5-Day Chiapas Adventure from San Cristobal

l in San Cristóbal de las Casas, rest of the day free. Colonial city located 46 km along the Tuxtla Gutiérrez – San Cristóbal de Las Casas highway As various visitors have said, San Cristóbal de Las Casas is one of the most romantic cities in the world, recognized as a Magical Town. A city whose wealth lies in its ethnic diversity and colonial tradition, which shows its architectural treasures in various buildings from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. The Jovel Valley offered the ideal situation, the temperate climate and the strategic location, for Diego de Mazariegos to found the Royal City of Chiapa in 1528.

Chiapa de Corzo, a colonial site of tradition and culture, framed with the warmth of its people, constitutes one of the most beautiful cities in the State of Chiapas; located just 15 minutes from the capital city; its value lies in its history, because it was the first city founded by the Spanish during the 16th century. From Chiapa de Corzo, the Mudejar ensemble formed by La Pila stands out, a source of refined Moorish inspiration made of brick, unique in Latin America; the temple of Santo Domingo and the conventual building attached to it, now the headquarters of the Laca Museum, as well as the ruins of the temple of San Sebastián. The main square is surrounded by portals, the building of the H. Municipal Council and the house of Don Ángel Albino Corzo, liberal branch of the First Constituent Congress.

The source or pilona of Chiapa de Corzo is considered one of the most important artistic monuments not only in Mexico, but in America. It is the first fountain that was drawn in Chiapas, and the only Mudéjar style building made of brick in the entire state. In order to make their dominance over the Chiapas more noticeable, the Spaniards planned to erect a monumental fountain, where the people needed to go to get their water every day. As will be seen, the fountain was built symbolically representing the crown of King Carlos I of Spain and V of Germany.

It was built during the second half of the 16th century (1554) and its construction is attributed to the friar of Portuguese origin Pedro de Barrientos. The temple of Santo Domingo is the most preserved of the 16th century Chiapas religious architecture, its floor plan with three naves, coffered ceiling, ribbed domes over the transept and the presbytery, is related to the model of the Mudejar churches of the Seville region of Spain . It was made of brick in the Renaissance Mudejar style; It has a basilica floor plan with three naves in the style of Romanesque churches, with arches in the intermediate walls and a gabled roof with wooden beams. The temple is an architectural work that marks the splendor of the 16th century, with its Gothic, Renaissance and neoclassical inspirations; possessor of one of the largest bells in the country and America, which is located in its main tower or Bell Tower.

The rocks that we currently see on the walls of the Sumidero Canyon, began to form about 136 million years ago based on sediments and calcium minerals (limestone), which is formed by the action of some marine animals such as corals, This means that, in ancient times, this region of Chiapas was submerged by a shallow sea. The Canyon as such began to form 70 million years ago thanks to the action of tectonic movements called Horts-Graben; which, due to their characteristics of earth mass movement, are called tectonic pillar and rift valley respectively. 15 million years ago, the marine waters withdrew from this region thanks to geological movements that formed the important mountains of Chiapas, including the Sumidero Canyon mountains.

It is one of the most interesting archaeological cities in Mexico, to know it is to discover the soul of the Mayan world; is to understand myths, rituals, beliefs and admire the majestic architecture of our ancestors. The pre-Hispanic city and the Palenque National Park were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1987 as one of the main Mayan sites that exerted its influence on other settlements in the Usumacinta river basin. In an area of ​​16 kilometers there are more than 200 architectural structures and constructions, among which the Temple of the Inscriptions, the Great Palace, Temple XI, the temples of La Cruz Foliada, del Sol and del Conde, as well as the Ball game.

This refreshing and beautiful place is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places in Chiapas and the scene of films like "The Predator" with Arnold Schwarzenegger; because it is immersed in a typical example of the high tropical jungle of the Chiapas mountains, and in the midst of a rich vegetation composed of tall specimens of mahogany, chicozapotes and water sticks, with a fauna composed of species such as the coyote, the bare-tailed armadillo , tepezcuintle, rabbit, opossum, fox, gray fox, skunk, anteater, night monkey, white-tailed deer, wild pig, raccoon, badger, squirrel, tigrillo, gopher, mouse, parrot, chachalaca, mountain pigeon, hawk , royal billed toucan, chiroptera pheasant, bats, boa constrictor, nauyaca, saurian, iguanas, turipache, casquito. waterfall of approximately 25 meters. high, which when falling, forms a wide pool in which it is possible, with caution, to practice swimming.

The Agua Azul River descends its limestone bed in steps forming a series of impressive waterfalls that create natural pools contained by calcareous dikes, the so-called "gours" in geological terminology. The road leads to the site where its modest services are located. The intrepid can reach, with the help of local guides, other even more spectacular waterfalls, as the stairway continues downstream until the river rushes into the Tulijá, forming one of the most beautiful curtains of water. Its color is due to the limestone bed, only perceptible in dry seasons; In the rainy season, the spectacularity does not decrease, since it is when the water volume increases. The indigo blue of the water, the green of the vegetation, the constant breeze and the inexhaustible aquatic sound contribute to make this place, located 133 km from San Cristóbal de las Casas, one of the most spectacular and unforgettable in Mexico.

One of the most impressive waterfalls in Chiapas for its height, whose staggered fall reaches around 120 meters. The Rio San Vicente, one of the largest rivers in Chiapas, gives rise to a series of waterfalls that are called: El Suspiro, Ala de Ángel and Velo de Novia, the latter the most impressive due to its fall of 70 meters. Tall. They form natural pools of intense turquoise blue waters, framed with vast vegetation that forms a tree curtain and landscapes that stand out for their reed beds and palm groves.

It is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful natural sites in the country - it is due to its aquatic environments, both superficial and underground, originated by its karst nature, framed in dense pine forests, holm oaks and mixed forests with the striking presence of bromeliads and orchids. The lakes are "uvalas", that is, ancient cenotes that the corrosion of the limestone rock and the landslides have been uniting over time. Many of the bodies of water are unnamed. Their number is uncertain, although it is said that there are 59 lakes. Famous for the colors of its waters, these are due to several factors, including the types of bottom soil, vegetation and the refraction of light.

the Tuxtla Gutierrez Airport, to take your return flight. End of our services