Top Things to do in Chiapas
Top Hotels in Chiapas
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Top 10 Budget-friendly Things to do in Chiapas, Chiapas
Discover the best top things to do in Chiapas, Southern Mexico including Zona Arqueologica de Yaxchilan, Zona Arqueologica de Palenque, Museo Jtatik Samuel, Steps in San Cristobal, Templo de Santo Domingo, Asociacion Cultural Na Bolom, Catedral de San Cristobal Martir, Zoologico Miguel Alvarez del Toro, Cascadas de Agua Azul, Orquideas Moxviquil.
Restaurants in Chiapas
1. Zona Arqueologica de Yaxchilan
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 522 reviews
Reviewed By Sokey71 - San Diego, United States
Yaxchilan Arqueological site where the only way to get there is by taking a boat in the river Usumacinta and it is a 30min. ride and it is beautiful and also you can see the howler monkeys , spider monkeys, Toucan birds and parrots. Beautiful place.
2. Zona Arqueologica de Palenque
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 3,647 reviews
Reviewed By laurentc651 - Saint-Jeannet, France
A must visit archaeological site in Mexico!! Located in the heart of the 'selva', it's worth taking a guide to fully grasp the majesty of the Mayan civilisation in Palenque. Our favourite :)
3. Museo Jtatik Samuel
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 50 reviews
El museo fue creado principalmente para rescatar la memoria historica de los acontecimientos importantes que han marcado al estado de Chiapas y la trayectoria de Monsenor Samuel Ruiz en su intervencion por la defensa de los Derechos Indigenas,Humanos y su larga lucha por la Paz. Un Obispo 100% dedicado por un cambio a las condiciones de esas vidas..
4. Steps in San Cristobal
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 93 reviews
Steps is a story museum and a NGO, recording the stories and culture of indigenous and help local children with basic education. Here we also offer different events for people to know more about real indigenous culture: 1. Cooking Workshop, workshop of traditional indigenous cuisine everyday at 11:00 AM, to learn how to make tortillas, quesadillas and pozol in community-style, from scratch (day menu, 150 MXN) 2. Story Time, to know more about indigenous culture, legend, lifestyle and ceremony, everyday at 15:00 pm in english and 17:00 pm in spanish. (on donation) 3. Cooking Workshop, workshop of traditional indigenous cuisine everyday at 19:00 PM, to learn how to make tamales, ponche (an indigenous cocktail) and sauce in community-style, from scratch. (night menu, 250 MXN) All the donation we receive directly go to the community to help indigenous children.
Reviewed By SophieP930 - London, United Kingdom
Had the honour of attending both story time and the cooking class here. Story time with Ivan (run by donation only, we donated 100 pesos per person as it lasted nearly three amazing hours) was an incredible experience- a chance to chat one on one (well there was four of us in the group) with a Mexican which spoke honestly and candidly about the traditions, rituals, trials and tribulations of the Mexican people and indiginous communities. The cooking class with Laura carried on in a similar vein, with education more focused on the food traditions, cooking techniques and stories from history. We made sweet and savory tamales, a Mexican salsa/ sauce to accompany and a hot fruit punch. We were also given a glass of POX to toast our meal with. This was around three and a half hours and is billed at 200 pesos per person but we tipped an additional 50 as its such an amazing personal experience. All the money raised from both story time and the cooking classes goes to the projects Steps helps run within the indiginous communities, so it felt good to put your money there. If going, I'd recommend you chdck out the church of Chemal first- alot of the stories are based on this experience. Absolutely amazing- the reason you go travelling is for experiences like Steps provided.
5. Templo de Santo Domingo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,022 reviews
This 16th-century baroque church dominates one of the town's main plazas.
Reviewed By origamimoon
This is one of my favorite places to spend time. There are always interesting vendors to buy handmade arts and crafts from. The inside of the Templo is a quiet place to sit and rest in with time to think.
6. Asociacion Cultural Na Bolom
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 570 reviews
The former home of Frans and Trudy Blom, a Danish couple that worked to save the region's forests and native inhabitants, is now the headquarters of a foundation dedicated to continuing their work and also includes a museum.
Reviewed By 56MandM - Edmonton, Canada
Na Bolom is a few blocks off the main tourist areas of San Cris and a world away in terms of history, culture, art. This is a museum and gallery where you feel connected to the exhibits and the people that collected them. You can feel the love, passion and inspiration all around you, in the walls, beautiful courtyards and gardens. The personal items give you a sense of the very real people that called this home. Their important work continues in the association they left behind, the Na Bolom Cultural Centre. Definitely worth a visit. The restaurant is excellent too, for breakfast, lunch or dinner. One of the highlights of our trip to Mexico.
7. Catedral de San Cristobal Martir
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,012 reviews
A spectacular view from the hill is your reward for reaching the church of San Cristobal.
Reviewed By connierideout16 - Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Sadly, due to Covid, much of the cathedral cannot be seen due to barriers and construction. The park in front of the church is also partially covered and not accessible. Will simply have to return. Huh of activity in the square with vendors and food carts.
8. Zoologico Miguel Alvarez del Toro
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 525 reviews
Reviewed By johnpB3780YQ - Guadalajara, Mexico
When I read that the zoo in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, had been called, back in 1979, “The Best Zoo in Latin America,” I knew I had to pay it a visit. And I was not disappointed. Zoológico Regional Miguel Álvarez del Toro, affectionately known as ZOOMAT, struck me as quite unusual, first because every single one of its 1600 animals is native to Chiapas. Then there is its location. Most zoos I’ve seen look as if their architects started with a flat, featureless plot of ground which was then landscaped. Here in Chiapas, however, you have jungle everywhere and it appears they chose one of their finest tropical forests, put in paths, and transformed it into a zoo so beautiful that a walk through it would be utterly delightful even if you never saw a single animal. A third thing I really like about this zoo is that many of its inhabitants are not behind fences or walls at all, but run about just as free as the visitors. Fortunately, there are plenty of signs reminding people to stay on the walkways at all times, and the result is that you are quite likely to discover, all by yourself, creatures you have never seen or heard of before, such as the endangered Guatemalan black howler monkey or the critically endangered guaqueque or Mexican agouti, a rabbit-sized rodent with a big black rump, which I bumped into over and over. Then again, you might find yourself suddenly engulfed by a whole family of noisily chatting chachalaca birds crossing your path on their way to who knows where, clearly letting you know that it is they who own this place while you are merely a guest. Chiapas has one of the greatest diversities of wildlife in the Americas, with more than 700 species of birds, 50 species of mammals and more than 200 of reptiles. It’s famous for its species of regional fauna such as wild boars, black jaguars, toucans, macaws and of course quetzals, all of which you can see in this zoo. And let’s not forget the nocturnal animals: ZOOMAT certainly hasn’t. To see them in semi-darkness, you first step into a dimly lit room where you are asked to do nothing for a while so your eyes can adjust to the dark. Then you are asked to keep silence as you enter a long, wide tunnel with window after window giving you a rare opportunity to observe animals like the tepezcuintle (lowland paca), the martucha (kinkajou or honey bear), the cacomixtle (ringtail) and, of course, murciélagos, bats, all doing their thing in the murky twilight. ZOOMAT is open Tuesday to Sunday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. That is not a typo: it closes unusually early because the path is 2.5 kilometers long and getting everyone out must be quite a challenge. On top of that, the tall trees and dense foliage bring darkness well before sunset. So, if you would like to be among ZOOMAT’s 450,000 yearly visitors, I suggest you go there as early as possible and psychologically prepare yourself for spending most of the day within its boundaries. After all, if you dedicate only four minutes to visiting each of the zoo’s 80 attractions, that alone would take over five hours.
9. Cascadas de Agua Azul
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,717 reviews
Reviewed By Jesterinoz - Sydney, Australia
A beautiful spot with some spectacular waterfalls & swimming spots. A great place to spend 90mins to break up the drive between Palenque & San Cristóbal
10. Orquideas Moxviquil
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 449 reviews
Orquideas Moxviquil, OM, began in 1994 with a passionate desire to rescue the fallen flora of Chiapas's ever depleting forests. NOTE: Please enter through the OM entrance, NOT the Moxviquil entrance to experience the full magic of OM. The desire to maintain a small sampling of the natural flora of Chiapas for future generations was the driving force that created this oasis of the varied lifeblood of Chiapas's living natural wonders. These plants rescued from over 200 locations is a divine testament to the passion of rescuing and the desire to save the diminishing gifts of nature for future generations. The plants are preserved from further squandering of natures most delicate and little protected flora gems. This destruction is manifested in the pursuit of food, financial return and greed. OM continues to seek areas of destruction to preserve for the grandchildren of the world an expanding collection of this diversity in a sanctuary of preservation in the valley of San Cristobal, Chiapas. As of October 2014, the collection has over 25,000 rescued plants, comprising 600 species native to Chiapas. The garden located at 2100 meter above sea level has a hothouse for plants from the tierra caliente, hot lands, 1500 meters above sea level down to sea level, a fern grotto, a Maya Medicinal garden, two lakes one that is home to a rare local fish, Popoyote, several seasonal wetlands, extensive areas to walk, meditate and look for birds and other fauna in the cultivated and native wild forests of the Moxviquil 100 hectare reserve. OM has just completed the construction of our second greenhouse dedicated to the Lagos de Montebello, the most bio rich area of Mexico. Bring your headphones to tune in and relax, bring a camera to capture the colors, textures and forms available to you a lunch and a drawing pad. Sit on the last bench in the greenhouse and pretend; pretend you are deep in a Chiapas jungles, the birds will call, the wind will blow and your senses will be bathed in the exotic paradise that is OM. OM is dedicated to enriching your knowledge and enjoyment. One way we do this is by asking each person to please touch the plants, to experience with your fingers the delicate forms, the sharpness, the textural richness of the native plants of Chiapas. Smell and listen for the sounds that permeate the gardens.
Reviewed By R5457FCsandys - Albuquerque, United States
Our combi (collective taxi) on the Ojo de Agua route dropped us right at the entrance to this fascinating botanical garden devoted to hundreds of species orchids and bromeliads. Examples of species native to the surrounding mountains dotted trees along the path. Looking vaguely Tolkienesque, specialized structures housed species from three different ecological zones: rainforest, wetlands and tropical jungle. Our guide, Antonio, was cordial and knowledgeable, pointing out everything from orchids smaller than the tip of a pinkie to those the size of a bread plate, even encouraging us to smell the different varieties. We recommend visiting here before heading to Sumidero Canyon or a hike in the cloud forest. And wear sturdy rubber-soled walking running shoes. Although paths through the garden are well-maintained, this is no place for flip-flops!
