Dream trip to Chiapas, Mexico

Chiapas is located on the western (Pacific Ocean) side of the Yucatan Peninsula in southern Mexico. 

It is the home of the ancient Mayans, with cloud forests, alpine lakes, highland valleys, and lowland jungle.  There is a lot to see - colonial towns, ancient Mayan ruins, waterfalls, lakes, unique flora and fauna, and the largest population of indigenous people in Mexico - many still living the traditional way of life. 

• 1) Fly in to Tutla Gutierrez from SFO, via Mexico City.

• 2) Go boating in the Sumidero Canyon, a deep narrow canyon formed by the Grijalva River - just north of Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas.
  
   
  This photo of Sumidero Canyon is courtesy of TripAdvisor
  
  

• 3) From Tuxtla, rent a car or take a comfy ADO bus to San Cristobal de las Casas, an hour or two from Tuxtla in the highland mountains of Chiapas.
  This photo of San Cristobal de las Casas is courtesy of TripAdvisor

• 4)  You can go on a biking tour in the highlands near San Cristobal! There are traditional villages, old churches and colonial architecture, and beautiful scenery.

This photo of San Cristobal de las Casas is courtesy of TripAdvisor

• 5) Chiapatecan cuisine in San Cristobal:

This photo of restaurant El Caldero is courtesy of TripAdvisor

This photo of restaurant TierrAdentro is courtesy of TripAdvisor

 
• 6) Head to Agua Azul and Las Nubes waterfalls near San Cristobal and Ocosingo.

• 7) Visit Palenque - spectacular city of the Mayans from 500-800AD! Set in the jungle, the ruins are supposed to include amazingly well-preserved examples of Mayan sculpture and architecture. 

This photo of Palenque is courtesy of TripAdvisor


This photo of Palenque is courtesy of TripAdvisor

• 8) Bonampak - home to the world's most important and complete Mayan mural paintings.  The discovery of these murals, and the images within them, changed the way historians understood the Maya - no longer as an ancient spiritual people governed by peaceful astronomer-priests and royalty, but as more complex, warlike people who sometimes practiced ritual sacrifice and tortured their prisoners.

• 9)  Yaxchilan - another ancient Mayan city located deep in the jungle, on a tight bend of the Usumacinta River, close to the Guatemalan border.  You can only get there by river boat, and when you arrive there are ruins, enormous carved lintels (stelae) and thick jungle that is supposed to be full of howler monkeys and toucans.

***Note to self: AVOID THESE DORKS WHILE BOATING TO YAXCHILAN***

***2nd note to self: MAKE FRIENDS WITH TOUCAN IN YAXCHILAN***

• 10) After a few days of hiking through jungle-tangled ruins, and up and down hundreds of pyramid stairs, it will be time to relax - at Lagos de Montebellos, an area of nearly a hundred lakes, each one a unique color.
  

• 11) Zip-line at El Chiflon, one of the biggest waterfalls in Mexico!
  
  

• 12) Head back to bohemian art scene hub San Cristobal de las Casas to wind down the trip and do lots of art and souvenir shopping.

• 12) Finish up the trip in Tuxtla Guttierez and head home!