San Cristóbal de las Casas: the jade city where cultures intertwine

San Cristóbal de las Casas stands at 2,200 metres above sea level in the Jovel valley, in the heart of Chiapas. It is a colonial city of unusual beauty: the façades are yellow, red, sky-blue; the churches are baroque yet laced with indigenous elements; the market is a place where Tzotzil women sell brilliantly coloured textiles and cacao is still ground by hand.

The churches and syncretism

The church of San Juan Chamula, 10 kilometres from the city, is one of the most extraordinary places in Mexico. There are no pews: the floor is carpeted with pine needles, hundreds of candles burn, and traditional healers (curanderos) perform ceremonies that blend Catholicism with Maya-Tzotzil cosmology. Photography inside is forbidden — and this rule is enforced with severity. In the centre, the yellow cathedral and the church of Santo Domingo with its pink stucco façade are masterpieces of colonial baroque.

The market and the cuisine

The covered market is a universe of colour: tropical fruit, dried chillies, pozol (a fermented maize drink), Chiapas-style tamales. Chiapas coffee is among the best in Mexico — dark-roasted, served with panela (unrefined sugar) — and the artisan cafés in the centre are the right place to taste it. Local cooking blends maize, black beans, chillies and cheese: sopes, tlayudas, cochito (pork in spiced sauce).

Amber and the surroundings

San Cristóbal is one of the few places in the world where Chiapas amber is found — a 25-million-year-old plant fossil, often with trapped insects. The amber museum in the Merced convent tells its story. Nearby: El Chiflón waterfalls, the Montebello lakes (52 turquoise lakes on the border with Guatemala), and the Maya ruins of Toniná.

Practical information

From Tuxtla Gutiérrez (nearest airport): 1 hour by colectivo. From Oaxaca: internal flights or overnight bus (12 hours). The altitude makes the nights cool (bring a sweater). Ideal period: November–March. Día de los Muertos (1–2 November) and the Chamula Carnival are unique experiences.