfalls and the ruins of Palenque on a 1 or 2-day trip
• Lacandon jungle: hikes with Lacandon guides, Yaxchilán and Bonampak, kayaking on the Lacanjá river
• Montebello lakes and El Chiflón waterfall, hiking on Cerro Huitepec, Chiapas coffee

When to go

November to April is dry, with cold nights in San Cristóbal. May to October brings afternoon rain, filling the waterfalls and lakes, with Agua Azul murkier on heavy-rain days.

How to get there

Tuxtla Gutiérrez airport (TGZ) is 1 h 15 by motorway, with flights from Mexico City and Cancún. ADO buses from Oaxaca (11 hours), Palenque (5 hours) and Mérida. Sumidero canyon boats leave from Chiapa de Corzo (1 hour); shared vans to Chamula and Zinacantán from the market; Montebello and Agua Azul are full-day trips.