San Cristobal de las Casas is located in the center of the State of Chiapas, is the main tourist destination in Chiapas. It was one of the first towns built in the Spanish Northern America and it was named Pueblo Mágico, but actually has the quality of city. It has been considered the cultural capital and pride of the State of Chiapas, where there are different cultural expressions both from Chiapas and worldwide.

In this city people can discover magnificent religious buildings like the Cathedral, built in the seventeenth century or the Temple of Santo Domingo, which dates from 1547, the two buildings are lined with colorful details of Baroque and indigenous manufacturing, which perpetuate the cultural heritage of ethnic Tzotzil, Tzeltal and Lacandones, from whom we can also observe exotic collections of objects of daily use, handicrafts and sheltered prehispanic pieces in the Museum Na Bolom or the Cultural Center of Los Altos de Chiapas. Today many of these indigenous tribes still live in the neighborhood.

For many years, San Cristobal de las Casas was renamed several times. In pre-Hispanic times was a district that originally was called Jovel. Captain Diego de Mazariegos sent by the Spanish, attacked the Indians, and this battle of tepechtia, was famous because the Chiapans preferred sink thrown into the canyon before succumbing to the Spanish; after this he founded the Villa Real de Chiapa in 1528 although in 1531 the name changed for Villa de San Cristóbal de los Llanos, honoring the patron saint of the town, San Cristobal martyr. In 1536 it was awarded the rank of city and it changed the name again to Ciudad Real de Chiapas, after several years the priest Fray Bartolomé de las Casas became the first bishop of Chiapas and that is why since 1848, is called San Cristóbal de Las Casas, in his honor.

San Cristobal de las Casas is one of the most beautiful and original cities in the region, thanks to the colonial image that has kept in all years, also it has a life very traditional, with its market, its people and plenty of colorful indigenous costumes from different communities who come to the site to sell or exchange their products.

At only 4 km northeast of San Cristobal de Las Casas tourists can find “the Arcotete” an impressive natural stone arch carved by a river for hundreds of years, its magnificence is impressing. Its composition was also influenced by the ancient caves that were revealed by the effects of erosion and landslides. The walls of this stone allows the practice of natural activities such as climbing and rappelling, as well as camping.

Near this city is founded Toniná, one of most important and best preserved archaeological sites of Mayan civilization in the region; is an area arranged around an artificial mountain of seven levels, where its main buildings are located. Among the most important are: the Palace of the War and the temples of Prisoners, and also a codex of stucco that represent the myth of the four cosmogony eras, known as the “Mural of the Four Suns”.

In San Cristobal de las Casas, people can admire the picturesque landscape of its houses with red tile roofs, cobblestone and discover the quality of handcrafts in wool clothes, textiles and embroideries. As well as objects of wrought iron, wax and clay sculptures and works in amber and silver.