Day 15: What to do in San Cristóbal de las Casas
Touch start doing the visits to do in San Cristóbal de las Casas that we have scheduled for today, so at 6 in the morning, we start the day working for a while, when it is 7:30 to go to the breakfast room of the Hotel Posada El Zaguán, which is our accommodation in San Cristóbal de las Casas these days, to charge us with energy to start the day.
Yesterday, as we told you, we suffered a delay in the flight from Guadalajara to Tuxtla Gutierrez, where we connected with a bus to get to San Cristóbal de las Casas México, so in the end we arrived in the city practically five hours later than expected, being already at night.
That caused us to have to leave for today all the things we had what to do in San Cristóbal de las Casas, so without hurry but without pause we leave the hotel when it is 9 in the morning, at which time we just set foot in the street, we can say without fear of being wrong, that San Cristobal de las Casas is going to become in one of our places in the world, those that are in a list and that represent for us the destinations in which at some time, we will spend a season to live them and know them to the fullest.
San Cristóbal de las Casas
As it happened to us in cities like San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato or Zacatecas, we have the impression, although we only have a few hours in the city, that although there are many things to do in San Cristobal de las Casas, something essential to know it and especially enjoy it, is wandering aimlessly, without maps and without hurry, something we plan to do while we are visiting some of the essential places of the city.
Our tour of San Cristóbal de las Casas begins in the nerve center of the city and that is none other than the Plaza 31 de Marzo, the place where we could say that start all in Sancris, as the city is affectionately known.
Book the best rated Spanish tours and excursions in San Cristóbal de las Casas by travelers:
- Excursion to Sumidero Canyon
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What to do in San Cristóbal de las Casas
Considered by many as one of the essential places to visit in Mexico, this small city of Chiapas is one of the stops to consider on any trip to Mexico for free.
With streets full of color, surrounded by lands of great indigenous roots, San Cristóbal de las Casas is a perfect base to know this area of the incredible Chiapas, in which in addition to discovering the city itself, you can spend unforgettable days touring the surroundings.
San Cristóbal de las Casas
March 31 Square
The Plaza 31 de Marzo is that place in the city through which you will probably go several times a day and it is that inevitably and as if it were a rule, it seems that things to do in San Cristobal de las Casas, start or end here. Or at least it is what happened to us the days we were in the city, in which for one reason or another, we always ended up in this beautiful square where always, whatever the time, there will be something to see or do .
Cathedral
In the northern part of the square is the Cathedral of San Cristobal de las Casas, a small temple restored several times by the damage caused by several earthquakes in which its interior covered with gold leaf stands out.
Cathedral of San Cristobal de las Casas
Guadalupe Royal Street
If there is a place you cannot miss in San Cristóbal de las Casas, that is without a doubt the Royal walker of Guadalupe. If before we said that the Plaza 31 de Marzo was the nerve center of the city, from this walker we could say that it is the artery. We are sure that this will become the street by excellence. That you will go through several times a day, even without wanting to, and we don't know very well what the reason is, but in the end, all travelers end up living in this walker.
Royal Walker of Guadalupe
As we said before, one of the things what to do in San Cristóbal de las Casas It is more advisable to walk and get lost in its streets, but although in this post we talk only about the best known or tourist, we advise you to lose yourself in the streets parallel to these walkers to see the city from another perspective, which reminds us a lot of our dearest Antigua in Guatemala.
What to do in San Cristóbal de las Casas
Doing this will also give you the chance to get to know other aspects of the city that are less touristy, where you can see every day in every corner, becoming part of a Mexico that you probably won't be able to see anywhere else on your trip.
Royal Walker of Guadalupe. San Cristóbal de las Casas
We recommend you to visit the Royal Walker of Guadalupe in its entirety, to reach the Church of Guadalupe, another of the visits to do in San Cristóbal de las Casas, which will also allow you to see the most beautiful section of this street, which is the one that is furthest from the center, since the first part we could say is the most commercial, in which you can find many recommended restaurants in the city , craft shops as well as charming stores.
Royal Walker of Guadalupe. San Cristóbal de las Casas
Guadalupe Church
Located at the end of the Royal walker of Guadalupe, on the hill of the same name, is this church, a symbol of San Cristobal de las Casas, in addition to being the busiest on the day of the Virgin of Guadalupe.
Guadalupe Church
Although the visit to the church is undoubtedly highly recommended, getting here has another prize, which is none other than incredible views of the city, since to access the church you have to climb the hill and for this A few stairs.
Interior Guadalupe Church
Views of San Cristobal de las Casas
When we finish the visit to the church we look at the clock and we realize that it is almost 12 in the morning and that is that without realizing it we have been practically three hours touring the Royal Walker of Guadalupe and the adjacent streets until arriving here and it is that San Cristóbal de las Casas is a true paradise for anyone who likes photography, since every corner you go through we can say that they have something special.
Seeing what time it is, it's time to continue with the visits to do in San Cristóbal de las Casas that we have programmed, now traveling again part of the Royal walker of Guadalupe to continue on Tapachula street, where we can see that local life further away from the tourism that takes us through this beautiful little street, until we reach the Na Bolom museum, our next stop of the day.
Tapachula Street
Na bolom
With a schedule from 7 in the morning to 7 in the afternoon and priced at 30 pesos per person, this home museum of Trudy Blom, Swiss anthropologist and photographer and Frans Blom, Danish archaeologist, is one of the visits to do in San Cristóbal de las Casas that you can't miss
Throughout the visit to the museum, in addition to knowing the life of the Blom, you can enter in an incredibly treated way in the culture of Chiapas and in the values of indigenous cultures.
Na Bolom What to do in San Cristóbal de las Casas
Na Bolom What to do in San Cristóbal de las Casas
In addition, inside there are always some artisans selling their handicrafts made with jungle products, something that you can use to take some souvenir of the city, which we are sure, will help the project and the economy of the city.
After this visit we continue along Tapachula Street, one of the most beautiful streets in the city, which we recommend not to miss, to get to the next visit to do in San Cristóbal de las Casas and that is none other than the Temple and ancient Convent of Santo Domingo de Guzmán.
Tapachula Street
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Cerrillo Church and Temple of Charity
This is probably the least traveled area of the city, but one of the ones we recommend you not to miss, since as we mentioned earlier, it will give you a much closer view of the daily life of San Cristóbal de las Casas, which in many cases is Impossible to see in the most tourist areas.
San Cristóbal de las Casas
Church of the Cerrillo
Temple and former Convent of Santo Domingo de Guzmán
They say it is the most beautiful church in the city and although we are left with the Church of Guadalupe, the Temple and former Convent of Santo Domingo de Guzmán is undoubtedly one of the visits to do in San Cristóbal de las Casas, especially when the sun is high and illuminates the facade, giving it a unique image.
Temple and former Convent of Santo Domingo de Guzmán
In the western part of the temple is the monastery where today we can find the Maya Textile Museum.
Handicraft Market of San Cristóbal de las Casas
This handicraft market that is mounted daily in the surroundings of the Temple and former Convent of Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the perfect place to learn a little more about the culture of the area as well as a good time if you want to compare any souvenirs.
Handicraft Market of San Cristóbal de las Casas
Although you can haggle, as we always say, try to do so in moderation and respect, always trying to reach a beneficial agreement for both parties, in which the seller don't lose money.
November 20th Avenue
After almost 30 minutes touring many of the market stalls, we continue with the tour of the day, now on Avenida 20 de Noviembre, another of the commercial arteries of San Cristóbal de las Casas where there are many textile craft shops, which also We highly recommend you if you want to buy something.
Although it may seem very touristy, we recommend you to walk quietly and enjoy it little by little, without hurry, since if you do this, you can see how the most tourist continues to maintain that traditional essence that makes San Cristóbal de las Casas so special and so authentic .
Store on Avenida 20 de Noviembre
It's practically 3 in the afternoon when our stomach starts to get our attention, so being so close to the Royal Walker of Guadalupe, we decided to go there to eat at the La Lupe restaurant, highly recommended in San Cristóbal de las Casas, where we asked Guacamole, tacos al pastor and some quesadillas arracheras, more strawberry water, a beer and two coffees for 316 pesos.
Eating in La Lupe. San Cristóbal de las Casas
All incredibly good dishes, perfect attention, in addition to having a terrace that overlooks the street very cozy and super tight prices.
After a brief table we approach the hotel for a moment because we want to hire the Sumidero Canyon day trip for tomorrow and after asking for prices, we have preferred to do it directly with the hotel and thus save time looking for agencies in the city.
Without entertaining us too much, directly at the reception we hire the Sumidero Canyon tour with the company San Cristobal de las Casas Extremo for 300 pesos per person for tomorrow at 9 in the morning.
With this tour they will come to look for us directly at the hotel, and then take a tour of the Sumidero Canyon for approximately two hours, to end the visit to Chiapa del Corzo and be back in San Cristóbal de las Casas at approximately 2:30 pm.
Another of the excursions or tours that are done regularly is the one that takes you to Chamula and Zinacantan, two places that we want to visit, but that we will do for free and that we will explain later.
With this issue already solved, we go to the next day approaching a laundry that we have right next to the hotel, where we leave four kilos of clothes to wash, which they tell us will be ready for this afternoon, for 42 pesos. So for two euros and a few cents, in a few hours we will have ready again the clothes of this trip to Mexico in 45 days.
It's almost 4:30 in the afternoon when we decided to start the tour through the second part of the itinerary of visits to do in San Cristóbal de las Casas approaching us to the church of San Cristóbal, located in another of the hills of the city, also known as the Church of the Cerrito, from where there is another of the most incredible views of the town and the surroundings.
San Cristobal Hill. Church of the Cerrito
The Cerro de San Cristóbal is another of the most visited points of the city, not only for the church at the end of the endless stairs, but also for the views that are obtained from the middle of the city stairs and the surrounding area .
Church of the Cerrito
San Cristóbal de las Casas from the Cerro de San Cristóbal
From here we arrive at the Arco del Carmen, right next door, which are being restored by the terrible earthquake of a few months ago and which is next to the Carmen Cultural Center.
It's 6 in the afternoon when we finish the visits to do in San Cristóbal de las Casas that we had programmed and being in a place like Chiapas and after having eaten as late as today, we cannot resist going to a cafeteria where to taste a good coffee, approaching to Oh La La where we ordered a couple of coffees plus a sweet for 83 pesos , with whom we make this much-needed stop after a most complete day in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
Oh La La
And so, after being stopped, at 7 pm we return to the streets of San Cristóbal de las Casas, now ready to enjoy a walk without direction, without maps, only enjoying the streets, the atmosphere and watch life go by in the light of the walkers, now illuminated, that give us unique views of the city.
San Cristóbal de las Casas
San Cristóbal de las Casas
A few minutes past 8 pm when we return to the laundry room to look for clothes and without being able to give an explanation, when we return to the Hotel Posada El Zaguán to leave our clothes, we fall in bed, without even thinking about the Dinner.
We have fallen in love with San Cristóbal de las Casas. We can already confess it.
This route with the visits to do in San Cristóbal de las Casas will take you through the most tourist places of the city among which are the Plaza 31 de Marzo, the cathedral,
Day 16: Sumidero Canyon and Chiapa del Corzo Tour from San Cristóbal de las Casas
