San Cristóbal de las Casas map

Layout of San Cristóbal de las Casas

San Cristóbal sits at about 2,200 m in the Valle de Jovel, a small closed basin in the highlands of central Chiapas with pine-covered ridges on every side. Diego de Mazariegos founded it on 31 March 1528 as Villa Real de Chiapa; it was the capital of Chiapas until 1892, when the government moved down to Tuxtla Gutiérrez, and it took its present name from Bartolomé de las Casas, the Dominican who became bishop here in 1545 and argued against the enslavement of indigenous people.

The centre is a compact colonial grid of low tiled-roof houses in painted stucco. The Plaza 31 de Marzo is the square, with the ochre baroque front of the cathedral of San Cristóbal Mártir on its north side and the municipal palace opposite. Two pedestrian streets cross at the plaza and carry almost all the foot traffic. The Andador Real de Guadalupe runs east for about a kilometre, rising at its end to the Templo de Guadalupe on its own hill; the north–south Andador Eclesiástico runs from the Templo del Carmen and its arched tower in the south to the Templo de Santo Domingo in the north, whose sixteenth-century church carries a heavily worked baroque facade and whose atrium holds the daily craft market of Chiapas textiles and Simojovel amber.

Around the old core are the historic barrios settled by the different groups brought in by the Spanish — Mexicanos, El Cerrillo, La Merced, Guadalupe and Santa Lucía among them — each built around its own church. Two hills, Guadalupe to the east and San Cristóbal to the west, close the view at either end of the town and both have long stairways to a chapel and a viewpoint.

Federal Highway 190 passes the southern edge of the town, where the bus terminals stand; the 190D toll road runs 80 km west to Tuxtla, dropping from 2,200 m to about 530 m in the process, and Highway 199 heads north over the mountains to Palenque. There is no airline service in the town itself — Ángel Albino Corzo (TGZ), 60 km away near Chiapa de Corzo, is the airport. San Cristóbal became internationally known on 1 January 1994, when the Zapatista Army of National Liberation occupied the town hall along with several other highland municipal seats.

Distances from San Cristóbal de las Casas

The highland villages and the Sumidero Canyon

The Altos de Chiapas around the town are Maya country. Chiapas has more speakers of indigenous languages than any state except Oaxaca, and the two largest groups here are the Tzotzil and the Tzeltal, each with several hundred thousand speakers. Their villages sit in the folds of the sierra within an hour of San Cristóbal, and their markets and dress — which differ village by village — are the reason many people come.

San Juan Chamula, 10 km north-west, is the largest Tzotzil municipality and governs itself under its own customary law, with no resident priest. The floor of its church of San Juan Bautista is covered in pine needles and rows of candles; families conduct healing rituals there and photography inside is prohibited. Zinacantán, 11 km west in a warmer valley, grows flowers under glass for markets across southern Mexico, and its embroidered shawls in purple and magenta are worn as everyday dress. Tenejapa, further out to the north-east, is Tzeltal and holds its market on Thursdays and Sundays.

West of the valley the land falls away to the Grijalva, and 50 km from the town the river runs through the Sumidero Canyon, a gorge with walls up to about 1,000 m above the water. Boats run into it from Chiapa de Corzo, and a road of viewpoints follows the rim on the Tuxtla side; the canyon appears on the coat of arms of Chiapas. The river itself is dammed downstream at Chicoasén, one of the largest hydroelectric plants in Mexico. See the Southern Mexico map, the rivers map, the physical map, the climate map and the road map; Oaxaca City is the next colonial highland capital west along Highway 190.

Questions about San Cristóbal de las Casas

Where is San Cristóbal de las Casas on the map of Mexico?

In the highlands of central Chiapas, at about 2,200 m in a closed valley, 80 km east of the state capital Tuxtla Gutiérrez on the 190D. The Guatemalan border is roughly 170 km south-east.

Which airport do you fly into for San Cristóbal?

Ángel Albino Corzo (TGZ) near Chiapa de Corzo, about 60 km away and an hour and a quarter by road. San Cristóbal's own airstrip (SZT) has no scheduled service, so all flights arrive at Tuxtla.

How cold does it get in San Cristóbal?

Colder than most visitors expect. At 2,200 m the annual average is about 15 °C and nights from November to February often fall to 3–5 °C, with occasional frost; few buildings are heated. Days are mild and the rain comes mostly from June to October.

Can you visit San Juan Chamula and Zinacantán?

Yes. Both Tzotzil villages are about 10 km out and served by colectivo vans. They are self-governing communities with their own rules — photography inside the church at Chamula is forbidden, and a guide is the usual way to visit.

Is San Cristóbal de las Casas safe to visit?

It is a long-established tourist town and the historic centre is walkable at night. Chiapas has seen roadblocks and, since 2023, criminal violence in parts of the border and Sierra regions well away from the city; the US State Department advisory for the state has been raised accordingly. Check the current advisory before travelling.