Choose wisely. Connect locally.Add your business 
San Cristóbal de las Casas is a colonial city in the highlands of Chiapas, set in a mountain valley at high altitude. Founded by the Spanish in the sixteenth century, it was long the regional capital and remains a cultural hub for the Tzotzil and Tzeltal Maya communities that surround it. Cobbled streets, colorful houses and cool evenings give the city an atmosphere quite different from Mexico's coastal destinations.
The Zócalo and the yellow-fronted Cathedral form the center of town, and pedestrian streets fan out toward churches and markets. The Templo de Santo Domingo, with its ornate Baroque facade, is surrounded by a textile market where weavers sell their work, and the adjoining Museo de los Altos de Chiapas covers regional history. The Museo del Ámbar showcases the amber mined in Chiapas, while Museo Na Bolom, the former home of researchers Frans and Gertrude Blom, focuses on the Lacandon people and the rainforest. The Museo de la Medicina Maya explores traditional healing practices. Steep staircases lead to the Templo de Guadalupe and the Templo de San Cristóbalito, both offering views over the city. At the edge of town, Orquídeas Moxviquil cultivates native orchids.
San Cristóbal suits culturally curious travelers who enjoy walking, cafes and markets. Nights can be cold, so packing layers is wise.
WiserMap travel guideSan Cristóbal de las Casas Mexico Maya Textile MarketsPlan a trip to San Cristóbal de las Casas in Chiapas: colonial churches, Maya textile markets, museums, highland food, where to stay and a three-day plan.Read the guide
The main square of the city, officially Plaza 31 de Marzo, with a central kiosk, gardens and benches, surrounded by arcades, the cathedral and the old municipal palace. It is the meeting place for locals and visitors. Have a coffee in the kiosk cafe and watch daily life in the evening.
The cathedral on the north side of the main square, with a striking ochre and red baroque facade decorated in white and black details, rebuilt several times since the 1500s. Inside are gilded altarpieces. Photograph the facade in the late afternoon, when the sun brings out its colors.
A 16th century Dominican church with an elaborate pink stone baroque facade and a richly gilded interior, north of the center. The large esplanade around it hosts a lively market of textiles and crafts. Visit in the morning, then browse the stalls run by Tsotsil and Tseltal women.
A long pedestrian street running from the main square east to the Guadalupe church, lined with cafes, restaurants, bars, galleries and shops selling amber, textiles and coffee. It is the liveliest street in the city in the evening. Walk its full length and climb the steps to the church at the end.
A museum in the former Santo Domingo convent with displays on the history of the Chiapas highlands, from Maya times to the colonial period. The same building holds the Centro de Textiles del Mundo Maya, with beautiful traditional weavings. Allow an hour and check closing days.
A museum in the former convent of La Merced dedicated to Chiapas amber, a fossil resin millions of years old, showing raw pieces with trapped insects, carvings and jewelry, and explaining how it is mined. It is a good place to learn how to spot fake amber before you buy. Allow 30 minutes.
A historic house that was the home of archaeologist Frans Blom and photographer Gertrude Duby Blom, who worked with the Lacandon Maya. It has their collections, photographs, a library and gardens, and rooms for guests. Join a guided tour to hear the story of the couple and their work.
A museum run by an organization of Indigenous healers, explaining traditional Maya medicine with displays on midwives, herbalists, prayers and healing ceremonies, plus a medicinal plant garden. It is a short walk north of the center. Visit respectfully, and buy remedies from the small shop.
A church at the top of a stairway on a hill at the east end of the Andador Real de Guadalupe, with views over the red tile roofs of the city and the surrounding mountains. It is the center of a big festival in early December. Climb the steps at sunset for the best light over town.
A hill on the west side of the center topped by the small church of San Cristóbal, reached by a long staircase of about 300 steps. The top gives the widest views over the city and valley. Go in daylight, take your time on the steep steps and carry water, as the altitude makes it tiring.
A botanical garden and reserve on the northern edge of the city that cares for hundreds of native orchid species and bromeliads rescued from the highland forests, with forest trails above the garden. Guided visits explain conservation work. It is a peaceful escape a short taxi ride from the center.
The large, busy city market north of Santo Domingo, where people from highland villages sell vegetables, fruit, flowers, chickens, herbs and household goods. It shows everyday life in the region. Go in the morning, watch your belongings and ask before photographing people, as many prefer not.
No reviews yet. Been to San Cristóbal de las Casas? Be the first to share your experience.
Share what you loved, what to skip and tips for other travelers.
Log in to write a reviewBeen to San Cristóbal de las Casas? Add your best shots to the gallery.
Log in to add photosPhoto: Emiglex, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: BIOLOGO JORGE AYALA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: ProtoplasmaKid, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: ProtoplasmaKid, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Liilia Moroz, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Photo: Comisión Mexicana de Filmaciones from México D. F., México, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Globetrotteur17... Ici, là-bas ou ailleurs..., Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Globetrotteur17... Ici, là-bas ou ailleurs..., Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: ProtoplasmaKid, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Kauderwelsch, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Wolfgang Sauber, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Wolfgang Sauber, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Bnottelm, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: AlejandroLinaresGarcia, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: AlejandroLinaresGarcia, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: AlejandroLinaresGarcia, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: AlejandroLinaresGarcia, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: AlejandroLinaresGarcia, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: AlejandroLinaresGarcia, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: AlejandroLinaresGarcia, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: BIOLOGO JORGE AYALA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: BIOLOGO JORGE AYALA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: BIOLOGO JORGE AYALA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Bgabel, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: GameOfLight, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Arian Zwegers from Brussels, Belgium, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Globetrotteur17... Ici, là-bas ou ailleurs..., Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Odysseus79, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: ProtoplasmaKid, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: ProtoplasmaKid, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: ProtoplasmaKid, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: ProtoplasmaKid, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Dbannasch, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Bruno Rijsman, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Bruno Rijsman, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Bnottelm, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Phyrexian, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Phyrexian, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Dorieo, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: WendyAvilesR, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: WendyAvilesR, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: WendyAvilesR, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: WendyAvilesR, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/hectorgarcia/, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/hectorgarcia/, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Linkogecko, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Jorge Szeto, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Ihiroalfonso, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Anthony G. Reyes, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Ihiroalfonso, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Ihiroalfonso, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Adam Jones, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/darij/, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/darij/, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
