Choose wisely. Connect locally.Add your business Tuxtla Gutiérrez is the capital and largest city of Chiapas, a busy working city rather than a postcard town, and that is much of its charm. Here you find everyday Chiapas life, marimba music in the evenings, one of the best zoos in Latin America and the gateway to the Sumidero Canyon.
Tuxtla Gutiérrez replaced San Cristóbal de las Casas as the capital of Chiapas in 1892 and has grown quickly since the 1970s. It is a lived-in city of wide avenues, markets and parks, and it is not built around tourism, which means prices and manners feel local.
It is also the best base for the Sumidero Canyon, where cliffs rise up to about a kilometre above the river, and it has a zoo devoted entirely to the wildlife of Chiapas.
The Plaza Cívica is the center of the city, surrounded by government buildings and the Catedral de San Marcos, the city's most important landmark.
The Catedral de San Marcos stands on the Plaza Cívica and is known for its bell tower. Photo: Pxndx94, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
The marimba is the characteristic instrument of Chiapas, and this park, established in 1993, is where it comes alive. Bands play in the evening, and older couples often come to dance.
The Parque de la Marimba hosts marimba concerts in the evening. Photo: Fer9324, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
This is the largest museum in the city, with one hall for archaeology and another for history from the Spanish conquest onward. Next door, the Museo de Paleontología shows fossils found in Chiapas, including a reconstructed giant ground sloth.
The museum covers the archaeology and history of Chiapas. Photo: Nacasma, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Housed in a large purple building on the main boulevard, this government-run shop promotes the handicrafts of Chiapas, including textiles, ceramics, wood sculptures and amber jewelry. It also has an ethnographic museum and sells regional coffee and candies.
The Zoológico Miguel Álvarez del Toro, known as ZooMAT, covers about one hundred hectares and shows only animals native to Chiapas, including jaguars, tapirs, macaws and howler monkeys.
ZooMAT shows only wildlife native to Chiapas. Photo: sofz14, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Madero Park is a green corridor with several museums, and the Faustino Miranda Botanical Garden occupies four hectares along the Sabinal River. It feels like forest in the middle of the city, so go for the trees rather than manicured flower beds.
The botanical garden lies beside the Sabinal River in Madero Park. Photo: Nacasma, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
The Glorioso Cristo de Chiapas, in the hills near Copoya about eleven kilometres from the center, is a large cross and statue with fine views over Tuxtla. A colectivo runs to Copoya, and the viewpoint also has stations of the cross.
The Cristo de Chiapas viewpoint offers wide views of Tuxtla Gutiérrez. Photo: Nacasma, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Six overlooks give views into the canyon from the north of Tuxtla, reached by car, taxi or a tour. La Ceiba is the nearest, and the Mirador Cañón del Sumidero, deeper in the national park, is the most popular.
Six overlooks give views into the Sumidero Canyon from the north of Tuxtla Gutiérrez. Photo: AnbyG, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
The boat trip is the best way to see the canyon, as it takes you along the river at the base of the cliffs for about two hours.
Boat tours leave from the embarcadero at Chiapa de Corzo. Photo: AlejandroLinaresGarcia, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
This riverside town has a colonial downtown, strong regional traditions and a history of about three thousand years that reaches back to the Olmecs. It is a pleasant place for lunch before or after the boat trip.
Tuxtla's cooking shows off the Zoque and Chiapas highland traditions. Ningüijute is a seed-based pork mole, and pictes are sweet corn tamales. In nearby Chiapa de Corzo, cochito horneado, a suckling pig roasted with adobo seasoning, is served at special occasions. To drink, ask for pozol, a corn and cacao drink typical of Chiapas, not to be confused with the stew pozole.
Popular dishes to try in Tuxtla Gutiérrez
Centro suits most travelers. It is close to the Parque Central, the Plaza Cívica and the cathedral, and it has the widest range of hostels and hotels, plus small restaurants that stay open late.
Parque de la Marimba suits travelers who like lively evenings. You can walk to the marimba concerts, and the area has bright, modern guesthouses.
Chiapa de Corzo, on the river, suits visitors who want a quieter colonial town and an early start for the Sumidero boat trip.
Book ahead for weekends and holidays, and ask whether your room has air conditioning, since the city is hot.
Where to stay in Tuxtla Gutiérrez
Tuxtla is hot and humid all year, with a dry season from October to April and a rainy season from May to September. The dry months are the most comfortable for sightseeing and for the canyon, though the rainy season brings waterfalls to the cliffs. Hurricanes and tropical storms can affect the area. Many businesses close in the hot early afternoon, so plan outdoor visits for the morning and use the middle of the day for museums or lunch.
Tuxtla Gutiérrez International Airport, also known as Ángel Albino Corzo Airport, is about thirty kilometres outside the city. Most direct flights go to Mexico City.
Buses arrive at the ADO OCC terminal for long-distance routes and at the Terminal de Transferencia, where frequent buses from San Cristóbal arrive in about an hour.
In the city, taxis are plentiful, and white colectivo vans run fixed numbered routes with stops every few blocks. Say La parada, por favor to the driver to stop at the next designated stop.
Start at the Plaza Cívica and the Catedral de San Marcos, ideally at the top of the hour.
Drive or take a tour to the Sumidero miradores in the morning, then head to Chiapa de Corzo for the boat trip and lunch.
Spend the morning at ZooMAT, then the Botanical Garden in Madero Park. Finish at the Cristo de Chiapas viewpoint for sunset over the city.
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