San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas

San Cristobal de las Casas features one of the most beautiful natural landscapes in the whole country. Amid jungle, mountains, and valleys, the region offers spectacular lakes and waterfalls, green forests, and exuberant flora and fauna that count for one of the richest bio-diverse areas in the world.

However, the richest feature of the state is its indigenous life and cultures spread throughout the region.

Once capital of the sate, San Cristobal de las Casas owes its name in part to the Spanish priest, Fray Bartolome de las Casas, sent by the crown during the vice royalty in the early XVII century.

San Cristobal de las Casas offers a peaceful atmosphere amid a bohemian ambiance that attracts lots of tourism, especially from Europe. It is considered Chiapas' top destination due to its good amenities and tourists infrastructure.

The main square in town is close to the center and it is flanked by the cathedral and the buildings that house the political powers. Close to it, about three blocks, are the church of El Carmen and the Institute of Fine Arts. However, the most attractive building might be the Temple of Santo Domingo, completed in the middle of the XVI Century. Artisans of Chiapas gather in a center where tourists can buy a wide variety of handmade regional products.

Several museums can be visited in San Cristobal de las Casas, like the Popular Cultures Museum, the Coffee Museum, the Regional Costumes Museum, and the Amber Museum. Additionally, Casa Na–Bolom or (Na–Bolom House), which means House of the Jaguar, is a mansion bought by a philanthropic Swiss couple that decide to stay here. The place became a research center and nowadays functions as a guesthouse that offers tours and expeditions in the area.

Side trips and tours can take tourists to beautiful places in this region of Chiapas, like Agua Azul or Misol-ha Waterfalls, the Sumidero Canyon and its Eco Park, San Juan Chamula, Zinacatan, Amatenango del Valle, or Tenajapan, among other places.

There are good hotels for every budget in San Cristobal de las Casas. There is not an intense nightlife, though tourists and locals visit bars and restaurants by night. Weather is extreme and during summer can get very hot, while in winter, pretty cold. It might rain at anytime.