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. 

Best Things to do in Mercado de Cerro Don Lauro, San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico

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

Mercado de Artesanía, San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas
Mercado de Cerro Don Lauro, San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico

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.

Local Market in San Cristóbal de Las Casas
Local Market in San Cristóbal de Las Casas

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, San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico

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 Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico

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 Sunset, San Cristobal de las Casas

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. 

Lagunas de Montebello
Lagunas de Montebello

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.

 

Lagunas Montebello National Park, Lago Tziscao, Border with Guatemala
Lagunas Montebello National Park, Lago Tziscao, Border with Guatemala

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.

Waterfall El Chiflon, Chiapas, Mexico

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.

Waterfall El Chiflon, Velo da la Novia
Cascada El Chiflón, Velo de Novia

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.

Zinacantan, Indigenous Village Chiapas
Zinacantan, Indigenous Village Chiapas

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.

 

Zinacantán, Indigenous Village in Chiapas
Zinacantán, Indigenous Village in Chiapas

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. 

Waterfall Agua Azul
Waterfall Agua Azul

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.

Waterfall Misol-Ha
Waterfall Misol-Ha

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

Zona Archeologica, 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

Tamales, Best restaurants in San Cristóbal de Las Casas

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, Thai restaurant in San Cristóbal de Las Casas

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 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 Rooftop Terrace, San Cristóbal de Las Casas

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, Wine bar in San Cristóbal de Las Casas

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. 

Best Things to do in Mercado de Cerro Don Lauro, San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico
Best Things to do in Mercado de Cerro Don Lauro, San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico

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.

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