Chiapas Travel Guide
The Temple of the Cross at Palenque, Chiapas. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Chiapas is Mexico's most indigenous state and its greenest: jungle-covered Maya cities, turquoise waterfalls and the highland villages around San Cristobal de las Casas. It rewards travellers who like their archaeology with jungle attached.
Palenque is the crown: a graceful Classic Maya city set against forested hills. The Sumidero Canyon near Tuxtla, the waterfalls of Agua Azul and Misol-Ha, and the remote river cities of Yaxchilan and Bonampak fill out a week easily.
Destinations in Chiapas
PalenqueThe elegant Classic city of Pakal: the Temple of the Inscriptions, the palace tower and jungle trails. UNESCO-listed.
Sumidero CanyonBoat trips through the Grijalva canyon with walls rising up to 1,000 metres, past crocodiles and waterfalls.
San Cristobal de las CasasThe highland colonial town at 2,200 metres: markets, amber workshops and indigenous villages around it.
YaxchilanThe remote river city reached only by boat down the Usumacinta, famous for its carved lintels.
BonampakThe temple of the vivid murals: the best-preserved Maya paintings anywhere.
Agua Azul and Misol-HaThe turquoise cascades of Agua Azul and the single-drop Misol-Ha falls, both easy from Palenque.
San Juan Chamula and ZinacantanTzotzil villages near San Cristobal with distinctive churches and weaving cooperatives.
ToninaThe great terraced acropolis near Ocosingo, one of the tallest Maya structures.
Hover a state to explore it. Click a city pin to open its guide.
Top Cities & towns in Chiapas
Regional food
- Tamales de chipilin and cochito horneado in the highlands
- Chiapanecan coffee from the Soconusco region
- Pozol: the fermented corn drink of the lowlands
Getting there
Tuxtla Gutierrez (TGZ) and Palenque (PQM) airports serve the state; Villahermosa (Tabasco) is the gateway for Palenque. ADO buses link Tuxtla, San Cristobal and Palenque; Yaxchilan and Bonampak need a tour from Palenque.