After beach and town hopping along Oaxaca’s coast for two weeks, Rosie and I swapped the Oaxaca region for Chiapas and went to San Cristobal.
I was really looking forward to visiting San Cristobal. I’d heard many good things and lots of backpackers said it was similar to Antigua in Guatemala which I loved!
We took a night bus from Huatulco, arriving to San Cristobal around 7am.
First impressions, it’s a pretty town, easy to stay for a while! And flip it’s cold! Cold mornings and evenings particularly, the daytime is actually warm in the sunshine! What a difference a 10hr bus makes, from the heat of the west coast to the chill of the mountains. I’m back in my jeans and alpaca jumper which hasn’t happened for a while – all good prep for returning to an English winter!
I spent seven days in San Cristobal and was with Rosie for the first three and then on my own for the other four. Here’s what we got up too…a lot of my time was spent wandering the markets…
Tip: The colourful artisanal market is a great place to buy souvenirs. You’ll get souvenirs at cheaper prices than in Yucatan.
Sumidero Canyon
We went to Sumidero Canyon on a day trip from San Cristobal. Pick up was in theory at 9am, it was more like 9.20am when it collected us and we didn’t leave San Cristobal till around 10am as we were picking up more people.
Our first stop was the 2hr boat ride down the canyon’s river. I really enjoyed it!
It’s an impressive canyon and there’s lots of wildlife. We saw crocodiles and monkeys – one with a tiny baby on its back!
After the boat ride, we drove to the viewpoints. This is the part which would be tricky to do without a tour – your only other options would be to rent a car or hire a taxi for the day.
We stopped very briefly at three different viewpoints. It was cool to see from above. The canyon walls are so so tall! The boats cruising along the river looked tiny!
Our last stop of the day was in the small town of Chiapa de Corzo for half an hour. Whilst it was nice to see a different small town, to me this felt like an unnecessary stop. I wouldn’t have minded if we’d skipped and returned to San Cristobal straight away. The canyon was the main highlight of the tour.
Tour cost: 380 pesos with viewpoints (330 pesos without).
Note: You can go independently but, unless you have a car, I wouldn’t recommend. The boat ticket costs 230 pesos and you’ll need to wait for one to fill up as well as transport. Also, you won’t be able to go to the viewpoints. A tour is easier and I’m usually one for doing it myself!
Free Walking Tour
Another town, another free walking tour! Always a good introduction to a new place! We joined the one at 10am. I liked how this walking tour explored the outer streets more than the main ones. As our guide said, the main streets are easy to see on your own so it’s better to see more of different areas. I agree!
One of the most interesting things I learnt from the tour was the popularity of Coca Cola in San Cristobal. There’s a factory nearby and it’s massive. It uses so much water in the Coca Cola making process that water is in a bit of a shortage. Plus, it’s cheaper to buy a bottle of coke than water! Crazy! And it’s even used as a drink in traditional rituals now – for example in Chamula’s church.
Amber is a popular stone in San Cristobal and the Chiapas region. Shops and markets all sell amber jewellery. We learnt how to tell real amber from fake. The best and easiest way is to shine a phone torch on the stone, if it’s real the stone should go cloudy. Useful for buying amber souvenirs!
Where: Plaza de la Paz, next to the fountain.
When: 10am and 5pm every day and lasts around 3hrs.
Chamula – San Juan Church
Chamula is a village, half an hour northwest of San Cristobal by colectivo. It’s known for its church, San Juan, where locals go daily in groups for a ritual to cleanse illness and bad energy from their bodies.
We went one morning and it was such a unique church experience. Pine needles cover the floor, candles and incense are lit and Coca Cola and pox (a local spirit) are drunk while a healer chants.
In some cases (we saw two), there is a chicken to absorb the bad energy or illness which is then sacrificed at the end. I’ve never seen anything like it. I couldn’t leave before seeing what happened to the chicken, which met its end more peacefully than I was expecting.
Note: Taking photos inside the church is forbidden. Watch the ritual with respect.
Entrance: 25 pesos to enter the church
Getting to Chamula: Colectivos leave from the local market frequently and cost 18 pesos per journey.
Food
La Vina de Bacco
This wine bar is definitely one of my top recommendations for San Cristobal. For every glass of wine you order, a free tapas comes with it (usually a slice of bread with a topping).
Bowls of popcorn are also served and the wine is cheap – from 22 pesos for a glass of red!!! I’m not really a red wine drinker, but I made an exception for that and really enjoyed it.
Tip: Take layers so you can sit outside on the tables and people watch on the main pedestrian street. I really liked the atmosphere.
Tok Tok Wok
Like the name suggests, this isn’t a Mexican restaurant. It’s a stir fry place! I really enjoyed it – portions and prices are good (60 pesos for the vegetarian bowl – £2.50 approx!).
I had an evening and a day where I wasn’t feeling too good. My stomach hurt and I had no appetite at all. I think it was from something I ate at the market. A stir fry at Tok Tok Wok was my first proper meal the next day and the vegetables were very welcome!
Maya Pakal
A local restaurant that has well priced set menus. We went for dinner one evening and had a tortilla soup starter, fish main, chocolate desert and margarita cocktail for 86 pesos. Not bad value!
How to get to San Cristobal
San Cristobal is in the Chiapas region and reachable from both Oaxaca and Yucatan depending which direction you’re headed.
Again, given the distances, bus journeys are long! For example, It’s 12hrs from Oaxaca City, 8hrs from Huatulco, 8hrs from Palenque and from Yucatan it’s even longer. Merida is approx a 17hr bus journey away, Tulum is 19/20hrs, and Cancun is 22hrs. It may be worth looking into flights! Or if you have time, breaking your journey up and potentially stopping at Palenque on route.
Check the ADO website, app or ticket offices for up to date times and prices.
You can also fly into nearby Tuxtla Gutierrez, the capital of Chiapas, and then take a colectivo or taxi to San Cristobal.
Final thoughts
I really liked San Cristobal. It did give me Antigua vibes – cobbled streets, atmosphere, colourful houses – and I found it very easy spending time there. I was very happy walking the streets and exploring the markets, I didn’t need to do much!
I really enjoyed our trip to Sumidero canyon – it’s impressive and cruising down the river we saw plenty of wildlife – from crocs to monkeys! I recommend! Seeing the canyon from above at the viewpoints was great too! My tip would be to not expect a proper tour, it’s more transport to and from with stops off along the way – still worth it in my eyes.
Also, a short visit to Chamula and its church is a must. Really fascinating – I’ve never seen a church like it!
Overall, San Cristobal is a lovely place to spend a few days (or more!) and a good base for exploring the Chiapas region. I’d definitely return!
I’m now going to Palenque for ruins and waterfalls!
P.S. Drink all the hot chocolate! There’s so many shops and cafes selling it and it’s the perfect warming up drink on a chilly evening.
