Stand on the Zócalo in the early evening and you will hear two things at once: a brass band running through patriotic melodies, and the low murmur of Tzotzil and Tzeltal being spoken by vendors and passers-by. San Cristóbal de las Casas sits in a small valley in the Central Highlands of Chiapas, its historic center still laid out on a Spanish colonial plan, with narrow cobblestone streets, red clay tile roofs, and wrought iron balconies hung with flowers.
The city suits travellers who want colonial architecture and indigenous culture in the same afternoon, who are happy to spend a morning in a museum and an evening in a café or club, and who do not mind walking uphill for a view. It is considered the cultural capital of Chiapas, and its calendar is busy with religious festivals, craft fairs and performing arts.
This guide covers the sights and experiences worth your time, drawn from what is documented about the city, followed by a one-day plan and answers to common questions.
Top things to do in San Cristóbal de las Casas
1. Templo de Santo Domingo Guzmán
Built in the mid-16th century, this is the most notable of San Cristóbal's many churches. Its Baroque façade mixes Oaxacan and Guatemalan styles, and the interior is richly gilded. The interior is especially beautiful in the evening by candlelight.
Entry is free. The church gives its name to the best-known crafts area in the city, the tianguis at Santo Domingo, so combine a visit with browsing the stalls outside.
2. Museo de los Altos de Chiapas (Exconvento Santo Domingo de Guzmán)
Housed in the former convent on 20 de Noviembre in Barrio El Cerrillo, this museum displays artifacts illustrating the history of Chiapas and the region. On the first floor is the Centro de Textiles del Mundo Maya, also known as the Francesco Pellizzi Collection, a remarkable collection of historic and contemporary Mayan textiles from Chiapas and Guatemala.
It is free of charge and open Tuesday to Sunday, 09:00–18:00. Pair it with the Templo de Santo Domingo Guzmán next door.
3. Museo Na Bolom
This was the former home of Swiss anthropologist and photographer Gertrudis Duby Blom, wife of Danish archeologist Frans Blom, and continues to be an inn and museum managed by her supporters and associates. It also includes an extensive library of research on the Maya.
It is on Av Vicente Guerrero 33 in Barrio El Cerrillo and open Tuesday to Sunday, 09:00–20:00. Admission is M$45 for adults and M$25 for concessions.
4. Museo de la Medicina Maya
This museum is operated by a collective of indigenous healers and herbalists. Information is available in English and Spanish, and there are healers on site to treat whatever ailment you may suffer.
It is on Calz Salomón González Blanco 10 in Col Morelos. Hours are Monday to Friday 10:00–18:00 and Saturday and Sunday 10:00–16:00, with admission of M$25.
5. Museo del Ámbar
Housed in a former convent, this small museum displays more than 300 specimens of amber and also offers pieces for sale. It is a good place to visit if you intend to purchase amber in Chiapas, as staff can explain how to identify real versus fake amber: real amber is always warm to the touch and emits a faint resin smell when rubbed.
It is on Diego de Mazariegos in the Convento de la Merced, open Tuesday to Sunday 10:00–14:00 and 16:00–19:30, with admission of M$20.
6. Museo Mesoamericano del Jade (La Casa del Jade)
This small museum displays ancient jade artifacts and jewelry and sells high-quality contemporary pieces.
It is on Ave 16 de Septiembre 16, open Monday to Saturday 12:00–20:00. Admission is M$30 for adults and M$15 for students.
7. Orquídeas Moxviquil
Established in 1994, this garden grows orchids and other plants rescued from nearby areas undergoing deforestation, and is dedicated to preserving and displaying all varieties of orchids native to the state of Chiapas. Nearby, on property owned by the gardens, is the unexcavated Mayan site of Moxviquil; all that remains of the structures are the foundations, reached via a short hiking trail from the garden area, passing through forest where squirrels, butterflies and native plants can be seen.
It is on Periférico Norte 4, open Monday to Saturday 09:00–17:00 and Sunday 10:00–16:00. The gardens are best visited in the spring beginning in April, when most of the orchids are in bloom. Admission is M$50 for the gardens only or the hiking trail only, and M$90 for the gardens plus the archaeological site and hiking trail.
8. The Zócalo (Plaza 31 de marzo)
The center of the city is its main plaza, officially Plaza 31 de marzo but more often simply called the Zócalo. In the colonial era the city's main market was here as well as the main water supply. Today it is centered on a kiosk added in the early 20th century, whose corners carry inscriptions marking the major events of San Cristóbal's history. The rest of the plaza is filled with gardens and surrounded by the most important buildings and finest homes from the city's history.
There is a drum and brass band with singers performing patriotic melodies at 08:00 on Mondays at the main square, and musicians may be found at the square in the evenings as well.
9. The cathedral
The cathedral is to the north of the main plaza and is the most emblematic symbol of the city, though its main facade faces its own atrium, the Cathedral Plaza, rather than the Zócalo. It began as a modest church dedicated to the Virgin of the Assumption built in 1528; when Chiapas became a diocese in the 17th century with San Cristóbal as its seat, that church was torn down to build the current structure, dedicated to Saint Christopher, the patron of the city. The overall structure contains European Baroque, Moorish and indigenous influences, and the main facade was finished in 1721.
The facade is Baroque, painted yellow, with ornamental columns and niches containing various saints, divided into three horizontal and three vertical levels marked off by pairs of Solomonic columns and meant to resemble an altarpiece, further decorated with intricate raised stucco work mostly in white showing Oaxacan and Guatemalan influences. The interior layout shows Moorish influence; the main altar is dedicated to both the Virgin of the Assumption and Saint Christopher, and the wood pulpit is from the 16th century and gilded. The side walls have two Baroque altarpieces, one to the Virgin of the Assumption and the other to John of Nepomuk, and there is a small chapel dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe on the north side. The sacristy has a large colonial-era painting of Jesus in Gethsemane by Juan Correa as well as paintings by Miguel Cabrera and Eusebio de Aguilar.
10. Templo de Guadalupe
Situated up a long flight of stairs on a hill to the east of town, this church is not especially noteworthy in itself but does offer good views of the town.
This area is not safe after dark, and even during the day solo women may be harassed. Go in daylight and combine the climb with other time in the center.
11. Templo de San Cristóbalito
Located on a hill just southwest of the town center, this church offers good views of the town below.
This area is also not safe after dark, so plan your visit for daylight hours.
12. The traditional market north of the Santo Tomas Church
A more traditional Mexican market is located just north of the Santo Tomas Church. It is open each day except Sunday, when its vendors go to the surrounding communities in the municipality to sell at their markets. On the days it is open, the large building, which mostly houses traditional butcher shops, is surrounded by stalls that crowd the nearby streets. There are very few tourists here, except for the occasional backpacker.
Markets like this serve traditional dishes such as saffron tamales, sopa de pan, asado coleto, atole de granillo and a drink called posh made from sugar cane. Check the day before you go, since Sunday is closed.
13. Holy Week processions
Fireworks are common because many religious festivals use them, and the most elaborate rituals are performed during Holy Week. Processions include both silent and chanting marchers, a number dressed in pointed hoods and carrying heavy platforms with religious figures. They go from house to house, stopping at homes that have erected small shrines, where they say prayers and bless the house and its occupants before moving on. They finally come to rest in a gigantic open house where an inner shrine has been erected lit by thousands of candles, and where a large potluck supper takes place; all, even passers-by, are welcome to partake.
Passion plays depicting the crucifixion of Jesus are common, with one large one centered in the open plaza behind the municipal palace. After dark there is the Burning of Judas, with plentiful figures that include government bureaucrats, church officials, army officers, US political figures, Spanish conquistadors and popular celebrities. They are lit by local firemen who try to keep people back at a safe distance, but fireworks occasionally fall among the crowds anyway.
14. Feria de la Primavera y la Paz (Spring and Peace Fair)
This weeklong annual fair is held in April and showcases the city's diverse traditional arts and crafts. It runs concurrent with Holy Week, especially on Holy Saturday with music and costumes, and terminates with the burning of Judas. A queen is elected to be crowned the next day, and bullfights are held.
Because it overlaps with Holy Week, expect the center to be busy; plan around the processions if you want to move easily between the plaza and the churches.
15. Festival Cervantino Barroco
Held each year in the historic center, this festival features invited artists from various parts of Mexico and abroad. It takes place in various forums in the city and includes concerts, plays, exhibitions and conferences.
It is an annual performing arts festival held in October, with musical performances in various genres, traditional and modern dance, poetry readings and theatrical productions. Check what is scheduled in the historic center during your dates.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at the Zócalo, where a drum and brass band and singers perform patriotic melodies at 08:00 on Mondays. Walk north to the cathedral and take in the Baroque facade and the interior, then head to Barrio El Cerrillo for the Templo de Santo Domingo Guzmán and the Museo de los Altos de Chiapas in the former convent, including the Centro de Textiles del Mundo Maya on the first floor.
Afternoon: Continue in El Cerrillo with the Museo Na Bolom, then cross town to the Museo del Ámbar in the Convento de la Merced and the Museo Mesoamericano del Jade. If you still have daylight and energy, climb to the Templo de San Cristóbalito for views over the town below.
Evening: Return to the Templo de Santo Domingo Guzmán, whose gilded interior is especially beautiful by candlelight, and browse the tianguis at Santo Domingo outside. Finish on the Zócalo, where musicians may be found in the square in the evenings, and choose among the cafés, restaurants and clubs that make up the city's active nightlife.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to see the orchids at Orquídeas Moxviquil?
The gardens are best visited in the spring beginning in April, when most of the orchids are in bloom. The garden is open Monday to Saturday 09:00–17:00 and Sunday 10:00–16:00.
Which days is the traditional market north of the Santo Tomas Church open?
It is open each day except Sunday, when its vendors go to the surrounding communities in the municipality to sell at their markets.
How can I tell real amber from fake?
Staff at the Museo del Ámbar can explain how to identify real versus fake amber: real amber is always warm to the touch and emits a faint resin smell when rubbed. The museum is a good place to visit if you intend to purchase amber in Chiapas.
Are the hilltop churches safe to visit?
The areas around the Templo de Guadalupe and the Templo de San Cristóbalito are not safe after dark. Even during the day, solo women may be harassed at the Templo de Guadalupe area, so visit in daylight.
Decide your dates around Holy Week, the Spring Fair or the Cervantino Barroco, and you can build a trip that puts the city's churches, museums, markets and festivals in the right order.