Best things to do in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Mexico

Known as San Cris, the city of San Cristóbal de las Casas, in Mexico, definitely feels like a place that deserved to be called by a nickname. Considered the “tourist capital” of the state of Chiapas, at the southernmost tip of the country, it’s a small and welcoming town that quickly made me feel at home. But what is there to do in San Cristóbal de las Casas after all?

If you’re short on time, one day is enough to check out the city’s main tourist attractions. But if you enjoy slow travel, soaking in the local day-to-day life, or want to explore the surrounding area, plan to stay longer. I spent nearly a week there at the end of a one-month trip through Mexico and loved it. San Cris blends the strong Indigenous presence that is so characteristic of Chiapas with a backpacker-hippie vibe.

Another major influence here is Zapatismo. The Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) took over San Cristóbal de las Casas in 1994, protesting the exploitation and oppression of Indigenous peoples. The movement remains strong in the region, standing in resistance to poverty and social inequality. I found handmade crafts by Zapatista women in several shops, as well as books and documentaries on the topic.

In this article, I’ll share the main places to visit in San Cristóbal de las Casas and nearby attractions you can check out on a day trip, plus a special tip on how to stay there for free.

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How to get to San Cristóbal de las Casas, Mexico

The easiest way to get to San Cristóbal de las Casas is by flying into the small airport in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, the capital of Chiapas, about 75 km away. It might be cheaper to fly into Mexico City first and then book a local flight to Tuxtla.

If you’re already traveling around Mexico, taking a bus might be more practical. This was my choice. I took an ADO bus from Oaxaca to San Cris, a trip of about 10 hours. I booked a higher-class ticket and found it quite comfortable.

Later, I flew from there to Mexico City to leave the country and head to San Diego. To get from San Cris to the airport, there are buses leaving from the local bus station, but it turned out to be cheaper and easier to book a shuttle through a travel agency. It's a good idea to reserve ahead of time, as departure times may depend on forming a group.

The best things to see and do in San Cristóbal de las Casas

Andador Real de Guadalupe

If you only have one day in San Cris, I recommend spending it wandering along Calle or Andador Real de Guadalupe, a pedestrian-only street packed with cool restaurants, bars, cafés, and little shops.

Some of the spots I’ll recommend below are located on this street. In any case, take your time strolling along the historic center, keeping an eye out for all the surprises along the way.

Taller Leñateros

I’m not sure this place shows up on most “what to do in San Cristóbal de las Casas” lists, but someone recommended it to me, and I loved it. Taller Leñateros is a publishing collective founded in 1975 by contemporary Maya artists. They published the first books written, illustrated, printed, and bound (using their own handmade paper) by the Maya people in over 400 years.

At the workshop, they make and sell handcrafted books and notebooks using recycled paper and plant fibers, with artisanal printing techniques like woodcuts and beautiful embossed prints. Along with traditional methods—like natural dyes—they’re committed to preserving and sharing the languages, literature, and knowledge of Mexico’s Indigenous peoples.

Foro Cultural Kinoki

Another one of my favorite places in San Cris was Kinoki, an “independent cultural forum” that brings together a movie theater, restaurant, tea room, and space for talks, debates, art exhibits, theater, live music, and more—plus a lovely rooftop terrace with a view.

The space emerged from a community demand for a place to watch and discuss films. It started out with a small projector and beach chairs in a tiny room and grew over time, always prioritizing Mexican cinema, especially documentaries, indie films, and works by the region’s Indigenous peoples. They also have a mobile cinema project that visits communities across Chiapas.

You can check their website for the menu and schedule of films and events. I got lucky and arrived just in time to catch a great documentary about Zapatismo.

Zócalo and Surroundings

Like many other Mexican cities, San Cristóbal de las Casas has a Zócalo—the main square where everything happens. It’s always a great spot to sit and people watch.

You’ll find the Cathedral of San Cristóbal there, as well as the San Cristóbal Museum (MUSAC), which tells the story of the city and Chiapas. Unfortunately, the museum was closed for renovations when I visited. I found the cathedral quite unusual and colorful.

Behind the museum is Parque de los Arcos, and right next to the cathedral is Plaza de la Paz. Both are usually lively and worth a visit.

Santo Domingo Convent and Centro de Textiles del Mundo Maya

From there, you can take a walk along Avenida 20 de Noviembre, a street filled with handicraft shops, clothing stands, and street vendors that leads to the Church and Convent of Santo Domingo, one of the most beautiful churches in town.

It houses the Centro Cultural Los Altos de Chiapas, which personally didn’t impress me much since most of it focused on the Spanish conquest. But there’s another museum there I highly recommend: the Centro de Textiles del Mundo Maya. It features clothing from Chiapas and Guatemala, with detailed explanations about the materials used. Don’t miss the videos showing the different weaving techniques used by various Indigenous groups.

Mercado Viejo

A little farther ahead, you’ll find the Mercado Viejo (Old Market), a classic public market mostly frequented by locals. In addition to lots of food, there are also clothes, kitchenware, and other items. If you’re vegetarian or vegan, it’s best to avoid the meat section. And since the market gets pretty crowded, I suggest keeping an eye on your belongings—I heard about a few pickpocketing incidents.

Mercado de Dulces y Artesanías

Closer to the Zócalo, but in the opposite direction from Mercado Viejo, there’s another market that sells sweets and handicrafts. I didn’t find the sweets particularly appealing, but the crafts were beautiful: Maya-inspired and super colorful.

You’ll find embroidered fabrics, skirts, ponchos, wool accessories, ironwork, ceramics, and more. Most of it was similar to what I’d seen in other Mexican cities, except for the little Zapatista dolls.

Iglesia and Arco del Carmen

Just a few minutes’ walk away, you’ll come to another well-known church in San Cris, the Templo de Nuestra Señora del Carmen, and to the Arco del Carmen. The area was under construction when I passed by, so I couldn’t see much.

Nearby is a charming cultural center called Centro Cultural del Carmen, which has a lovely garden and hosts various workshops.

Iglesia de San Cristobalito

Walk a few more minutes and you’ll reach the Iglesia de San Cristobalito, located at the top of a long staircase and offering a nice view of the city. The church itself isn’t particularly remarkable, and the climb is a bit steep, but there are benches along the way where you can rest. The trees block some of the view, but it’s still worth the effort. You can also get to the top by car.

Iglesia de Guadalupe

Speaking of views, at the end of Calle Real de Guadalupe (the pedestrian street full of cafés and restaurants), in the opposite direction of the Zócalo, you’ll find another important church in San Cris: the Templo de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe.

It’s also perched on a hilltop with a staircase leading up, but the view is so worth it! Many people go there to watch the sunset.

Best things to do around San Cristóbal de las Casas

As I mentioned above, there’s a lot to do in the area around San Cristóbal de las Casas. You can visit many of the main attractions on your own, but most people choose to go with one of the many tour agencies based in the center of town, which usually offer reasonable prices.

The most popular tours are the ones to Sumidero Canyon, El Chiflón waterfalls, Montebello Lakes, and the town of San Juan Chamula.

Sumidero Canyon

Some people come to San Cris specifically to visit Cañón del Sumidero, one of the main attractions in Chiapas. You can go on your own, but based on my research, it was actually cheaper to go on a tour. I ended up choosing a tour just for the convenience, even though I’m not a big fan of super structured group trips. There are plenty of tour agencies in town, and I chose one called Jalapeño Tours.

We left San Cristóbal in a van at 9 a.m. and drove about 40 minutes to the boat launch. Everyone was given a life jacket, and then we cruised just over 30 km through the canyon, taking in the towering cliffs (which reach up to 1 km high), the lush vegetation, and the wildlife (we saw spider monkeys and crocodiles).

We got back around noon and then spent another 40 minutes in the van visiting two viewpoints overlooking the canyon: Mirador Tepehuaje and Mirador Los Chiapa. We only stayed about 10 minutes at each stop—very typical of these kinds of tours—but the views were stunning.

From there, it took another 40 minutes to get to the main square of Chiapa de Corzo, a small town with a mix of colonial architecture and pre-Columbian ruins. We had just 30 minutes to explore, so not enough time to see much. The square had craft stalls (similar to the ones in San Cris) and some traditional foods. Then it was another hour back to San Cristóbal.

Like I said, I’m not a huge fan of these tours, where it’s all "stop here for 10 minutes, snap a photo, and back to the van," and I didn’t find the scenery mind-blowingly amazing, but I didn’t regret going either.

If you tend to get motion sickness like I do, it’s worth taking something beforehand. The boat ride itself is pretty smooth since it’s a motorboat, but the drive up and down to the viewpoints is full of sharp curves. And if you wear a hat, make sure it fits snugly, as the wind can be strong.

Also, don’t forget to wear plenty of sunscreen. You’re out in the sun for most of the boat ride. When I went, it was springtime and the temperature hit 100°F (38°C), though thankfully the breeze on the boat helped cool things down.

San Juan Chamula

I enjoyed this tour a lot more, even though it might seem less “awe-inspiring.” San Juan Chamula is a village located about 10 km from San Cristóbal, inhabited by the Tzotzil people, an Indigenous Maya group (many of whom don’t speak Spanish). 

You can get there through tours offered by agencies, but it’s also easy to go on your own, as I did. Just head to the area around the Old Market (Mercado Viejo) and ask people where to catch the vans that go to the village. The ride takes about 40 minutes.

What draws most tourists to Chamula is what happens inside the church in the main square, where the van drops you off and where there’s also a small market.

This is not your typical church. The local people didn’t fully accept the Catholic evangelization brought by the Spanish colonizers and instead maintained many Maya traditions. In theory, the church is Catholic, dedicated to Saint John the Baptist. But on the inside, it’s unlike any church you’ve ever seen.

Tourists pay a small fee to enter (when I went, it was around $1 USD), and the money is used for the upkeep of the church, which was in great condition. Taking photos inside is strictly forbidden. You obviously shouldn't do it simply out of respect, but you can also be fined, have your gear confiscated, or even be arrested. So since you won't see a picture of it here, I’ll try to describe it.

Instead of pews facing an altar, you find a wide-open space with statues of Catholic saints and Maya deities in large shrine-like displays along the walls. In front of them, and scattered across the floor, there are hundreds of candles. The ground is covered in ashes, and the air is heavy with smoke from the candles, incense, and burning herbs.

People kneel or sit on the floor, praying in their native language. The women wear their long black hair in braids and often carry chubby-cheeked babies wrapped in shawls tied around their torsos. Most men wear white or black wool vests, and some of the women wear woolen skirts.

In front of the candles, groups perform rituals that include the sacrifice of dead chickens brought in black plastic bags, while reciting prayers. Around them, people drink Coca-Cola and other sodas. Yes, it sounds odd, but it’s part of the ritual. I was told they believe burping purifies the soul. They also drink Pox, a local ceremonial aguardiente.

El Chiflón Waterfall and Montebello Lakes

Another popular day trip offered by agencies in San Cris takes you to the El Chiflón Ecotourism Center, home to the famous El Chiflón Waterfall, and to the Montebello Lakes National Park. It’s a full-day tour, leaving early in the morning and returning late at night.

I didn’t go because it’s about a 3-hour drive one way, and based on what I heard from others, the tour can feel rushed, not leaving much time to really enjoy each spot. But if you have the time to visit one place per day, I think it would definitely be worth it. Both places look stunning, with beautiful views, waterfalls, and turquoise-blue lagoons.

Volunteering in San Cristóbal de las Casas 

If you're looking for an authentic, budget-friendly way to explore San Cristóbal de las Casas and its surrounding attractions, volunteering with Worldpackers is an excellent option. 

Not only does it allow you to save money on accommodation, but it also provides a chance to deeply immerse yourself in the local culture, meeting people, learning about traditional practices, and contributing to meaningful projects.

Worldpackers connects travelers with host organizations around the world, offering opportunities to volunteer in exchange for free lodging and other perks like meals and tours.

By volunteering in a place like San Cristóbal, you’ll get a real taste of life in this vibrant region—much more than just the typical tourist experience. It’s an enriching experience that goes beyond sightseeing and also allows you to make a positive impact, learn new skills, and build connections with locals and fellow travelers.

Did you like the idea? Check out all the positions available in Chiapas and save your favorites to your wish list.

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