Things to do in San Cristobal de Las Casas | Chiapas, Mexico
If you plan to visit San Cristobal de Las Casas: Chiapas, Mexico we have good news for you – there is a lot of things to do there!
We arrived in Mexico from South America, so we weren’t very excited about visiting San Cristobal de Las Casas. We have read that it is a colonial town and we have seen plenty of those already while traveling in South America. The main reason we stopped there was that it is a perfect stop between the Pacific coast of Mexico and the Yucatan area.
San Cristobal is actually a very nice place to visit, in the end, we spend 3 nights there and we had a lot of fun! Situated quite high, about 2000 meters above sea level – it is a valley surrounded by green forest all around.
Yes, if you love nature and animals, you will have plenty of that here! The city itself is charming as well – full of small cobblestone streets with colorful houses, where you can walk without cars disturbing you. The main plaza is also a unique place – with a beautiful cathedral, green park, and delicious food all around.
Things to do in San Cristobal de Las Casas
Chill and enjoy at the main square (Parque Central)
Parque central, the center of the city is full of museums, churches, cathedrals, cafes, and restaurants. In the evenings it gets filled with food vendors, musicians, dancers, and other performers. It’s a nice way to relax after dinner and just enjoy the view or watch the locals passing by. You also have free wifi.
Wander around the city – Things to do in San Cristobal de Las Casas
If you enjoy while exploring the streets of an unknown city, you will love San Cristobal de Las Casas. It is perfect for strolling on many of cobble-stoned streets, which are not filled with traffic so it is completely safe to walk around.
Take a walk to Inglesia de Guadalupe
This church is situated on a hill not far from the city center. It is a very nice walk where, in the end, you will have to climb around 100 uneven stairs. If you get tired on the way, you have benches where you can rest. It is all worth the effort, on the top you can enjoy views on the city and nature around.
Visit the artisan market – Things to do in San Cristobal de Las Casas
San Cristobal is famous for its art scene so you shouldn’t miss this charming market and observe the work of local artists. We actually came here by mistake, we were trying to get the way to our hostel and we came across this beautiful market.
Locals sell very nice and unique products there, you can buy yourself a souvenir or anything your heart desires. The prices were quite high though but most of the stuff is handmade, so we can’t blame them.
Continue your journey towards Palenque ruins
Palenque is a town in the southern state of Chiapas and its located in the jungle, quite close to the border with Guatemala.
We arrived in Palenque mostly because it is only a couple of kilometers away from its famous Palenque Mayan ruins, hidden deep in the jungle. I think it’s the most impressive archeological site we have seen in all Mexico! Worth it, you shouldn’t miss it.
We went there by ourselves and we stayed there for 2 nights (and then continued to Cancun) but you also have organized tours from San Cristobal to Palenque.
Where to eat – Things to do in San Cristobal de Las Casas
We loved the food in San Cristobal, you can try a big variety of different food options. You can find cuisine from all over the world – from Peruvian, Thai, Italian, and of course traditional Mexican food.
Vegetarians and vegans will have a lot of options to choose from, from international and also Mexican dishes. The prices are not so cheap though, we found it quite expensive for our budget.
We also missed ‘menu del dia’ (daily menu), we somehow had problems with finding it in San Cristobal.
A couple of times we also headed to the local market to buy different kinds of veggies to cook our meal.
Falafel 100% Vegetariano
We visited San Cristobal on our 4th month of this travel and this was the first falafel we had on this journey. The place has a nice vibe and fresh food. We enjoyed the falafel very much, also try their pickles, they are delicious! For a falafel in a pita, you will pay 65 pesos, it is totally worth it. This falafel place is located on Real de Guadalupe.
Las tortas
We are big fans of Mexican tortas, a perfect breakfast to gives you energy fort he day. Torta is a Mexican sandwich – usually grilled fresh white bread, filled with cheese, meat (or no meat), and vegetables. This place has good tortas, you should go and try it, you have a lot of options to choose from.
The prices are cheap, for a small simple torta you will pay around 40 pesos and fort he big one around 80 pesos – we usually shared one big one. Get there in the morning, in the afternoon they usually sell everything and close.
A true cultural experience
We spend 3 days in San Cristobal de las Casas and we weren’t bored for one second, there are so many things to do there. If you are searching for a cultural experience, filled with art, tradition, and chill vibe – San Cristobal de Las Casas is perfect for you! It is also a great stopover if you are moving between the Pacific coast of Mexico and the Yucatan Peninsula area.
