San Cristóbal de las Casas or “San Cris”, how the locals call it, is a town tucked away in Chiapas, the southernmost state of Mexico.
I knew I was going to love this town from the moment I set foot on its cobbled streets. Colonial architecture, indigenous culture, stunning nature, vibrant nightlife and amazing vibes – this town has everything a backpacker could wish for and should not be missed on a trip to Mexico!
There are countless experiences and adventures for every type of traveler in and around San Cristóbal. In this post I’m sharing the best things to do in San Cristóbal de las Casas. Initially, I had planned to stay there for one week only, but I ended up staying for almost 3 weeks because I had fallen in love with this town. Together with Oaxaca, Chiapas is definitely my favorite state of Mexico.
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How to get to San Cristóbal de Las Casas
By plane
The nearest airport is Tuxtla Gutierrez International Airport, which is about 1 hour and 20 minutes from San Cristóbal. From there you can either rent a car, or take a bus to get to the town.
By bus
The bus network in Mexico is very well developed and you can reach San Cristóbal from many surrounding towns and states. Have a look at the Autobuses ADO website to check connections and schedules.
Things to do in San Cristóbal de Las Casas
San Cristóbal is extremely diverse. Be aware that once you’re there, it you will want to stay longer than what you had planned! From hiking to restaurant-hopping, from visiting indigenous villages to exploring local markets – if you get bored in “San Cris”, you’re doing something wrong.
Visit a local market
There are several markets in San Cristóbal de Las Casas where you can buy fresh fruits and vegetables or handmade “artisanía” (crafts). Prices are very budget-friendly and you can even try to haggle a bit in the crafts market. But please also be aware that the sellers often don’t have much income and by haggling too much, you might offend them and their artwork.
The local fruit and vegetable markets are a great place for food shopping if you want to save some money. You can buy freshly made tortillas and vegetables for a few cents only. Even if you’re not planning to buy anything, it’s still nice to take a stroll and to have a look.
Hike Cerro Don Lauro
Cerro Don Lauro is a small mountain near the city center of San Cristóbal de las Casas. It offers stunning views over the town and its surrounding mountains. Funnily, almost none of the locals I talked to knew about this mountain, even though it was so close to the town center. Hiking is just not as much part of the culture there as it is in my home country Austria.
It only takes a 15-20 minute taxi ride to get to the trailhead. From there you need to hike 30-40 minutes uphill until you reach the peak. It’s absolutely worth it to go there and the views are incredible!
NOTE 2023:
Apparently, it has become dangerous to hike Cerro Don Lauro. I was told that there’s a risk of getting robbed and there might be aggressive dogs. Better check with your host or a local if it’s safe to go.
Walk up to Iglesia de San Cristóbalito
San Cristobalito is a church located on top of a hill within walking distance from the city center. If you walk up the stairs before sunset you’ll see the city center of San Cristóbal illuminated in shades of orange. On the way up you might get a little out of breath as the town is located at an altitude of 2,200 m. If you get tired on the way up you can take a break and buy some “elote” (corncob) from a little stand on the stairs.
Visit a techno rave
San Cristobal de las Casas is a party town, even though it might not be obvious at the first glance. There’s vibrant nightlife on every day of the week. Every Tuesday and Thursday there’s a big techno rave where travellers from everywhere unite in an abandoned industrial building and dance until early morning. I went there only once during my 3 weeks in San Cristóbal, but I know people who went to each rave for several weeks. It’s not 100% my scene, but I did have a good time and I recommend checking it out once. It was definitely an experience I hadn’t had before!
If you want to know more about the rave, the people in your hostel should know (especially if you stay at Puerta Vieja Hostel), or otherwise ask a local.
Watch the sunset at La Maldita Restaurant
La Maldita Restaurant is situated on a hill near the Guadalupe Church and features stunning views over the roofs of San Cris. Make sure to book a table in advance so you’ll get a spot with a good view on the terrace. I personally found the restaurant to be a bit overpriced for what it was, so my friends and I just had a drink.
Sunset is the best time of the day to visit La Maldita Restaurant. It’s magical to see the sky turn orange while the sun disappears behind the mountains.
Day trips from San Cristóbal de las Casas
As San Cristóbal de las Casas is surrounded by nature, there are many day trips to lakes and waterfalls, or to indigenous villages that you can take.
Montebello Lakes National Park
Montebello Lakes is a National Park located near the border of Guatemala. It consists of 59 lakes with stunning tones of blue and turquoise, surrounded by lush green pine trees. On some of the lakes you can do a tour on a raft, which I highly recommend. It’s an amazing experience to float along the calm waters, taking in the beautiful scenery.
The Montebello Lakes are not only near the border of Guatemala, one of the lakes even marks the border between Mexico and Guatemala. The border of Guatemala and Mexico is a 5 minute walk up a hill from Lago Tziscao, the biggest one of the Montebello Lakes. On the way up you pass by some vendors of local products and food. I highly recommend trying a Gordita there, they’re a delicious snack. Gorditas are thick corn tortillas filled with cheese, beans or meat. They prepare them freshly on the fire like in the photo below.
Lago Internacional is the lake that marks the border of Mexico and Guatemala. It is split in two halves, one side of the lake being part of Mexico, and the other side being part of Guatemala.
When you’re at Lago Internacional, you can walk across the border and visit Guatemala. On the other side you’ll find a market of traditional products that invites to buy souvenirs or to do a tasting of Quetzaltecca, Guatemala’s traditional spirit. There’s no need to bring your passport because you don’t officially enter the country.
Waterfalls El Chiflón
The waterfalls of El Chiflón is one of the highlights around San Cris. When you get there, you can walk along the stunningly turquoise San Vicente river and you’ll discover numerous waterfalls and natural pools. There’s an entrance fee of $ 50 MXN pesos (about € 2) per person.
It’s best to get there early in the day, so you can beat the crowds and make the most of your time there. El Chiflón is a popular spot for local families to spend a day relaxing by the river and taking a dip in the turquoise natural pools. If you plan to stay in the area for a while, I recommend taking some food and drinks with you.
There is a well maintained hiking trail that leads up the hill in a set of stairs until you reach the most impressive waterfall of all: Velo de la Novia. On the way up you’ll discover several viewpoints of Velo de la Novia, the highest one being really close to the waterfall. Slippery stairs lead up to the platform where drops of water will land in your face. The view is stunning, but be prepared to get wet.
For the adrenaline junkies among you there’s a zipline going down the Chiflón valley. You can choose between a 300 m zipline, a 600 m zipline or a combination of both, the 900m zipline. Depending on which one you choose it costs between $ 150-350 MXN pesos (€ 8-15).
Sumidero Canyon National Park
Sumidero Canyon is a giant natural canyon with the Grijalva River flowing through it. To visit the Sumidero Canyon you can do a boat trip on the Grijalva River and also visit some lookout points on the top of the canyon.
I didn’t visit the Sumider Canyon, but I’ve heard that its absolutely worth going there.
Visit an indigenous village
There are numerous indigenous villages around San Cristóbal. The most famous ones are San Juan Chamula and Zinacantán. These are also the easiest ones to get to, either with a tour or by yourself in a colectivo (bus).
In Zinacantan, I had a very special experience with one of the local indigenous families. The indigenous people there are usually reserved towards Europans as they live in their communities shut off from tourists. Thanks to a friend who was working with them, I got invited to their house.
The woman in the photo is Me Juana. At first, Me Juana and her family seemed shy and I wasn’t sure if they were comfortable with my presence. The more we talked, the more comfortable and at ease they were. After a while we were laughing together and they shared legends from their tribe with me.
Me Juana weaves traditional clothes and they try to sell them for a fair price to feed their family. They struggle because Chinese companies copy their designs and make mass production to sell the products for a cheap price. As a tourist, we can have a big impact on the life of locals, always be aware of that. By buying from local producers we support the people whose land we’re visiting. Especially when visiting an indigenous village, show respect towards the local people, their culture and their artwork.
I was more than grateful for this special experience and I hope Me Juana and her family will manage to keep making a living from their weaving.
Waterfalls Agua Azul and Misol-Ha
Agua Azul and Misol-Ha are two beautiful waterfalls that are often visited as part of a tour to the archeological site of Palenque. You can easily visit both waterfalls on the same day, as they are not far from each other.
The waterfalls Agua Azul are incredibly picturesque and the color of the water seems almost surreal. Similar to El Chiflón, here you can also hike up on a trail to enjoy different views of the waterfall. There’s also a spot for swimming and you can buy drinks, food and souvenirs. Agua Azul can get quite busy, but the further you hike uphill, the fewer people there are. If you ask some locals at the top they might show you some hidden places that you can have all to yourself.
Misol-Ha is a single waterfall with a height of 35 m surrounded by tropical vegetation. If you follow the marked path around the pool you can even walk into the cave behind the waterfall. To cool down, you can jump into the natural pool at the foot of Misol-Ha.
I personally preferred Agua Azul because the area to walk around and to explore is much bigger there. At Misol-Ha you can only follow one path around the waterfall, so it can get really crowded.
Archeological Zone in Palenque
Palenque is a town in the middle of the jungle that became famous for its archeological site. It’s about 6 hours from San Cristóbal and most tour agencies make a stop at the waterfalls Agua Azul and Misol-Ha on the way. If you visit Palenque on a day trip, you’ll spend lots of hours in the car. Depending on how much time you have, you can also spend 2-3 days in Palenque.
Best restaurants in San Cristóbal de Las Casas
I don’t even know where to start when it comes to restaurants in San Cris. Every single place that I tried had amazing food for very little money. And honestly, one of the reasons why I ended up staying longer than planned was because of the amazing restaurants.
It’s hard to pick the best restaurants because you really almost can’t go wrong. There was not a single place where I had bad food in San Cristóbal de las Casas.
Tamales Yo'o Moc
If you’re looking for cheap and good traditional Mexican food, then Tamales Yo’o Moc is the right place for you. Tamales are made of corn-based dough that has a filling and is steamed in a banana leaf.
They serve delicious sweet and savoury Tamales with different fillings. You can pick your filling to be either meat, shrimp, vegetarian or sweet.
This place is also perfect if you want just a snack, rather than a full meal. I was usually really full after eating two tamales.
Bangcook
Bangcook is the best Thai restaurant that I’ve tried in Mexico so far. It’s located inside Plaza San Augustin, a hip food square with several high quality restaurants and cafés. Bangcook is not as cheap as some traditional Mexican restaurants, but for the quality of the food and considering how nice the restaurant is, it’s still not expensive at all. You need to try the Green Thai Curry there!
Best cafés in San Cristóbal de Las Casas
Chiapas is known for its amazing local coffee and of course, you can find several nice cafés and roasteries there.
Sarajevo Café Jardin
Sarajevo Café was my favorite place to go in the morning to work. It’s a beautifully designed café with lots of plants and amazing staff. They have delicious food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And my favorite part was that you can get a coffee with unlimited free refills for only $ 40 MXN pesos (2 €).
Amor Negro
Amor Negro was also one of my favorite places to work from. It’s a coffee roastery and a popular breakfast spot. Amor Negro is located on the first floor of Plaza Augustin. I love their Eggs Benedict and their carrot muffin!
Kinoki
Kinoki is actually a cultural center which combines a cinema, a restaurant and a café. They have a cinema room where they show movies and a rooftop terrace with an amazing view over the roofs of San Cristóbal. No matter if you go with friends or if you need a co-working space, this is the perfect place. The vibe is great and the staff is friendly. Make sure to visit the rooftop terrace of Kinoki for sunset, the view is amazing!
Best bars in San Cristóbal de Las Casas
San Cristóbal has vibrant nightlife on every day of the week. There are lots of bars with live music, clubs and the famous techno rave that I mentioned above.
La Viña de Bacco
La Viña de Bacco is by far my favorite bar in the whole town. It’s a wine bar that serves tapas and Mexican food. The best part is that you can get a glass of wine for as cheap as $ 25 MXN pesos (€ 1) and they serve you popcorn and a tapa with every glass that you order. I went there almost everyday. The atmosphere is great and this bar is a classic in San Cris – it’s definitely a must!
Bar Revolución
Bar Revolución was usually the second stop of the night after a few drinks at Viña de Bacco. At Bar Revolución there’s often live music and salsa night, so be prepared to show your moves and to dance some salsa.
Where to stay in San Cristóbal de Las Casas
San Cristóbal is a popular place for backpackers and there are lots of hostels, Airbnb’s and hotels to choose from.
If you’re looking for a cheap and clean hostel with great vibe and amazing people look no further than Puerta Vieja Hostel. This is the most famous hostel of San Cristóbal. For less than € 10 you get a dorm bed including breakfast and dinner. On some days they even offer free cocktails or a free salsa dance class.
Just make sure to book your bed a week in advance, as this place is usually always fully booked.
Is San Cristóbal de Las Casas safe?
Yes and no. I have never felt unsafe in San Cris, but Mexico is Mexico. That being said, just don’t walk in abandoned streets at night and generally avoid areas outside of the city center where you feel like you’re they only tourist around. Other than that, I felt quite safe in San Cris and I also walked outside at night, but always with other people, never alone.
I hope this guide for the best things to do in San Cristóbal de las Casas is helping you to have a memorable stay!
If you plan to travel to the neighboring state Oaxaca as well, don’t miss out on visiting Puerto Escondido, Mexico’s best surf and beach town.
If you’re looking for hiking and nature I recommend heading to San José del Pacífico. This mountain village is also called the “Magic Mushroom Capital” of Mexico.
San Cristóbal de Las Casas looks seriously amazing! It seems to be such a hip and modern city. I guess I need to include it on my Mexico itinerary in the future! Great post and beautiful photos Maria 🙂
What a fantastic looking place. I want to do all of the things, especially a visit to Montebello Lakes (just wow!). Market visits are always top of my list when I travel and between that and the indigenous village, I would definitely drop some cash. Love the designs!
Thank you so much for introducing San Cristovan de Las Casas to me…I never heard about it before, and I already LOVE it. Such an authentic place, beautiful, the food looks amazing and people so friendly. This goes directly to my Bucket List!
It’s good to have you back with yet another amazing blog post about Mexico chica. Definitely will put in my list for a future trip to Mexico. Definitely visiting the waterfalls 😀
Hi Maria, San Cris def looks amazing! I’m planning to head there in December and was wondering how you managed payments throughout your trip. Would you recommend exchanging a huge amount before the trip or are there curreny exchanges in San Cris?
Warning— Avoid hiking Cerro Don Lauro. My wife was attacked by rabid dogs on the trail and had to go to ER for stitches. We didn’t know this but the trails have been off limits the past year due to danger from the locals and dogs. Evidently the local Indians go there to get drunk and have created issues with tourists as well. Tourists should avoid the trails and only go to places where you pay entry fees. This was the advice given to us by the clinic staff at the hospital!
I’m Maria, an outdoor-active traveler who seeks to go off the beaten track to discover hidden gems.
Most of the time you’ll find me exploring small beach towns or untouched places in the mountains to connect with nature.
My goal is to inspire others to go out of their comfort zone and explore this beautiful planet.
During the creation of this blog, uncountable cups of coffee were consumed. If my blog is an inspiration for you in any way, I would appreciate your support by buying me a cup of coffee.
November 6, 2021 at 10:40 am
What a fun and vibrant place.Mexico is one of my dream destinations.thanks for sharing
November 6, 2021 at 12:24 pm
It really is fun and vibrant! And Mexico is one of my favorite countries too!
November 6, 2021 at 10:40 am
San Cristóbal de Las Casas looks seriously amazing! It seems to be such a hip and modern city. I guess I need to include it on my Mexico itinerary in the future! Great post and beautiful photos Maria 🙂
November 6, 2021 at 10:51 pm
Thank you Alina! You should definitely include it in your Mexico itinerary!!
November 6, 2021 at 3:31 pm
Your photography is LOVELY! Same Cristobal looks soooooo good and vibrant! I’d never heard of it and now I can’t wait to visit.
November 6, 2021 at 10:51 pm
Thank you so much Bisola! This place really is magical!
November 6, 2021 at 4:09 pm
What a fantastic looking place. I want to do all of the things, especially a visit to Montebello Lakes (just wow!). Market visits are always top of my list when I travel and between that and the indigenous village, I would definitely drop some cash. Love the designs!
November 6, 2021 at 10:53 pm
The best part about the markets is that everything is incredibly cheap. San Cris is a heaven for budget travel!
November 6, 2021 at 5:12 pm
The local villages are indeed so helpful to gain insights into a country’s culture.
November 6, 2021 at 10:53 pm
Absolutely!
November 6, 2021 at 8:05 pm
It looks like a beautiful part of the country to visit! I’d love to walk along the historical streets and hit up some hiking trails here.
November 6, 2021 at 10:55 pm
The hiking trails around the town are amazing 🙂
November 6, 2021 at 8:21 pm
Thank you so much for introducing San Cristovan de Las Casas to me…I never heard about it before, and I already LOVE it. Such an authentic place, beautiful, the food looks amazing and people so friendly. This goes directly to my Bucket List!
November 6, 2021 at 10:55 pm
Happy to hear that! I’m sure you’d love San Cristobal as much as I do 🙂
November 8, 2021 at 12:19 pm
It’s good to have you back with yet another amazing blog post about Mexico chica. Definitely will put in my list for a future trip to Mexico. Definitely visiting the waterfalls 😀
November 9, 2021 at 7:05 pm
Thank you so much Bernardo!! 🙂
November 25, 2022 at 10:48 pm
Hi Maria, San Cris def looks amazing! I’m planning to head there in December and was wondering how you managed payments throughout your trip. Would you recommend exchanging a huge amount before the trip or are there curreny exchanges in San Cris?
November 26, 2022 at 7:27 am
Hi, I usually just got money from the ATMs in San Cris. But You can also find some currency exchanges there
November 22, 2023 at 6:05 am
Warning— Avoid hiking Cerro Don Lauro. My wife was attacked by rabid dogs on the trail and had to go to ER for stitches. We didn’t know this but the trails have been off limits the past year due to danger from the locals and dogs. Evidently the local Indians go there to get drunk and have created issues with tourists as well. Tourists should avoid the trails and only go to places where you pay entry fees. This was the advice given to us by the clinic staff at the hospital!
November 22, 2023 at 5:44 pm
Oh wow, so sorry to hear that this happened to your wife!! Thanks so much for sharing this information. Hope your wife has recovered!