It has been a difficult selection, but here is our proposal on the 15 great things of Chiapas tourism. Do not miss it!
1. Its waterfalls
Chiapas It is one of the Mexican states with the largest reserves of fresh water and some of its main rivers, such as the San Vicente, the Tulijá and the Santo Domingo, form beautiful waterfalls throughout the state territory.
Among the most beautiful waterfalls in Chiapas are Agua Azul, near the archaeological site of Palenque, with waters of a beautiful blue tone.
The El Chiflón waterfalls, in San Cristobalito, also have beautiful turquoise blue waters, with Velo de Novia standing out, a jump of about 120 meters. Other beautiful Chiapas waterfalls are Las Nubes and Misol-Ha.
2. Its Biosphere Reserves
Providence endowed Chiapas with an exuberant nature, with varied ecosystems and plants and animals of a multitude of interesting species.
In the Lacandon Jungle is the Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve, an immense territory of 331,000 hectares with impressive natural spaces among which dense forests, mighty rivers and a set of spectacular lagoons are distinguished.
On the border line between Mexico and Guatemala, the Volcán Tacaná Biosphere Reserve is located, an elevation of 4,092 meters above sea level, which is the highest point in the Mexican southeast sector. This reserve is visited by fans of mountaineering, camping and wildlife observation.
3. Its beach areas
On its western border, Chiapas has a wide coastline on the Pacific Ocean in which there are both isolated and almost virgin beaches, as well as sandbanks nestled in areas with greater commercial activity.
One of them is Puerto Arista, a small fishing village with a lovely beach. It is an ideal place to rest without great luxuries, enjoying the fruits of the sea taken by local fishermen and prepared in the simple restaurants near the beach.
Another Chiapas beach is Puerto Madero, a high-altitude port located 27 km from the city of Tapachula. Puerto Madero beach is shaded by lush coconut trees and has palapas to spend a wonderful time with family or friends.
4. The Sumidero Canyon
He Sumidero Canyon It is a majestic gorge with high rocky walls up to a thousand meters high, located 5 km from the city of Tuxtla Gutiérrez, in the territory of the Chiapa de Corzo municipality of Chiapa.
The stormy Grijalva River, one of the great flows of Mexico, runs through the bottom of the canyon. At river level it is possible to admire the typical fauna of the jungle river areas, such as primates, crocodiles, colorful birds and other animals.
As you climb the high natural walls, biodiversity changes, finding alpine vegetation and birds of prey at the highest points.
Throughout the canyon there are viewpoints to facilitate observation by tourists, who can also admire the landscape from the boats that circulate along the Grijalva.
5. The Sima de las Cotorras
The parakeet is a showy bird of the parrot family, with a beautiful bright green color, which has found one of its most particular habitats in this impressive Chiapas cavity.
The chasm is 140 meters deep, by 160 meters in diameter, and the boisterous and cheerful parrots begin to flock out in the morning, filling the area with their hubbub.
Climbing and rappelling practitioners also go to the abyss of the Parrots to enjoy their exciting hobbies, with a lot of adrenaline, while observers of biodiversity are more relaxed, calmly watching parrots and other species of fauna and flora.
6. The Parks of Tuxtla Gutiérrez
The capital and most populated city of Chiapas has cozy parks, ideal for resting, walking, reading, spending good time with the family and enjoying some shows.
The Marimba Park takes its name from a popular Chiapas folk music instrument, whose double keyboard model was invented in the state more than 120 years ago.
At the kiosk in this park, locals and tourists gather at sunset to listen and dance to the joyful performances of marimbas bands.
Other hospitable parks Tuxtla Gutierrez they are the Morelos Bicentennial Park, the Youth Park and the Joyo Mayu Park.
7. The Chiapas Fair
The most important, fun and popular festive event in the state is the Chiapas Fair or Tuxtla Fair, which is celebrated in the state capital between the end of October and the beginning of November.
At the fair there are musical shows, dances, folk events, an exhibition of agricultural and industrial products, samples of culinary art and local crafts, cultural events, sports competitions and palenques.
The Chiapas Fair is compared in color and variety with the Aguascalientes Fair and with the Texcoco Fair in the State of Mexico.
8. Chiapas cuisine
Chiapas culinary art has its roots in the Zoque culture, where delicacies come from that have already pleased palates since ancient times, such as tamales and chipilin beans, pepita with jerky and pork with chirmol.
In the city of San Cristóbal de las Casas they prepare a very tasty stew called pux-xaxé, with viscera of beef chopped into small pieces and seasoned with a local mole based on chile bolita.
Chiapa de Corzo is culinary known for its pozol and Comitan for the cochito comiteco, which is a pork meat stew, and saffron tamales. Each town and region of Chiapas has its gastronomic distinctiveness, but excellent coffee and chocolate are drunk everywhere.
9. The religious monuments of San Cristóbal de las Casas
The Temple and former Convent of Santo Domingo in San Cristóbal de las Casas It shows a splendid façade that is one of the most relevant works of the Baroque style with indigenous influence in the country.
Inside the church of the convent complex, the works of art with religious themes and the beautifully carved pulpit stand out.
The Cathedral of San Cristóbal de las Casas is another religious building of great beauty, especially for its baroque façade ornamented with plant motifs and for its altarpieces dedicated to San Juan Nepomuceno and Nuestra Señora de la Asunción, in addition to the painting Prayer in the Garden found in the sacristy.
10. The museums of San Cristóbal de las Casas
San Cristóbal de las Casas is dotted with unique museums, which cover various themes that are almost exclusive to this beautiful city of Chiapas. One of them is the Amber Museum, the only one dedicated to artistic pieces and ornaments made with this hard fossil resin in the entire American continent.
The Jade Museum exhibits objects carved with this beautiful semi precious rock, by Aztec, Olmec, Zapotec and Toltec artists, and by current carvers who work in its spaces.
Other colleto museums of surprising singularity are Sergio Castro Regional Costumes, History and Curiosities, and Mayan Medicine.
11. The Municipal Palace of San Cristóbal de las Casas
This neoclassical building with a long and impressive façade is located in front of the main city of Los Altos de Chiapas and was designed by the architect Carlos Zacarías Flores.
It was built in the 19th century and has two levels and a triangular finish, with an extensive arcade of 17 semicircular arches on the ground floor, highlighted by Tuscan and Doric elements. On the upper floor, the Ionic elements stand out.
The Municipal Palace was the scene of one of the most spectacular political events in the recent history of Mexico, when it was occupied between January 1 and 2, 1994 by guerrillas from the Zapatista Army of National Liberation.
12. The community of San Juan Chamula
It is a community inhabited predominantly by Tzotzil Indians, some Chiapas Maya who have very peculiar traditions.
The Tzotziles of San Juan Chamula cover the floors of their churches with the leaves of a pine that is sacred to them. These floors do not have the pews that are usually placed in churches.
Another characteristic of the Chamula temple is the large number of lit candles, of different colors and different sizes.
Other interesting Chamula cultural features are found in the tombs of their cemeteries, which lack headstones and the crosses are made of various colors.
13. The pre-Hispanic city of Palenque
Palenque is the most important archaeological site in Chiapas and one of the most relevant in Mexico. It is located in the Highlands of Chiapas, 10 km from San Cristóbal de las Casas.
Even though it has only been explored and excavated in a small fraction, the Palenque site majestically displays the constructive and artistic talent of the Mayans, through imposing buildings such as the Temple of Inscriptions, The Set of Crosses, The Palace and the Aqueduct.
As a complementary treasure, in Palenque there is a site museum named in honor of the archaeologist Alberto Ruz Lhuillier, who discovered the tomb of Pakal the Great in the Temple of the Inscriptions in Palenque. In the museum valuable pieces extracted from the site are exhibited.
14. The remaining archaeological sites
A little in the background due to the magnificence and fame of Palenque, in Chiapas there are a large number of archaeological sites that show interesting artistic, ritual and daily facets of the pre-Columbian peoples of Chiapas.
Among these deposits are those of Chiapa de Corzo, Chinkultic, Tenam Puente and Toniná. Other pre-Hispanic Chiapas ruins of great archaeological and cultural value are those of Bonampak, Plan de Ayutla, Yaxchilán and Izapa.
15. The Pila de Chiapa de Corzo
This elegant 16th century fountain is the main architectural symbol of the Chiapa de Corzo town of Chiapa, located in the central area of the state.
It is a Mudejar monument, one of the great jewels of this Hispano-Arabic style, not only in Mexico but throughout the continent.
It is octagonal in plan, 15 meters high and 25 meters in diameter, and was the main source of water in Chiapa de Corzo during the viceregal period, also becoming the meeting point in the colonial town.
