San Cristóbal de las Casas
A colonial Pueblo Mágico in the mountains, with cobblestone streets, markets, textiles, amber and coffee, and the gateway to the Tsotsil communities of San Juan Chamula and Zinacantán.
Chiapas
Maya rainforest, canyons and mountain towns
Chiapas is Mexico at its greenest and most mysterious. Maya cities hidden in the rainforest, such as Palenque; the Sumidero Canyon, with walls rising almost a kilometer above the river; turquoise waterfalls; the colorful lakes of Montebello, on the border with Guatemala; and San Cristóbal de las Casas, a colonial mountain town surrounded by Indigenous communities that keep their traditions alive. A land of coffee, cacao and amber.
Accolades
- UNESCO World Heritage: Pre-Hispanic City and National Park of Palenque.
- UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage (2010): the Parachicos of the Great January Feast.
Destinations
Palenque
One of Mexico's most beautiful Maya cities, deep in the rainforest, a World Heritage Site near the Agua Azul and Misol-Ha waterfalls.
Tuxtla Gutiérrez
The state capital and gateway to the Sumidero Canyon.
What to experience
- Boating through the Sumidero Canyon.
- Palenque with archaeologists.
- Respectful visits to San Juan Chamula and Zinacantán with local guides.
- The Agua Azul and Misol-Ha waterfalls.
- An excursion to the Montebello Lakes, colorful lakes on the border with Guatemala.
- Coffee and cacao farms, and textile and amber workshops.
Ideal for
- FIT
- Groupscultural and adventure travelers
Best time to visit
From November to April, the dry season, the best time for the rainforest and canyons. San Cristóbal is cool all year round, with cold nights in winter. From May to October there is more rain, and the waterfalls and rainforest are at their greenest.
Events in the region
Public holiday
November 1 – 2, 2026
Day of the Dead
Nationwide
Celebrated throughout Mexico on November 1 and 2, with offerings in homes and visits to cemeteries; it is recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Cultural festival
November 1 – 2, 2026
Day of the Dead in the Chiapas Highlands
San Juan Chamula · Zinacantán
Celebrated by the Tsotsil peoples of the Chiapas Highlands, in towns such as San Juan Chamula (Romerillo cemetery) and Zinacantán, near San Cristóbal de las Casas.
Religious
December 12, 2026
Feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe
Mexico City · Nationwide
Every December 12, millions of pilgrims arrive at the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City to commemorate the apparition of the Virgin. The celebration includes the midnight Mañanitas on the 11th, masses and Concheros dances in the atrium.
Cultural festivalFeatured
January 4 – 23, 2027
Great January Feast and Parachicos
Chiapa de Corzo
A traditional religious festival in Chiapa de Corzo whose Parachicos dance is recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. It features processions of Parachicos and Chiapanecas, a parade of floats and the Naval Combat fireworks display beside the Grijalva River.
Cultural festival
February 2027 · date to be confirmed
San Juan Chamula Carnival (K'in Tajimoltik)
San Juan Chamula
The Tsotsil carnival of San Juan Chamula, in the Chiapas Highlands, linked to the five lost days of the Maya calendar and celebrated in the days leading up to Ash Wednesday.
Fair
March 2027 · date to be confirmed
Spring and Peace Fair
San Cristóbal de las Casas
The annual fair of San Cristóbal de las Casas, beginning at Easter, with crafts exhibitions, carnival rides, jaripeo and the Serenade to the Fair Queen.