San Cristóbal de las Casas, Mexico
June 21 - July 19 [2022]
San Cristóbal appeared on my radar last February when I was looking to move south from Oaxaca, Mexico. At the time, Tuxtla was the target given it's the capital city of Chiapas within a reasonable distance by bus. But Tuxtla does not embody the attractions of my previous stops and didn't justify a thirty day visit. San Cristobal de las Casas was an option another hour up the mountains but it was too small for a stay lasting more than a couple days. Instead, I pivoted north to Puebla where I found it all - color, texture, architecture and views of a volcano within a vibrant metropolitan city.
Fast forward to May and a conversation in Mazatlan with a Mexican native who couldn't say enough good things about San Cristobal. He convinced me that an extended stay would be well worth my time and to eliminate size as a determining factor when assessing future visits. So, I booked San Cris for a month on a southern trajectory toward Antiqua, Guatemala.
San Cristóbal de las Casas sits in a mountain valley around 6900 feet in the most southern state of Mexico called Chiapas. The forested surroundings are mostly coniferous and very different than what most people envision when thinking about the dry Mexican landscapes of rock, succulents and chaparral. In fact, gazing skyward from the city square is reminiscent of what you'd experience in most Colorado ski villages. And like many of those North American mountain communities, San Cristóbal is Hippie. Super cool people mixing with the hard working native community who produce and sell beautiful textiles and assorted crafts to residents and visitors alike. In addition you can find plenty of organic, vegan and/or vegetarian restaurants throughout plus a healthy dose of cafe's serving delicious coffee from the surrounding region.
Unfortunately, San Cris is difficult to capture with a camera. The city grid does not facilitate ideal perspectives for quality photos and its Cathedral's lack the detail of those of my previous stops. Further, there is no way to capture the spirit of a place with a camera. Hopefully, these images will pique your interest to plan a visit. This city represents a very unique perspective of Mexico that's woefully under represented and rarely promoted to the first world. Truth be told, San Cristóbal de las Casas was one of my favorite stays along this journey and I look forward to returing at some point in the near future.
