San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas Mexico, Pueblo Magico

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San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas

By Dorothy Bell

Photography by Bill Bell

San Cristóbal de las Casas Fast Facts

Location – Central highlands in the State of Chiapas

Population – 143,000

Weather – Cool Summers, Cool winters.

April is the warmest month. High of 24.1C (75.4F) Lows 7.5C (45F)

January Highs 21C(69,8 F) Lows 3.8C (38.8)

July Highs 22.7C (72.9) Lows 10.1 C (50.2)

Elevation - 2,200 m (7,200 ft)

Founded - 1528

Industry - Services and Tourism, Mining Agriculture

Money – Banks, ATMs

Airport – The San Cristóbal de las Casas National Airport was located 18 kms and is now closed due to structural failures. The nearest airport is located in Tuxtla Guerrero 5o kms away.

Medical – Doctors, Dentists, Hospitals

History:

Festivals

(San Christobal de las Casas celebrates the many Mexican festivals featured in our calendar. The ones listed below are particular to San Christobal de las Casas)

January - All Month - Sitting Child. Celebrated statewide. A child sits in a small chair and sings to God. The party host gives the child a bag with honey wafers, sweet wine and tamales.

Easter Sunday at the end of Holy Week - Spring Fair and Peace

The most important festival of the city, with different social and cultural events, dances, and marimba bands. There is also a party in each of its neighborhoods.

July 16 -Fiesta de la Virgin del Carmen

July 17-25 This celebrates the patron saint of the city, whose iconographic attribute, a palm tree appears in the state seal.

Late October and early November - Cervantes Baroque Festival

Some of the shows that are presented are brought from the Cervantes Festival in Guanajuato. The various art forms develop in courts, temples and plazas. These places are plays, exhibitions, dance, poetry, among other activities. The entire historic center of the city becomes a cultural space for both local talent and the international.

Things to see:

Public Market

Driving:

San Cristóbal de las Casas is located on Highway 190 between Tuxtla Guerrero and Comitan. It can easily be accessed from Tuxtla Guerrero in the North via a 2 lane with passing shoulder toll road.

From Palenque, Highway 199 to San Cristóbal is a long slow road with many topes that slow you down.

From the Tapachula on the Pacific Coast, again the paved and windy road is marred by continual topes.