4 Star Itinerary for Chiapas

For the 4 star travelers, I have two suggestions for transportation:

1) Renting a car. The airport in Tuxtla Gutierrez (the capital of Chiapas) has just recently been relocated and remodeled and is fully equipped with rent-a-car companies such as Alamo and Hertz. All reservations can be made via the web-sites of these companies. The majority of cars are stick-shift, but automatic cars are available at a higher price. Also, make sure your car has I do recommend obtaining a map and having a basic knowledge of Spanish. It will be extremely helpful in obtaining directions, finding parking or in case of any emergencies.
You can also rent cars in San Cristobal at Budget Rent-A-Car or Optima (011-52-967-674-09, optimacar1@hotmail.com) both located at Mazariegos #39. It is a little more expensive than renting in Tuxtla and they do not have cars with automatic transmission. However, it may be worth your while to rent your car here instead of Tuxtla because you really don't need a car during your time in San Cristobal.

2) Hiring a car. Now, by hiring a car, I mean, taking taxis everywhere and taking advantage of the infinite amounts of travel agencies that are available. Taxis are abundant all throughout Chiapas (except maybe in Palenque) and are very cheap. There are no meters, you pay one flat rate for the ride. The prices range from $1.80 to $3.50. Never pay more than $4.00 for a cab ride around town. Tuxtla, is the only city where cab fare varies only because of the size of the city. Taxi drivers will charge you more if you are riding outside of town and this can usually be negotiated.

So, here we go:

DAY 1: Tuxtla Gutierrez to San Cristobal de las Casas

Although the modern, new airport in Tuxtla claims to be an international airport, at this time it is not. This is not a big problem. You will just have to fly into Mexico City and change planes to arrive in Tuxtla. Mexicana Airlines, which is affiliated with American Airlines, flies many times daily from Mexico City to Tuxtla. The flight time between Mexico City and Tuxtla is about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

The airport has recently been relocated to sit in between the capital city and the wonderful, magical mountain town of San Cristobal. San Cristobal is one of the major tourist destinations in the state. It is a charming, cool, colonial city that will capture your heart form the start. This is where you will be spending a couple of days. San Cristobal is about a 45 minute car ride from the airport.

Pick up your rent-a-car and drive to San Cristobal. Once you arrive in San Cristobal, you most likely will be tired and hungry. Here are my suggestions for accommodations as well as near-by eateries. OR
Grab a taxi. This is the only way to get to San Cristobal (from the airport) if you have not rented a car. The taxi ride costs about $10-$15, but this is split among all the passengers. If you see other foreigners on the plane, see if they want to split the fair.

Hotels: These are all very well decorated, hacienda-style establishments. All include private parking, restaurants, bars, and are located near the center of town. Make your reservations for 3 nights. You can also make reservations for the night that you return from Palenque.

Hotel El Cerrillo Belisario Dominguez #27 011-52-967-678-1283 Rooms w/ 1-2 beds f0r $23-28/$36-39
Hotel Mansion de los Angeles Madero #17 hotelangeles@prodigy.net.com Rooms for $37-42
Hotel Casa Mexicana 28 de Agosto #1 www.hotelcasamexicana.com Rooms for $67-118
Hotel Diego de Mazariegos 5 de Febrero #1 011-52-967-678-0833 Rooms for $64-74
Holiday Inn see www.holidayinn.com for details

Restaurants: There is a plethora of restaurants in San Cristobal. The city is not known for exquisite dining, but virtually all of the restaurants offer good food. As you walk around town for the next few days, experiment with restaurants you find along the way. Here are some suggestions.

Madre Tierra Insurgentes #19 Serves good, local coffee, homemade bread, quiches, soups and great breakfasts.
Emiliano's Moustache Rosas #7 Tacos, carne asada, and combo plates are standard at this popular spot.
El Gato Gordo Real de Guadalupe Artsy atmosphere serving typical Mexican food such as enchiladas, etc.
Mayambe Real de Guadalupe #66 Serving food from all over the world, this restaurant has a great reputation.
Cafe Museo Cafe MA Flores #10 Serving local, organic coffee, this is the best breakfast place in town.

For a more local fare:
All the eateries situated around El Mercado de Artesanias on Insurgentes across from Madre Tierra are excellent and will not make you sick.
If you are especially adventurous, try any of the eateries located inside El Mercado Municipal Utrilla.


Day 2: San Cristobal de las Casas (leave your car at your hotel and enjoy walking in this beautiful city)

After breakfast, there is only 1 task that you must accomplish before starting the day's activities. You must make a reservation at Casa Margarita Real de Guadalupe #34 for their tour of the Mayan village San Juan Chamula. I HIGHLY recommend taking this tour. The English-speaking guide is a sociologist/anthropologist and is an expert in modern Mayan life. You can go see this village on your own, however, the information provided by the guide is exceptional. The tours leave everyday form Casa Margarita at 9am and return around 1pm. The concierge at your hotel may be able to make reservations for you.

A small note about San Cristobal. The Zocalo (main plaza) is the center of town. The street names change as they pass through the Zocalo e.g. Insurgentes becomes Utrilla.

Now for the list of sights to see. I will suggest a loose itinerary, but all activities may be done at your leisure:

Na Bolom Guerrero #33 www.nabolom.org English tours at 11:30am and 4:30pm
This museum used to be home to a Swiss woman and her Danish husband. They were two of the first white people to live in Chiapas and developed a very close relationship with the Mayans living in the Lacandon jungle. The hacienda is filled with photos and artifacts and also serves as an institute of Mayan study.
I suggest taking a taxi to the museum (as it is about 1km from town) to catch the 11:30am tour and then walking back.

Santo Domingo Plaza on the corner of Calle Comitan & Utrilla
Santo Domingo is a large Cathedral just north of the center of town. The plaza is used as an artisan market where Chiapan as well as Guatemalam wares may be found. Anything from table runners to leather, sweaters to jewelry, this is the best place to buy souvenirs. You may also go into the cathedral, which was built between 1547 and 1560. In the adjoining building is the showroom for a Mayan women weaver's cooperative. It is called Sna Jolobil.
To get there from Na Bolom. Turn left out of the museum and walk to Calle Comitan. Turn right on Calle Comitan and walk until you hit the plaza and the back of the church.

El Andador 20 de Noviembre
From the entrance to the cathedral, turn left and walk down the street. El Andador, or walking mall, begins about a block down. Showcasing shops, internet cafes, bars and restaurants, this is good place to buy postcards, develop pictures or grab an empty bench and people watch.
A great store to visit just to look is Casa de Ambar, the first amber jewelry store on your right. Amber, or fossilized tree resin, is found in Chiapas. I suggest only buying amber from the stores to assure it's authenticity. Casa de Ambar, in particular, has a great selection and a little museum of amber in the back which is fascinating.
Also take notice, as you walk down El Andador, of the bar La Revolucion. Starting at around 8pm, they have a great little jazz band that ends at around 11pm. Any of the restaurants down this street are also good places to eat.
Be warned...Mayan women will approach you and try to sell you things. repeating "No, gracias." will likely get them to leave you alone. Children will also approach you begging for money. DO NOT GIVE THEM MONEY. A lot of times adults are forcing these children to beg. If you would like to help them, buy snacks at any of the convenience stores around town to carry with you and hand out to the children. This helps them much more than giving them money. Also, may I suggest bringing pens and little notebooks with you to hand out to the children. These children are very poor and may not have access to school supplies.

This list of sights may take you the whole day or it may not. If you have time left, I suggest just walking around and getting lost. At the end of El Andador is the main plaza and the Zocalo. Here, you will find a tourist information booth where you can pick up a map of San Cristobal, if you did not already find one.


Day 3: San Juan Chamula & San Cristobal

From 9am to about 1pm or 2pm, you should be enjoying the wonderfully informative tour to San Juan Chamula.

When you get back from the tour, you will probably be hungry. You will be dropped off at Casa Margarita on Real de Guadalupe. Before leaving to get something to eat, ask the travel agent at Casa Margarita about leaving for Palenque the next day. If you have rented a car ask them for a road map and directions. If you did not rent a car, ask about private transportation to and from Palenque.

Do not stray far from Real de Guadalupe to eat.
The Cerro de Guadalupe is a great place to get a panoramic view of the city and is topped by the Virgen de Guadalupe church. Walking up Real de Guadalupe on your way to the church, don't miss all the lovely shops, especially Nemizapata (#45). This is a store dedicated to the EZLN. This is a revolutionary group of indigenous Chiapans more commonly referred to as Zapatistas. They were once a violent rebel group, but have since turned to more non-violent political means of change. Nemizapata is store selling crafts and paraphernalia made by and supporting the Zapatistas.

Take your time walking up the hill. Make sure you have your camera. You have the rest of the day to stroll around, people watch in the Zocalo or shop.

Day 4: Arrive in Palenque

Palenque is a magical ancient Mayan city located in the jungle about 5 hours from San Cristobal. By far one of the best places to see evidence of the ancient Mayan way of life, you will not want to leave the tranquility offered by the jungle setting.

If you have reserved private transportation to Palenque, just sit back and marvel in the natural beauty.

If you are driving, be careful on the curvy mountain roads and also be careful of the TOPES or speed bumps along the way. You will encounter them entering and leaving any populated area.

On the way, you can stop to eat in the town of Ocosingo and you can also take a short side trip to see the ruins of Tonina. Follow the signs to this lightly visited set of ruins. They are not as large or impressive as Palenque, but they are beautiful in their own right. The best part is you will most likely have the ruins all to yourself to enjoy.

Once you arrive in the unimpressive town of Palenque, follow the signs towards the ruins. The best places to stay while visiting the ruins are an the road to the ruins. The jungle is breathtaking, but don't be alarmed when you hear the low guttural cries of the howler monkeys. Just follow the sounds and look up to find the small black creatures in the trees.

Hotels: there are two really great picks that always have openings. Make your reservations for 2 nights.

Mayabell Carr. Palenque-Ruinas km 6 mayabell82@hotmail.com Cabanas and Rooms $16-37
This is by far one of the best places to stay in Palenque. It is the last accommadations before hitting the ruins. The jungle setting caters to all levels of travel. There is a pool and a very good restaurant.
Chan-kah Resort Village Carr. Palenque-Ruinas km 3.2 www.chan-kah.com Rooms/Suite $105/263
It has a wonderful swimming pool and lush jungle gardens. It includes all the services.

As far as eating, I recommend eating at your hotel and really relaxing, taking in the natural beauty. Get a good night sleep because you will want to wake up early the next day see the expansive ruins before the day gets too hot.

Day 5: Palenque Ruins

Today is the day you are going to see the mystical Mayan city. Wake up early, eat breakfast and make sure you have water because the jungle can get hot. Plan to be at the ruins between 8am and 9am in order to beat the heat. Bring your camera.

The ruins are at the end of the road where you are staying and there is a parking lot. Do not worry about theivery. Most likely a young boy will direct you to a parking spot and promise to watch your car. All he expects in return is 10 or so pesos when you get out. You can also buy him a cold drink. Remember the nicer you are to locals, the nicer they are to you.
If you do not have a car, Volkswagon buses go up and down the road every ten minutes and cost about 3 pesos to take you up to the ruins.

Once at the ruins find a guide. The beauty and grandeur of Palenque is best appreciated with a guide. Mexico has strict standards for archeological guides and most of them are very passionate about their jobs. The earlier you get up to the ruins, the better of a selection you will have. One requirement the Mexican government has for guides is that they speak English, but have a conversation with your guide of choice to make sure you can understand them. Soem guides also speak Italian, French and German.

I have had two guides at Palenque and both are very good. The best guide is Edgar. If you are staying at Mayabell, Edgar sometimes comes by the restaurant in the evening looking for people to do a tour the next day. The other is Raul who wears glasses. There is no way to contact either of them other than trying to find them at the park, but both speka impeccable English. It doesn't matter though, I would say that 90% of the guides at Palenque are really good at their jobs. Prices for the guides can vary a little, but I would say $50 will get you an excellent 3-4 hour tour.

After the ruins, get some water and maybe a little snack form the outside vendors. Head down the road a little ways to the museum. At this point, you may be tired, but the museum is definitely worth the visit and it is air conditioned. It houses all the little artifacts and art from the city.
Then go back to your hotel, change your clothes and relax. Lounge by the pool, take a little stroll through the jungle, take a siesta...you're on vacation!!!
If you did not rent a car, you may want to go into to town and arrange for your transportation back to San Cristobal. There are many travel agencies in town on the main drag. Tell them you want to go to Agua Azul and then San Cristobal in the same day.

Tonight, you can either eat at your hotel or go to El Panchan Carr. Palenque-Ruinas km 4.4. This is a legendary travelers compound that has a good restaurant with live entertainment.

Day 6: Agua Azul to San Cristobal

Today's activity is the main reason I strongly suggest renting a car. On the way back to San Cristobal, you will be visiting the Caribbean-like waters of Agua Azul.

Start heading back to San Cristobal and about an hour from Palenque you will start seeing signs for Agua Azul. You will probably have to pay twice to get into the park-once to the people of the nearby village and once to the park itself-but it is worth it. Agua Azul is a series of turquoise waterfalls littered with natural swimming pools. (Note: during rainy season, May-September, the water will not be turquoise.) This is a popular destination on week-ends and there is a plethora of good places to eat along the river serving mostly fish.
Once you park your car, walk up the trail, taking pictures along the way, until you get to the top of the hill. Here you will find a great swimming hole with a make shift diving board. Common sense says not to linger in too isolated of a spot as to this makes you more vulnerable to theft.

Take your time enjoying this heavenly spot. Just remember that you still have a 3 hour drive back to San Cristobal and you do not want to be driving too much at night. There are bathrooms and showers at Agua Azul where you can change out of your swim suit for the ride back.

You will probably be very tired arriving in San Cristobal. Eat and sleep because your vacation is almost over.

Day 7: San Cristobal to Chiapa de Corzo

Well, it is your last day in Chiapas, so take your time to take it all in one more time.
You can have a lazy morning in San Cristobal. No matter what check-out time is at your hotel, most hotels let you leave your bags at the front desk until you want to leave. You have one last sight to see before saying good-bye to San Cristobal.

El Mercado Municipal. Head up Insurgentes/Utrilla, past Santo Domingo until you reach the busy, hub-bub of the market place. This is where the majority of people in San Cristobal go to buy fruits, vegetables, meat, housewares, fire wood, among other things. It's a pretty chaotic place. The large building to the left of the outdoor section of the market is where meat is sold. Go ahead, walk around, but be careful. The outdoor section of the market is a maze. Don't get lost!!

Now for the remainder of the day there are two choices of activities depending on which mode of transportation you selected.

If you rented your car in Tuxtla:
Head back to Tuxtla at your leisure. On the way, about 30 minutes before arriving in Tuxtla, there is the charming little town of Chiapa de Corzo (follow the signs). It is located on the Rio Grijalva where one can take a river boat tour of the Cañon Sumidero. The boat tours down the river are very nice, the only downfall is that most of boats are not covered and the sun is intense. Unless you have a covered boat, a nice hat, it is cloudy or late enough in the afternoon, I would not recommend taking a boat tour. However, Chiapa de Corzo is a quaint little town to walk around and grab a bite to eat on one of the restaurants on the river bank.

If you did not rent a car:
You can spend the remainder of the day and one more night in San Cristobal. In one of the many travel agencies, you can arrange for private transportation to the airport the next day, if you do not have a very early flight.
OR
You can arrange for a private car to take you to Chiapa de Corzo.

Hotels in Chiapa de Corzo: Since the relocated the airport, staying in Chiapa de Corzo makes the most sense and there is one great hotel with parking and a swimming pool.

Hotel La Ceiba. Av. Domingo Ruiz #300 (2 blks west of the plaza) 011-52-961-616-0773 laceibachiapadecorzo@hotmail.com Rooms $42-47

Day 8: Return home

From Chiapa de Corzo, you are about 30-45 min from the airport. The hotel can get you a taxi if you did not rent a car.

I hope you enjoyed your time in Chiapas.