Comitán

Comitan’s full name is Comitán de Domingues. It was settled by the Spanish around 1527 and is not your usual tourist destination. For that very reason you should make a special point to add it to your itinerary. Although it lacks an infrastructure conducive to tourist travel, the city is friendly and fascinating. It is made up of nine neighborhoods, a throwback to its ancient name, Balun Canun, which means “the place of nine stars”. The streets are immaculate and well kept. It has made a real effort to improve its tourism services in an effort to attract visitors.

If you enjoy magnificent old churches, you’ll want to see Iglesia de Santo Domingo in the main plaza. It was built during the 16th and 17th centuries and includes a neoclassical façade, a block tower that reflects Mudejar art and has a chapel made of marble that was built in 1956 to celebrate its 400th anniversary.

Comitan has some great museums, too. The Museum of Dr. Belisario Dominguez is a 19th century house with beautiful gardens and balconies. The doctor was a very outspoken senator that spoke out against Victoriano Huerta’s sponsorship of political murders, which he himself fell victim to. Afterward, you can stroll over to the Casa del la Cultura (House of Culture) that sits on the southeast corner of the mail plaza. It has exhibits local culture and history and connects to the Museo Arqueologico de Comitan (Archeology Museum) where you will see artifacts and information from the local archeology centers.

Southeast of the main plaza is the Museo de Arte Hermila Dominguez Castellanos with the Museo Parador de Santa Maria nearby. Both these art museums showcase some of the leading artists of Mexico.

You will definitely want to devote a few hours to the San Caralampio neighborhood which is three blocks northwest of the main plaza. Here you will see typically clean and well kept streets, including some that rise up to give you a panoramic view of the valley and surrounding mountains. You’ll see a bandstand in the main square and perhaps even catch a concert; tour the Temple of San Sebastian and marvel at the murals inside the Government Palace. The main plaza has beautiful fountains, relaxing gardens and picturesque streetlamps. You’ll enjoy the lovely sculptures, too. Don’t forget to stop in and see the Temple of San Caralampio, which was built in 1852 to honor its patron saint after a cholera epidemic.

Once you’ve spent a day or two seeing all that Comitan has to offer you might want to book a tour. The tours are professional run, insured and very comprehensive. You can choose a tour that takes you to the ruins, other cities or the many natural wonders of this part of Chiapas. Comitan is an ideal jumping-off place to see this part of Chiapas and very close to some of the best archeological sites in Mexico.

Colonial Cities