The Quirky Highland Guide: Offbeat Things to do in San Cristobal de las Casas

Essential Things To Do In San Cristobal de las Casas That Won’t Involve Fanny Packs

The essential things to do in San Cristobal de las Casas read like an itinerary designed by a cultural anthropologist with a flair for the dramatic and a healthy disregard for predictable tourist traps. The city rewards those willing to wander its cobblestone streets with discoveries that feel earned rather than served up on the predictable platter of TripAdvisor’s top ten list.

Colonial Core Wanderings Where Time Takes a Coffee Break

The historic center unfolds like a color-saturated colonial dream, anchored by the distinctively yellow Cathedral of San Cristobal. Built in 1528, this architectural grande dame has witnessed nearly five centuries of drama while maintaining her composure and photogenic facade. The pedestrian-friendly Real de Guadalupe stretches from the central plaza like a runway of Spanish colonial architecture, now housing everything from high-end artisan shops to dive bars where backpackers and locals share space with equal comfort.

For those willing to huff and puff up 203 steps (roughly equivalent to climbing a 15-story building after three margaritas), the Cerro de San Cristobal viewpoint delivers a panoramic vista comparable to San Francisco’s Telegraph Hill, but with significantly fewer tech bros and considerably more tamales. The reward for this cardio adventure is a postcard-perfect view of the entire valley, with the city’s terracotta rooftops creating a warm patchwork against the surrounding pine-covered mountains.

No colonial wandering would be complete without paying homage to the Templo de Santo Domingo, whose ornate baroque facade makes most wedding cakes look understated by comparison. The adjacent craft market serves as the city’s artisanal nerve center, where indigenous artisans sell textiles that require 2-3 months of handweaving. The prices ($20-60 for museum-quality pieces) reflect the craftsmanship rather than the tourist markup, creating the rare shopping opportunity where both buyer and seller walk away feeling they’ve gotten the better end of the deal.

Cultural Deep Dives Without Getting the Bends

The Na Bolom Museum occupies the former home of archaeologist Frans Blom and photographer Gertrude Duby, a power couple who were documenting indigenous cultures before Instagram influencers were even a glimmer in their parents’ eyes. This cultural center showcases Lacandon Maya artifacts with context and respect rather than colonial detachment. The building itself, with its lush courtyard and creaking wooden floors, evokes the atmosphere of a particularly interesting great-aunt’s home rather than a sterile museum.

Just 5 miles north of the city center, the indigenous community of San Juan Chamula offers a religious experience that makes even the most baroque Catholic traditions seem restrained by comparison. The town’s church, deceptively simple from the outside, houses interior practices where Catholic saints and pre-Hispanic deities coexist in a theological arrangement the Pope probably doesn’t know about. Pine needles carpet the floor instead of pews, and ceremonies may involve chicken sacrifices and copious amounts of Coca-Cola (believed to help release sins through burping). Photography is strictly forbidden, but memories of the experience require no digital backup.

For a less chicken-intensive cultural experience, TierrAdentro Cultural Center provides a Zapatista-sympathetic venue featuring documentary screenings, traditional music performances, and organic coffee grown by indigenous cooperatives. At $1.50 per excellent cup, it’s probably the best value intellectual stimulant available without a prescription.

Market Mayhem That’s Worth the Sensory Overload

The Municipal Market delivers a sensory explosion that makes Whole Foods feel like a sensory deprivation chamber. Each section specializes in specific product categories, creating a commercial ecosystem where you can watch your lunch being butchered, buy the pottery to cook it in, and pick up a hand-embroidered napkin to dab your mouth afterward. Prices for handwoven blouses ($20-40) and scarves ($10-15) make similar items in U.S. boutiques seem like daylight robbery, while the fruit and vegetable sections offer produce at prices that would make a California farmers’ market attendee weep into their $8 organic peach.

The more tourist-oriented Artisan’s Market offers higher-end crafts with less haggling required. The textile quality rivals pieces found in Santa Fe galleries but at approximately 1/10th the price, creating the rare shopping opportunity where buying two of everything still costs less than one equivalent item back home.

Serious souvenir hunters should focus on specialty items worth sacrificing suitcase space for: Chiapas coffee beans (1lb for $8-12) offer complex flavors that make Starbucks taste like it was filtered through a gym sock; regional chocolates infused with cinnamon and chili connect your taste buds directly to pre-Columbian flavor traditions; and artisanal mezcal ($15-30 per bottle) provides liquid courage and a souvenir that improves with each glass.

Outdoor Adventures Far From the Resort Pool Scene

The things to do in San Cristobal de las Casas extend well beyond city limits for those willing to venture into Chiapas’ natural wonders. El Chiflón waterfalls, 87 miles south (a 2.5-hour drive that tests both vehicle suspension and bladder control), features a 70-foot main cascade that makes Niagara seem like what happens when you forget to turn the bathroom faucet off completely. The turquoise pools beneath each cascade offer swimming opportunities that no chlorinated resort pool can match, though the water temperature ensures nobody lingers long enough to develop pruney fingers.

Sumidero Canyon, a more manageable 27 miles west (1-hour drive), presents 3,000-foot cliff walls that dwarf Arizona’s landmarks while making excellent backgrounds for social media humble-brags. Two-hour boat tours ($15-20) navigate the crocodile-inhabited waters, offering glimpses of wildlife and rock formations with names like “Christmas Tree” and “The Cathedral” that require minimal imagination to appreciate.

For those preferring terra firma adventures, horseback riding through the surrounding pine forests ($25-40 for 2-3 hour guided rides) provides access to viewpoints and indigenous communities unreachable by vehicle. The horses, being intimately familiar with the terrain, require minimal riding experience beyond the ability to hold on and suppress occasional yelps when traversing particularly steep sections.

Culinary Quests Beyond Tex-Mex Clichés

Chiapanecan cuisine operates in a flavorful parallel universe to the beans-and-rice monotony that passes for Mexican food in many American restaurants. The regional specialties include sopa de pan (bread soup that transforms humble ingredients into comfort-food magic), cochito (pork marinated in achiote that makes standard carnitas seem like amateur hour), and tamales juacanes (filled with black beans and hierba santa, an anise-flavored leaf that elevates the humble masa to unexpected heights).

El Caldero serves traditional dishes ($8-15 per meal) in a setting where grandmothers nod approvingly at the authenticity. Cocoliche offers international fusion ($12-20) for those experiencing corn tortilla fatigue, while El Tacolicious provides late-night street food ($1-2 per taco) perfect for soaking up mezcal after bar-hopping along the Real de Guadalupe.

The chocolate shops lining the main pedestrian thoroughfares serve as living museums of cacao history, offering Maya-style chocolate drinks spiced with cinnamon, pepper, and other aromatics ($3-5). These traditional preparations reveal chocolate’s original purpose as a sacred beverage rather than the sweet confection it later became, though plenty of conventional chocolate treats are available for those whose palates remain firmly in the 21st century.

Accommodation Insights for Every Budget and Travel Philosophy

San Cristobal’s accommodation options span the full spectrum from backpacker basic to colonial luxury, with price points that make even budget travelers feel like they’re getting away with something. Puerta Vieja Hostel ($25-35/night) offers dormitory and private rooms in a converted colonial building where the communal kitchen serves as an informal United Nations of budget travelers. Mid-range options like Hotel Bo ($90-120/night) blend traditional architecture with contemporary design elements that would command triple the price in Mexico City or quadruple in New York.

For those whose vacation philosophy includes thread counts and turndown service, luxury options like Hotel Mansion del Valle ($140-180/night) provide colonial-era grandeur with modern amenities in buildings that have housed everyone from Spanish nobility to revolutionary generals. The boutique hotels occupying converted mansions offer architectural time travel with Instagram-worthy courtyards and rooms named after historical figures whose biographies make for interesting pre-sleep reading.

Location preferences should follow traveler types: first-timers benefit from the central convenience of Real de Guadalupe despite its higher ambient noise levels; those seeking quieter colonial charm should investigate Barrio El Cerrillo with its uphill walks compensated by superior views; and bohemian spirits gravitate toward Barrio de Guadalupe, where artistic graffiti and impromptu musical performances create a atmosphere resembling a Mexican interpretation of Portland’s artsy districts.

Practical Matters That Won’t Bore You to Tears

Getting around San Cristobal presents options for every energy level and budget concern. Colectivos (shared vans operating as informal bus lines) charge approximately $0.50 per ride but require basic Spanish skills and comfort with personal space violations. Taxis maintain flat rates of $2-3 within town limits, making them the transportation equivalent of finding designer clothes at outlet prices. Rental bicycles ($10-15/day) offer independence and exercise, though the city’s cobblestones and altitude make this option better suited to those whose cardiovascular systems function above the national average.

Safety in San Cristobal generally exceeds expectations for Mexico, though standard precautions remain advisable. The main tourist areas maintain excellent safety records, while isolated areas after dark should be approached with the same caution you’d apply in any unfamiliar city. The most dangerous aspect of a San Cristobal visit might be the uneven cobblestones after sampling too much artisanal mezcal.

Financial logistics worth noting include the strategic placement of ATMs in the central district, credit card acceptance that becomes increasingly theoretical as you venture from tourist establishments, and tipping practices that follow the standard 10-15% in restaurants. Cash remains king for market purchases and transportation, making regular ATM visits a practical necessity rather than a sign of poor budgeting.