San Cristobal was named after St. Christopher and a Spanish priest, Bartolome de Las Casas, who defended the rights of indigenous Central Americans. In 2005 the census indicated there were over 140,000 inhabitants, the third largest community in the state of Chiapas. It is a wonderful place to visit and is especially great as a home base when you travel around this part of Chiapas. Nearby are waterfalls, canyons and lakes as well as Mayan ruins that you might like to explore.
7,000 feet above sea level in a lush green valley, the fresh air of San Cristobal will clear your head and the highland light has unique clarity that will sharpen your sight. This is the main marketing and commerce center of the area, full of history and beauty.
You’ll see traditional dress and language here; away from the larger towns, Spanish is a second language only. The city has a peaceful atmosphere rich in artistic and bohemian flair. The red-roof tiles and white-washed walls almost beg you to explore the cool, shadowed alleyways where you will find arcades and plazas, churches, museums, cafes, restaurants and artisian workshops.
Be sure to partake of the coffee—Chiapas is the premier coffee growing region of Mexico. You’ll find this organically grown and carefully picked coffee to be rich, bold and satisfying like no other coffee you’ve ever tasted!
Starting in the main plaza, Plaza 31 de Marzo, you’ll see that many people use it as a meeting place and it’s teeming with laughter and conversation. On the north side is San Cristobal’s Cathedral, on the west are the municipal buildings where you can find local tourist information. Three blocks south is the Templo del Carmen, right next door to the Instituto de Bellas Artes (Institute of Fine Arts) where you can exhibitions and art fairs.
North of the main plaza is Templo y Ex-Convento de Santo Domingo, the city’s most beautiful church. Completed in the mid 1500’s it is well worth going out of your way to see. If you want an unparalleled view of the city, climb the steps of the Templo de San Cristobal to the top of its tower. It’s well worth the effort!
Don’t miss Casa Na-Bolom (“house of the jaguar”), a colonial mansion formerly owned by a European couple, Gertrude Duby-Blom and her husband Frans Blom. They met and fell in love in Chiapas in the late 1930’s and spent their life exploring it as well as educating and protecting the indigenous peoples. Frans contributed to many archeological discoveries and documented many features of Palenque that were ignored by previous researchers. It is now a museum that is full of their photographs, archeological discoveries and books. It is also a guest house and from here, you can get tours of the city and the surrounding areas. You can even visit the people of a Lacancon community, listen to their stories of ancient times and watch them make their bows and arrows.
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