Exploring Chiapas’ Highlands, the Leading Attractions around San Cristóbal de Las Casas
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▌During your next visit to the Magical Town of San Cristóbal de Las Casas, a colonial-era jewel high in Chiapas’ Altos region, consider exploring more of its nearby destinations. In the vicinity of the city, you will find indigenous communities humming with their powerful ancestral traditions.
San Juan Chamula, an Enigmatic Encounter with the Past
※ As soon as you get to San Juan Chamula, you will immediately sense a change in the atmosphere. Things feel almost hallowed. This community, populated by Tzotzil people, is organized into three neighborhoods: San Pedro, San Juan, and San Sebastián and retains a tight hold on its pre-Hispanic cultures and customs.
※ Visiting its church is a stirring experience. Inside, the air is permeated by incense, the floor is covered with pine needles, prayers rise in the Tzotzil language, and candles flicker over an endless array of saints wearing traditional garments, surrounded by offerings and rituals that echo with ancient Maya beliefs under a veneer of Catholicism. This town’s religious and cultural expressions, unlike those anywhere else in the world, will astonish you.
※ Before heading back to San Cristóbal de Las Casas, some 6.8 miles from San Juan Chamula, be sure to wander the town’s streets to get a glimpse of daily life in a community that proudly preserves its identity, language, and forms of social organization.
Can’t-Miss Spots in San Juan Chamula:
▌San Juan Bautista church is the town’s top landmark. Its lone nave is designed for maximum visibility of the main altar—dedicated to the town’s patron saint, Saint John the Baptist. Photography is not allowed, and there is an entrance fee.
▌The remains of San Sebastián church, an old 16th-century church located in the cemetery at the entrance to the town.
𝄪𝄪𝄪𝄪𝄪𝄪𝄪𝄪𝄪𝄪𝄪𝄪
How to Get There from San Cristóbal: The trip takes 25 minutes on Puerto Caté road. There is public transportation from San Cristóbal, leaving continuously.
Zinacantán, a Garden of Flowers
and Colorful Textiles
※ Just a short distance from San Cristóbal sits Zinacantán, welcoming visitors with an explosion of color. This Tzotzil community pays homage to the region’s exuberant natural beauty, with flourishing nurseries and incredibly skilled craftspeople weaving life into textiles.
※ Women in Zinacantán are masters of the backstrap loom, on which they create huipil blouses, rebozo shawls, and other garments intricately adorned with flower motifs reflecting their surroundings. Visiting their workshops gives visitors the chance to appreciate their skill, learn about traditional techniques, and shop for one-of-a-kind pieces, imbued with history and meaning.
Can’t-Miss Spots in Zinacantán:
▌Be sure to visit San Lorenzo church. Its white front and colorful details make it another example of the intermingling of traditions, as pre-Hispanic symbols are incorporated in its decoration.
Cristóbal Colón 4, Centro.
𝄪𝄪𝄪𝄪𝄪𝄪𝄪𝄪𝄪𝄪𝄪𝄪
▌You can also explore some of the textile workshops, where you will find textiles woven by local women.
𝄪𝄪𝄪𝄪𝄪𝄪𝄪𝄪𝄪𝄪𝄪𝄪
How to Get There from San Cristóbal: The route from San Cristóbal de Las Casas to Zinacantán is about 25 minutes or 6.6 miles. Follow Puerto Caté-San Cristóbal de Las Casas road. There is also public transportation, departing from the market, the Mercado Municipal of San Cristóbal.
Tenejapa, Where Identity Gilds Tradition
※ Continuing your journey through the Altos region of Chiapas, Tenejapa is a great spot to visit when traveling to San Cristóbal de Las Casas. This is a town populated by Tzeltal people, where tradition is intensely valued. Inhabitants are known for their traditional clothing, which varies according to occasion and family groups. Tenejapa has an intriguing indigenous market which is a riot of colors, aromas, and voices speaking Tzeltal.
※ Local religious festivities are also interesting. Catholic processions and rituals are interwoven with Mayan beliefs, creating an ambiance of deep devotion and syncretism. Tenejapa’s textiles, created using traditional techniques and adorned with symbols representing the Maya people’s worldview, offer a window onto the town’s history and identity.
Can’t Miss Spots in Tenejapa:
▌Ococh lakes are seven bodies of water that shimmer varying colors. They are found in the town of Lagunas del Hoyo.
▌Known for their cultural and religious significance to the Tzeltal people, Banabil lakes host ceremonies and offerings.
𝄪𝄪𝄪𝄪𝄪𝄪𝄪𝄪𝄪𝄪𝄪𝄪
How to Get There from San Cristóbal: To reach Tenejapa from San Cristóbal de Las Casas, you can take a bus from the bus station, Terminal de Transportes de San Cristóbal. These public buses run frequently, and the trip lasts about one and a half hours.
A Feast for the Senses: Local Cuisine and Handicrafts
※ Exploring the San Cristóbal area is further enlivened by its people’s dishes and creations. Local foodways feature delicacies such as the comforting sopa de pan (bread soup), unusual coleto pastries, and many, many meat preparations, including cecina and tasajo (both types of dried beef), and delectable chorizo sausage from Teopisca.
※ When it comes to handicrafts, the region abounds with unique pieces. Amber, the gorgeous, fossilized resin, is worked into jewelry and decorative objects. The traditional art of cerería transforms wax into fantastically shaped and colored candles, used in rituals and celebrations. Metalworking produces both utilitarian and ornamental objects through traditional techniques. And of course, there are the textiles displaying their incredible array of techniques, designs, and meanings.
Visiting San Juan Chamula, Zinacantán, and Tenejapa is much more than just a touristic day trip. It’s being deeply immersed in Chiapas’ cultural diversity, encountering communities that still follow the ways of their ancestors, with a unique and fascinating look at Mexico’s character.
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