Have you ever been to the mountains? What could it be better than the mountains? The only thing better than a cozy city in the mountains, for example San Cristobal De Las Casas.

San Cristobal is located at an altitude of 2200 meters above sea level, so it is cold here in the evenings, do not forget to take warm clothes with you. If you don’t have a pair of warm pants on hand, it doesn’t matter, the city has a very developed textile industry and you can easily buy yourself warm, handmade national clothes at the local market.

From 1824 to 1892, San Cristobal was the capital of Chiapas, but due to difficult access to the city, the capital was moved to Tuxtla Gutierrez, and San Cristobal remained the cultural and tourist capital of the state.

Narrow streets, tiled roofs of houses, small and cozy cafes - all this is reminiscent of the city of Lviv.

Walking along the streets and turning left and right, you often find interesting souvenir shops with beautiful handicrafts.

Basically, all the streets in the city are one-way and driving along them by car is terribly inconvenient. The way to navigate intersections in this city is special: there are two types of arrows painted on the houses. A red arrow means you are giving way, while a black or white arrow means your way is a priority. Still, without signs on the road it is very inconvenient and I advise you to explore the city on foot.

The city has one peculiarity - unique sidewalks. Apparently, when the city was built, no one expected a large number of people and cars, so the sidewalks turned out different. Sometimes on the paths you have to pass people sideways, and sometimes there is barely enough sidewalk for one foot.

San Cristobal has a very developed coffee culture. Wherever you go, you can always order a cup of aromatic drink for 20-30 pesos. They also brew hot chocolate in the city. In fact, this is not chocolate, but a cup of natural cocoa with your choice of additives. We drank the most delicious cocoa in a cafe on the square near the Church of Guadalupe.

Around the entire city there are mountains, which the new houses of the residents of Cristobal are trying so hard to climb. There are temples on the peaks of the mountains, offering magnificent views of the city.

If you love sports, then you will want to stay in San Cristobal longer: a huge number of sports fields, playgrounds, courts, ballet clubs, yoga, taekwondo and gyms will not let you go just like that.

The Mayan Indians live in the state of Chiapas and they have long been famous for their medicine. There is a museum of Mayan medicine in the city, if you are interested you can take a look. There are also separate stalls with herbs in the markets; skillful grandmothers will sell herbs for any ailment. I’m not joking now and I’m speaking seriously, but how did we know all this:

Salmonella bacillus in Chiapas

Having arrived in Cristobal and settled into a house with a kitchen, we, of course, expected to cook on our own. We bought fresh produce and, like vegetable lovers, began making salads. The first, second day, and then we got sick: stomach pain, stomach pain, nausea, fever - all signs of food poisoning or E. coli. Diet and drinking plenty of fluids saved the situation. Having talked about this with our neighbors from France, we learned one very interesting thing: “The salmonella bacillus is found in the state of Chiapas,” the guys told us. They also suffered from this disease, with the same symptoms. The guys found out their diagnosis after they had their blood tested. They saved themselves with a special herb called “Chichavo”, which you can buy from your grandmother at the market. And in order not to become infected with salmonella, all vegetables and fruits were soaked in a special solution of the disinfectant “Microdyn”. This is the situation that happened to us. Whether it was a salmonella stick or not is not so important. It is important to know this in advance and be armed. But, despite all the microbes, we really liked San Cristobal.

Sights of the city of San Cristobal De Las Casas

Iglesia de San Cristobal. An interesting temple, reached by a long staircase. From the top there is a good view of the city.

On the way to the temple, kids ran up to us and asked our name and where we came from. To the question: “Why do you need this?” they replied that it was for school. After the children tried to become our friends, of course they asked for money. The mother of one of the girls watched everything that was happening, and it seemed to me that this was a way to make money from tourists. When asked to take a photo with the girls, the mother said that photos were not allowed. This is what the Mexican people are like.

Iglesia de Santo Domingo and Templo de la Caridad. Two temples, near which there is a souvenir market with reasonable prices and beautiful things.

Iglesia de Guadalupe. Another temple, but on another mountain. Opens from above beautiful view to the city.

Catedral. The main temple of the city central square Zocalo. If there are any events taking place in the city, there will always be celebrations on the square.

Iglesia de Santa Lucia. You will definitely remember this temple, since I have never seen any other blue temples in the city. Next to the temple there is an interesting market with local sweets and textiles. I advise you to look there.

I have listed the most interesting and beautiful temples, but in general there are a lot of them and it seems that the population of the city is very religious, which cannot but rejoice.

In addition to temples, the city has many museums: the Museum of Medicine, the Amber Museum, the Coffee Museum, etc.

For nature lovers, a walk through the park “el arcotete parque ecoturistico” will be interesting" This is a beautiful place that stretches along a mountain river.

You should set aside at least two hours for the walk. Don't forget to take water with you, as there are no shops inside. Entrance to the park costs 5 pesos per person ($0.34).

Hotel in San Cristobal De Las Casas

We rented a room in a nice house in the city center through the airbnb website.

Our own garden, a charming dog named Ambassador and, of course, a friendly international company made our stay in the city pleasant and unforgettable.

I was pleased with the proximity of all the shops: meat, vegetable, and dairy shops are a 3-minute walk away. The cost of the room is 250 per day ($17), if you rent it for more than a week, the owner makes discounts. You can also rent rooms on a monthly basis.

The owner of the house, Fernando, also has a hostel, where he gladly welcomes all travelers. The accommodation is clean and tidy and the price is minimal - 80 - 100 pesos per person ($5.46 - $6.83).

Cafe in San Cristobal

Fernando told us about his favorite cafes, where they have a pleasant atmosphere and delicious food. We always listen to the residents of the city, because they know much more than us. These places turned out to be:

Thai cuisine cafe. Located on Real de Guadelupe 84. There is a Facebook.

Has it ever happened to you when the only thing left to do was to throw up your hands and say “Not fate”? I think this has happened to everyone. Andyusiks and I had such “not fate” happen to the town of San Cristobal de Las Casas. No matter how hard we tried to see him, we couldn’t really see him. Why? I'll tell you everything in order.

Features of the town of San Cristobal de Las Casas

We knew well in advance that San Cristobal was different from other cities. It is different, if only because it is cool there, because it is hidden quite high in the mountains. Imagine, it's cool! After the hot Puerto Escondido and stuffy Tuxtla-Gutierrez, this magic word poured on us like a balm to the soul. For some reason, the final part of the dialogue with the taxi driver on the way to the Tusla bus station did not particularly alarm me.

- And where are you going?
- To San Cristobal.
- Mmmm. Cold!

Well, you never know, it’s cold for these Mexicans.

At noon we board the bus. The driver, apparently having the goal of preparing us for all bad weather, turns on the air conditioning to maximum. Okay, we are scientists, with warm sweaters and scarves. We wrap ourselves in them like Eskimos, to the envy of the less perspicacious passengers.

Not even half an hour passes before the landscapes outside the window begin to change dramatically: the hills become higher and higher, the clouds drop lower and lower. The bus confidently gains altitude, making pretzel turns on the mountain road and clearly not intending to give up.

At the end of the time allotted by the schedule, we arrive at the modest bus station of the city with the proud name of San Cristobal de Las Casaa. We get off the bus and realize that we don’t have to take off our sweaters! Wow, really cool! Neither hot nor cold, but comfortable: a fresh breeze blows, from time to time the sun peeking out from behind the clouds bites your cheek. Why are half the locals wearing jackets?

We look around, take a deep breath and set off to look for housing. We find a hotel room, check in, and only an hour later we realize that the room is cold. That is really cold! We didn’t notice this right away after walking with our heavy backpacks. Wow, there are also two wool blankets on the beds. Hm.

What do you think is happening in the evening? In the evening, a real downpour begins, the kind when it is impossible to stick your nose out into the street, because the water is pouring out of a bucket. It becomes even colder and more uncomfortable. So what were you saying there, comrade taxi driver? Cold?

For the next couple of days, the picture does not change: cold and rain, cold and rain, gray hopelessness. We are waiting patiently good weather to go on a date with the city. The weather forecast seems to mock us, each time instilling hope that is not destined to come true: there is no sun, or at least no rain. Only on the third day does the knocking on the roof stop.

Hurry, hurry, hurry, let's go for a walk around San Cristobal!

What to see in San Cristobal

We get out of our hole onto the street: everything around is gray, wet, uncomfortable. Only enthusiasm and curiosity save. There is a whole list of attractions on hand. So, where to start? The first on the way was a church, or rather the Temple of St. Francisco (Templo de San Francisco de Asis).

If earlier we looked into churches to cool off, then we step into this threshold with the hope that it will be at least a little warmer there than outside. But no, not warmer.

Imagine being frozen like that in the middle of Mexico in mid-May. An anecdote, and nothing more!

We leave the church and head wherever our eyes look. They looked, as it turned out, towards the Arc de Triomphe of Carmen (Arco del Carmen). Eh, in sunny weather obviously everything looks more fun...

A stone's throw from the arch is the Carmen Cultural Center of the same name (Centro Cultural El Carmen). Shall we come in? Perhaps, yes, it’s warmer there, today this is an undeniable plus!

A cultural center is a cultural center: someone draws, someone embroiders, someone plants flowers.

We go outside and soon find ourselves on the central tourist street Real de Guadalupe. Andryusiks and I instantly dubbed it the San Cristobal Arbat: everywhere there are cafes, restaurants, shops with souvenirs and clothes, creative characters who give their talents for free or for money, beggars, salespeople. In general, this is where life is all at!

It’s a nice place, maybe you’ll still be able to see it in sunny weather?

San Cristobal is generally a very pleasant town. On all sides it is surrounded by picturesque mountains, precisely those because of which it is so different from other cities both in appearance and in weather. It is even possible to climb a couple of hills to admire the panorama of the city from above. How can you miss such an opportunity? No way! So we are walking confidently towards the hill of San Crisobal (Cerro de San Cristobal). Wow, he can be seen in the distance.

Steps, steps, steps, left, right, left, right. Phew! We look back and here it is, San Cristobal in all its glory! That still foggy Albion.

And at the top of the hill a church was built. Ordinary, nothing special. If it were not for the people scurrying around and praying inside. What's special about it, you ask? And the fact that they are Indians. Yes, yes, the real ones! Well, their direct descendants, anyway.

Gloomy faces, unfriendly looks, unusual clothes, sometimes similar to costumes worn specifically for the performance. The area around San Cristobal is said to have the highest percentage of indigenous people in Mexico. Who knows, perhaps this is so. One thing is clear: we have never met so many Indians anywhere else.

We are going down the hill, there are still so many interesting things ahead! If only it didn't start to rain.

The pretty streets of San Cristobal, as cute as they can be framed by the gray, dull weather, take us in the opposite direction of the hill. I don’t want to look at the list of attractions, so we go on a whim. What difference does it make what this church or this street is called? One thing is important: whether you like it or not, whether it evokes some emotions or leaves you indifferent. Oh no! It starts to rain. At first hesitant, then it develops into a persistent monotonous rhythm. We put on our hoods and persistently move on. We waited three days to get out of our room into the light of day, we won’t just give up!

Narrow paved sidewalks and streets, colorful houses, churches, squares - all the delights of a small colonial town.

And everything would be fine, but this discomfort, dampness and dullness does not allow emotions to fully penetrate into the frozen soul. The eyes see, but the heart does not feel.

We are hiding from bad weather in the city hall. Two wet chicks. Mexico, is that how you are? Unfriendly and cold. But with a little more sun, San Cristobal could stand on a par with San Miguel, Guanajuato and Queretaro.

- It seems like the rain won't stop...
- No, look, almost nothing is dripping from the sky anymore.
- Shall we go for a walk or go home?
- Let's go further.

No sooner said than done! We paddle along the wet sidewalks towards another hill. It’s still interesting to look at cities from above.

San Cristobal has several features that we have not yet encountered in any other Mexican city. In addition to mountains, cold and Indians, there are also clouds. The kind that descend directly onto the city and literally hug the roofs of houses.

The street took us upstairs. The clouds became a little closer. A mysterious sight, isn't it?

Today our San Cristobal is like this: cloudy, wet and covered in graffiti, with umbrellas and warm jackets.

Out of habit, we look into the courtyard that interests us. Just a hotel, but so picturesque. Lush greenery and dampness are reminiscent of Vietnamese Hanoi.

Imperceptibly we again go to the center. San Cristobal de Las Casas is a tiny town, you can walk around the whole town in a day, and its central part is even smaller. I would even say that it looks like a toy. A sort of small island of life, sandwiched between the mountains.

Would you like me to tell you about another feature of this city? Roof tiles. It seems that half of all roofs are covered with it. Old, good quality tiles, darkened by time and rain. What could be more romantic?

Romance is romance, but the rain stubbornly refuses to stop, but only gains strength. In this weather, it’s good to sit at home, wrapped in a blanket, drink hot tea and watch a movie. Maybe we can do that? Perhaps we should go home and wait for a nicer day.

Knock-Knock! Who's there? Ahh, it’s the rain drumming on the roof and knocking on the windows, taking only short breaks to gain strength.

Oh, look, the sun has come out, the sky has changed from anger to mercy, and instead of black clouds, white fluffy clouds have appeared. We quickly get ready and leave the house with Andryusiks to combine lunch with a walk around smiling San Cristobal.

We again reach the tourist street Real de Guadlupe (it is simply closest to our hotel). This is what she looks like in a more fun version. It’s a completely different matter: it’s immediately cozier, friendlier, kinder.

Here another feature of San Cristobal becomes even more noticeable. For some reason, there are a lot of hippies in this town. Everywhere there are weird-looking guys with dreadlocks in unusual clothes. So they catch your eye here and there: sometimes they play the accordion, sometimes they scare away the local dogs. In general, they are trying to stand out as best they can. Are they making dreadlocks for free somewhere around the corner?

They even sell some unusual toys, look, a bearded giraffe.

The city is clearly not offended by tourists; even now, when the season is coming to an end, the city is full of them. Rumor has it that some people fall in love with San Cristobal so much that they move here to live. Somewhat reminiscent of the story of San Miguel de Allende.

As you know, where there are tourists, there is entertainment for them.

Even the same Indians here played the role of just an attraction for the gringo. These descendants of proud and warlike ancestors today walk the streets, selling shawls, dream traps, amulets and other rubbish to visiting onlookers or simply begging.

To be honest, no matter how many days we are in this city, the feeling of some discomfort does not leave us. Everything seems nice and nice, but people are somehow unfriendly. There are no those usual curious glances and open smiles. Everyone is gloomy and wary, from the waitresses in the cafe to passers-by on the streets. Maybe it's all about the cold?

What can you do, each city has its own character. But there is no shortage of cute streets with colonial architecture in San Cristobal. Shall we go and have a look?

Oh no! The music played for a short time. Before our eyes, the sky becomes clouded and it starts to rain. We run, we run to the hotel. The second attempt to take a normal walk around the city fails miserably.

For a day, two, three, we watched the same picture outside the door of our cold hotel room: rain, rain, rain. But we wanted to take a ride around the surrounding area and see unexplored streets. It doesn't seem like fate. So San Cristobal remained behind a veil of rain.

This is how we will remember San Cristobal de Las Casas: cold, rain, rare moments of enlightenment, hippies, Indians, mountains, clouds and tiles. We even nicknamed it San Morozal to ourselves because of the weather and the general feeling. And it could have entered our TOP 5 cities in Mexico if it had been a little more welcoming.

As Andryusiks said, “this city can be safely recommended as a refrigerator.”

Enjoy your walks around San Cristobal, dear readers!

Sheboldasik and four-legged friends

How to get to San Cristobal

How to get to San Cristobal from Tuxtla Gutierrez

To get from Tuxtla Gutierrez to San Cristobal, you can take the OCC bus. We chose the bus leaving at 12:00. A ticket to San Cristobal costs 48 pesos, the journey takes 1:10. We used the discount coupon again and paid only 34 pesos.

So don't forget about the 10% discount coupons for your next trip if you use ADO and OCC buses. Coupons are printed directly on boarding pass, so don't throw them away after your trip.

By the way, it is better to check the bus schedule on the Internet; not all routes are shown on the boards posted at bus stations (perhaps only direct routes are indicated).

Where we lived in San Cristobal

This time we had to look for housing locally. We did not find anything suitable for booking in San Cristobal in advance. Having learned from the bitter experience of searching for shelter with heavy backpacks, this time we left our things in the storage room at the bus station. As a result, the search dragged on for three hours (they paid 104 pesos for two backpacks).

There were enough options for budget accommodation in San Cristobal, but we have special requirements: give us a work desk, good internet (which, by the way, not all hotels had in general), and more light. There are also problems with the latter in this city - the windows in almost all the rooms overlook the courtyards, which is why the rooms are in eternal twilight. The availability of hot water has become even more important than usual, because the rooms are very, very cold (the city is in the mountains and it is never hot there). Ask for several blankets at once.

We ended up staying at the Villa Real Hotel. We asked for the most spacious room with a full-fledged work desk for 300 pesos (that’s how much a double room with one large bed costs in this hotel, and we had two of them, although we didn’t need that much, but it was more spacious). Plus this is the only room with a table.

In the end, it turned out that the Internet does not always work equally well, and sometimes turns off completely (I had to constantly ask to reboot the router until Andryusiks himself figured out this mysterious outlet). There were also problems with hot water - it was turned on at a time, that is, during the day there was no opportunity to go to the shower and warm up, which was very, very important, since there was a dubak in the room. Otherwise, there are no complaints about the hotel. It was warm at night under three blankets))

San Cristobal de las Casas is the most colorful town we visited during our short trip around the country. It is not for nothing that in 2003 the city of San Cristobal was awarded the title of “Magic City”.

San Cristobal is located in the center of Mexico, in the state of Chiapas, at an altitude of 2100 m above sea level, in the picturesque Vall de Jovel valley. Unlike many other cities in Mexico, this small town has no pre-colonial history. It was founded in 1528 by the Spanish conqueror.

For a long time, the city remained an inconspicuous small settlement, lost in the mountains of Chiapas and was under the control of Guatemala. And from 1824 to 1892, San Cristobal de las Casas was the capital of the state, but due to difficult access to the city, the capital was moved to the city of Tuxtla, and San Cristobal remained the cultural capital of the state and is now the tourist center of the state of Chiapas.

Until 1994, few people had heard about the city of San Cristobal, but in January 1994 the city was captured by rebels of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation, who are fighting for the rights of the indigenous population of Mexico - the Indians. The city was liberated, the situation in the state has stabilized, but the rebels still sometimes block roads and organize rallies.

The city changed its name several times and began to be called San Cristobal only in the 19th century, in honor of Saint Cristobal.

Now the city and the villages next to it are inhabited mainly by the Tzotzil and Tzeltal peoples, who belong to the group of Mayan Indians. Local residents still wear national clothes, use donkeys to transport goods and hold Indian ceremonies.

San Cristobal, central Zocalo square: on the right is a piece of the Cathedral, in front is the Government Palace

Here is the beautiful Catholic Cathedral, built in the 17th century in a mixed Baroque and Moorish style. The cathedral was built in honor of the patron saint of the city and patron of all travelers - St. Christopher. This Catholic Cathedral in San Cristobal is the only cathedral where Catholic services are held. In the rest of the churches and cathedrals of the city, rituals according to local Indian beliefs are held.

Here on the square is located a 19th century building with arches and columns.

You can go up to the second floor and view the surroundings from a small height. We arrived in the evening and saw such beautiful views of the city and mountains.

Now the city hall is located in this building; when we were there, some kind of meeting was taking place in one of the rooms, and in the other there was a concert of children’s amateur performances.

There are several museums in San Cristobal: the Amber Museum (as it turns out, amber is mined in the state of Chiapas) and the Mayan Medicine Museum.

The city has a developed production of textiles, ceramics and amber jewelry. All this can be bought at the artisan market (Mercado de Artesanias). The market is located next to the Caridad Cathedral.

We arrived at the market around 5 pm, when the traders were already folding their tents. But we managed to buy a couple of blankets and souvenirs. If you are planning to buy souvenirs in Mexico, I recommend doing it in San Cristobal. Here low prices and great choice. And be sure to bargain. Mexican blankets can be bought here for 80-100 pesos.

San Cristobal has several pedestrianized tourist streets, with numerous restaurants, bars and coffee shops spread across the two countries.

Very popular bar "Revolution" San Cristobal de las Casas, how to get there

The city is located in the mountains, so the path to it is not easy. No matter where you are coming from: on one side from Oaxaca or on the other side from Oaxaca, you will have to drive along a tough mountain serpentine road. Bus tickets can be purchased.

The nearest airport is located in the capital of Chiapas, Tuxtla. Plane tickets can be booked by clicking on the link. From the city of Tuxtla to San Cristobal it is about 100 km; a good toll highway has been built. There are serpentines there, of course, but not the same as if you drive on a free road.

We were traveling to San Cristobal from . The distance is only 215 km, and we drove for about 5 hours. The road is narrow, continuous serpentine (not the same, of course, as from in, but also very heavy), there are no barriers on the road: on one side there is a rock, on the other there is a cliff. I got very motion sick, take anti-motion sickness pills, although they didn’t really help me. I do not advise anyone to drive on this road at night. There will be a separate article about roads in Mexico, but for now enjoy the views of the landscapes along the Palenque – San Cristobal road.

It is very interesting to see how, as you move into the mountains, the lush tropical vegetation of the jungle gives way to coniferous forests and lemon trees.


Apples are grown here and it seems that you are not in Mexico at all, but somewhere in our latitudes 😎

Apples and tangerines in San Cristobal

One unpleasant feature of the road from Palenque to San Cristobal is the inhabitants of the local villages. Children and women pull a rope on both sides of the road and lift it when you approach, and when you slow down, they begin to rush at the car so that you can buy bananas or water from them. I knew about such jokes in advance, but I didn’t tell Lesha, otherwise I would have refused to go. What to do in such cases: we simply stood motionless, blocking the windows. Many people write that you just need to drive quickly and honk loudly. I think we were lucky, the weather was bad, it was raining every now and then, so we only encountered such obstacles a couple of times.

I don’t want to scare anyone, but there are situations when the Palenque-San Cristobal road is blocked by separatists for several days and demand something from the government of the country. We were lucky, we drove normally in one direction or the other, but I read on the forums that people have to replan their route because of such actions of the rebel brigade of revolutionaries.

We arrived at about 6 pm, already in the dark and stuck in a big traffic jam in the city center. The roads here are very narrow, one-way traffic everywhere, we drove in circles and could not figure out how to get to our pre-booked hotel.

Having checked into the Posada Sancris hotel, we quickly washed ourselves, changed clothes and went to dinner in the city center. It must be said that San Cristobal is located high above sea level and in the evenings the temperature drops to +5 degrees. Somehow I miscalculated the weather, put on flip-flops, a dress and a jacket and we went for a walk. It was my mistake, I was frozen almost immediately, the walk did not bring me pleasure, we hurried to warm up in one of the many cafes.

Here I drank the most delicious margarita cocktail during my entire stay in Mexico. And the food was delicious. Dinner for two cost 350 pesos ($28).

Margarita, of course, didn’t warm me up, I had to drink mulled wine (yes, they sell mulled wine here too 😎), we wandered around the main street a little more, were surprised at the number of hippies and tourists in general and hurried to the room to warm up under two duvets 😎

The next morning we were not pleased with the weather. In general, we were unlucky with the weather in Mexico 😥 The rains followed us everywhere and always. After breakfast we went on an excursion to Canyon del Sumidero, returned to San Cristobal after lunch, left the car at the hotel and went for a walk.

On the streets of the wonderful city of San Cristobal de las Casas

This time I decided to dress warmly: jeans, sneakers, jacket 😎 We wandered into the market, walked around the center of the city of Zocalo, and went to the Cathedral.

I read that they brew delicious coffee and hot chocolate in San Cristobal, so we stopped at a cute cafe for a cup of chocolate and a piece of cake 😎 Delicious, but hot chocolate turns out to be cocoa! 😎

San Cristobal hot chocolate is similar to our cocoa :)

We had dinner at the Syrian restaurant, where a crowd of local young people were smoking hookah. By the way, the margarita here was not as tasty as in the previous cafe.

And one more margarita :)

And they walked, walked, walked. We went into stores, I tried on dresses, but didn’t buy anything. San Cristobal with its atmosphere reminded me of two cities -

In a picturesque, lost among high mountains and fluffy clouds, the Jovel Valley, the small town of San Cristobal de las Casas is comfortably located. The city cannot boast of a history of pre-colonial times; its construction began in 1528, by the conquistador Diego Mazariegos, on the lands of Central America, inhabited by the descendants of the Mayans. Over the course of three centuries, the city's name changed periodically, initially it was called Villa Real de Chiapa de los Españoles, later renamed Ciudad Real de Chiapa.

San Cristobal de las Casas received its modern name only in 1848, in honor of the Christian martyr who patronized wanderers, Saint Christopher, and the prefix de las Casas was given to him thanks to Bartolomeo de las Casas, the first bishop of Chiapas and an ardent fighter for the rights of the oppressed Indians. well and local residents They call him briefly and affectionately Sancris. In the mid-19th century, the city was the administrative center of the state of Chiapas, now recognized as its cultural and tourist capital, and in 2003 it was awarded the status of “magical city”. (San Cristobal in ours)

The Pearl of Chiapas

San Cristabal is undoubtedly the pearl of the state of Chiapas and the most beautiful heritage of the colonial past. This is a city of shoe shiners, hippies, backpackers, tile roofs and vintage cars. It still preserves the special atmosphere of antiquity, with its traditions and rituals.

The indigenous population - the Tzotzil and Tzeltal Indians, are considered direct descendants of the Mayans, they wear bright national clothes and jewelry, and transport goods on carts pulled by donkeys. They speak their own language, and most of them do not know Spanish at all. They earn their living by making and selling souvenirs, clothing and textiles, but the main income comes from the numerous tourists who come here from all over the world. (souvenirs can be purchased on our three-day trip, see)

Architecture of San Cristobal

The elegant, mostly one-story architecture of San Cristobal is a mixture of neoclassicism, baroque and Moorish style, with the addition of national Indian flavor; you want to wander through its pedestrian streets, filled with the spirit of romance, again and again. And almost always, cool air, saturated with unique aromas, intoxicates and makes you dizzy.

San Cristobal gained worldwide fame a little more than 20 years ago, in January 1994, when it was captured by rebels of the Zapatista national liberation movement fighting for Indian rights, and became the center of their resistance.

Sights of San Cristobal

Despite the small area, San Cristobal has a large number of different churches, some of them are more than several centuries old. The main attraction is considered Cathedral St. Christopher, which combines Moorish-style gilding, Indian lace and characteristic Baroque features in its architecture. It is located in the central square of the city, Zocalo. When you come here in the evening, you can become a participant in a fascinating costume show staged by the Indians.

The most beautiful and most magical church in the city, the pink Temple of San Domingo stuns tourists with its stunning carved façade and baroque interior.

Two main observation decks, these are the hills of Guadalupe and San Cristobal, each of which is home to small churches, and in good weather, offers amazing views of the city covered with tiled roofs.

San Cristobal boasts museums whose exhibitions will not leave anyone indifferent. This is a museum of amber mined in the surrounding mountains and a museum of Mayan medicine.

Friends! If you have any questions - don't hesitate! - ask them in the comments below or write to me on social networks!

You will never see Paris or New York the way it was seen in the 16th or 18th centuries. These cities burned in fires and were destroyed by bombing and artillery shelling, the streets were straightened and rebuilt every hundred years, and in the place of old districts and neighborhoods, factories, industrial plants, and warehouses grew up every 20-30 years. The Industrial Revolution swept through European cities like a steamroller, and World War II forever changed the face of the Old World.

But all the unrest and anxiety of the last five centuries, which reshaped Europe the length and breadth, had little effect on the appearance of the Mexican city of San Cristobal de las Casas.

When you get here, you take a trip into the past - and you see exactly the same thing that the indigenous Mexicans saw 300 years ago - a colorful city with a magical atmosphere.

San Cristobal has expressive, eye-catching colonial architecture, but the appearance is deceiving. In fact, San Cristobal is one of those Mexican cities that were most protected from the influence of the culture of the colonialists, and that is why the very Indian flavor sought by travelers in all its beauty and diversity immediately becomes noticeable here.

Imagine, the real Mayans still live here!

According to statistics, 110 thousand representatives of two groups of Indian tribes live in the vicinity of San Cristobal, and this is one of the few areas in Mexico where the Indian population continues to grow. True, most of the indigenous people are illiterate and live on the verge of poverty. In everyday life, Indians wear national clothes, which gives this city a special flavor.

Narrow streets, tiled roofs of houses, paved stones, small and cozy cafes, restaurants, spa hotels and all this is so harmoniously integrated into the architecture. And it’s not for nothing that in 2003 the city of San Cristobal was awarded the title of “Magic City”. If we talk about San Cristobal de las Casas, then it is definitely worth mentioning the Zapatistas - an anarchist rebel movement in Mexico. After all, in fact, until 1994, few people had heard anything about the city of San Cristobal, until in January 1994 the city was captured by rebels of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation led by the radical leader Subcomandante Marcos who fight for the rights of the indigenous population of Mexico - the Indians. This event attracted the attention of the entire world community and was the first news in the press and on television (I was little then and was not interested in the Zapatistas, but now I can tell you from

Of course, more detailed information can be found on Wikipedia or read “The Fourth World War” by Marcos, but one thing remains unchanged - people have been looking for an alternative way in this world for 20 years: how to change the world without resorting to violence. At the same time, what is probably most interesting is that this is not an initiative of representatives of the intellectual elite, but the self-organization of communities of the poorest Indian peasants, who for more than 22 years have managed to maintain an impeccable reputation and not respond with violence to violence, to the provocations of the government, which periodically simply kills them with their own hands . They live, villages develop, children study in schools, there are health centers...

In general, while walking along the central streets of San Cristobal, take a look at the gallery of the Chilean artist Beatriz Aurora - the creator of visual images of the Zapatistas... sometimes words are unnecessary :)

Let's go for a walk around San Cristobal soon!

What to see in San Cristobal

The main attraction of San Cristobal is churches, churches, churches. Here we counted about ten of them, which, you see, is quite impressive for a city that can be walked up and down in one day. The churches are not particularly beautiful in appearance, but the fact that most of them were built in the 16th and 17th centuries is inspiring.

The center of the city is the Zócalo Square, which is also called the March 31st Square, around which its entire life is concentrated. So, if any events are held in the city, then festivities are sure to take place in the square. Here is the beautiful Catholic Cathedral, built in the 17th century in a mixed Baroque and Moorish style.

The cathedral was built in honor of the patron saint of the city and patron of all travelers - St. Christopher. This Catholic Cathedral in San Cristobal is the only cathedral where Catholic services are held. In the rest of the churches and cathedrals of the city, rituals according to local Indian beliefs are held.

Here on the square is the Government Palace, a 19th century building with arches and columns. On the day of our arrival, we attended a family celebration and many young people and children in national Mexican costumes were walking on the streets, and in the evening there was a live music concert on the balconies of the Government Palace. No, really, being able to manage your leisure time wisely is the highest level of civilization and the Mexicans know the use of it... I’m telling you for sure:

We go wherever we look, or rather, we hunt beautiful people in suits and end up at the Arc de Triomphe of Carmen (Arco del Carmen).

We go outside and soon find ourselves on the central tourist street Real de Guadalupe. Life is in full swing here: everywhere there are cafes, restaurants, shops with souvenirs and clothes, creative characters who give their talents for free or for money, beggars, and saleswomen. In general, tourist flavor!

San Cristobal has a very developed coffee culture. Wherever you go, you can always order a cup of aromatic drink for 20-30 pesos and a pretty good hot chocolate (in fact, it’s not chocolate, but a cup of natural cocoa with your choice of additives).

Note: prices on restaurant menus do not include tips, which are usually 10% of the order price. In addition to tips, various taxes can be added to the price - from 2 to 25%. It is better to check all prices.

And this is the Iglesia de Guadalupe Church, located on a high hill on the outskirts of the city:

From Guadalupe Hill (Cerro de Guadalupe) there is a beautiful view of the city, and especially its tiled roofs:

San Cristobal is a place where it is common for gringos (as white foreigners, especially Americans, are called in Latin America), who come here for a couple of days, to stay here for a couple of years. The situation is conducive: cheap housing, peace, grace, which people who are tired of big cities and running up the career ladder are looking for. Here they sleep until lunch, play chess, play musical instruments, paint portraits on the streets for a small fee, study Spanish, smoke and look quite happy with life. A kind of hippie bohemia, without which the real picture of today's San Cristobal would be incomplete.

In addition to temples, the city has many museums: the Museum of Medicine, the Amber Museum, the Coffee Museum, etc. The city has a developed production of textiles, ceramics and amber jewelry. All this can be bought at the artisan market (Mercado de Artesanias), which is located near two temples, Iglesia de Santo Domingo and Templo de la Caridad.

It should be noted that this is the coolest souvenir market in all of Latin America, at least of those we have visited. Prices, originality, interestingness - everything is on the level :)

Here you can buy amulets against evil spirits, dishes, musical instruments, bedspreads, clothes, jewelry and so on. It is important to understand that each village has its own cut of clothing and its own traditional colors, so from some sellers you can buy shirts and tunics with birds, from others - with scorpions, and from others - butterflies, etc. In a word, find yours and bargain .

Accommodation in San Cristobal

In reality, there are a great variety of hotels in San Cristobal to suit every budget. A double room in a hotel/hostel with a shower and internet varies here around $15-25. We booked in advance through the Airbnb website, but had the first unpleasant experience where we filed for a refund for the first time and won the case. Therefore, I will give recommendations from our fellow travelers:

You can get from Oaxaca to San Cristobal de Las Casas by bus from the ADO company. It will take 10-11 hours to travel. The road is very difficult - almost the entire route runs through mountain serpentine roads. Buy tickets for the front seats, they are less likely to cause motion sickness. The cost of a ticket for a night flight is 474 ($26).

Once again, we remind you to take warm clothes on the bus, especially if you plan to travel at night. The air conditioner works constantly, so it is very cold (+16-18 degrees, plus icy air). Locals who are in the know generally travel with blankets.

Map with attractions of San Cristobal de las Casas

List of attractions and objects of San Cristobal de las Casas marked on the map:

Cathedral Cultural Association (Asociación Cultural Na Bolom) Cultural Center of Carmen (Centro Cultural El Carmen) Coffee Museum (Museo del Cafe) Museum of Mayan Medicine (Museo de la Medicina Maya) Amber Museum (Museo del Ambar) Museum-Monastery of Santo Domingo (Museo del Exconvento de Santo Domingo) Park of the Arches (Parque de los Arcos) Square (Plaza 31 de Marzo) Triumphal Arch of Carmen (Arco de El Carmen) Hill (Cerro de Guadalupe) Hill (Cerro de San Cristobal) Center of Cultures (Centro Cultural de los Altos de Chiapas) Church of Caridad (Iglesia de Caridad) Markets Market (Mercado de las Artesanias) Market (Mercado de los Ancianos) El Mercado Market

Cafe Vegetarian cafe La Casa del Pan Papalotl Namandi Cafe & Crepas Cafe TierrAdentro Taco Emiliano's Mustache French bakery (Panaderia Francesa "El Horno Magico") Transport Bus station (buses and minivans in all directions) Scooter rental (Croozy Scooters) What you can see in the vicinity of San Cristobal if you have free time Indian village of Zinacantan (San Lorenzo Zinacantan) Indian village of Chamula (San Juan Chamula) Ocosingo and the Tonina Pyramid

This is how we will remember San Cristobal: magically beau monde (as my husband described it), colorful and with a sweet aftertaste.

Enjoy your walks around San Cristobal, dear readers!