San Cristóbal de las Casas is world famous for more reasons than one. High in the mountains, cold is not often associated with any part of Chiapas, but here the facts of life confront you head on. Winters here can be very cold. San Cristóbal hand crafts, little weavings, friendship bracelets, and that sort of hippy culture is known worldwide as a tourist practice for it was here that hippy culture adopted the indigenous practice and soon spread it world wide. Those little colored threads woven into your hair? They started here.
But San Cristóbal is far more famous still. Part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network for the local crafts and folk art, traditions are recognized here in ten original central neighborhoods.
People come for the international reputation, but they stay for the deep sense of place and history. A perfect strolling town, San Cristóbal visitors take to the cathedral, the Central Park, and the many streets of the center city. For these alone, the city is one of the most important centers for international tourism in the country.
The landscape is dotted with important points of interest. The Cerro Huitep, the Grutas de Rancho Nuevo and the Arcotete Park are just the beginning. The Huitepec Reserve is a magnificent cloud forest.
But closer to home the Santo Domingo church and monastery adds the perfect mystery to any trip to the city. The food is magnificent, often international, but also deeply traditional. The fact that San Cristóbal de las Casas is also deeply welcoming, curious, and interesting remains a testament to the strength of its people.
Most visitors will arrive to the airport at Tuxtla Gutiérrez. The airport is served by regular bus service into the capital city, and from Tuxtla a bus will get you San Cristoba in just over an hour. It's a dramatic and eye-opening ride, but services run the gamut from dirt-cheap to executive-class.
