Colonial city that is located at 2,200 m above sea level in the central highlands of the state of Chiapas, México. This city was founded on march 31, 1528 by Captain Diego de Mazariegos, who sets the Ciudad Real de Chiapa of the spanish. It has a population of 185,917 inhabitants*. Named after the bishop Fray Bartolomé de las Casas, defender of the natives of the place during the sixteenth century and inspired the new faith in the “New World”.
It´s a city full of cultural tradition, for it´s mix of indigenous and spanish customs. It´s also a cosmopolitan city, consequently you will find a wide variety of art and world-class cuisine: italian, french, indian, thai, chinese, lebanese, argentinean and vegetarianan classics, among others.
In San Cristóbal can stroll it´s narrow colonial streets, to observe their traditional red tile roofs, patios, flowers, baroque façades, muddier-style buildings and huge neoclassical houses that show the splendor of the mexican colonial architecture. Concerts, exhibitions, fairs, dance or theater, adorn the city throughout the year, besides the rich indian tradition present in the city streets with their customes, crafts, and food markets.
The ideal destination are nearby towns such as Amatenango del Valle, San Juan Chamula, Teopisca, Zinacantán, Tenejapa, Oxchuc, San Andrés Larráinzar and Chenalhó, all inhabited by indigenous people belonging to ethnic inheritance tzeltal and tzotzil.
One of the best ways to enjoy a quiet afternoon and try to understand the development of this jewel of Chiapas, is to take the fresh air on a park bench or walking the famous walkers. Take a cup of milled wine in “The Vineyard of Bacchus”, a beer with a good baguette in the “Revolution”, or perhaps a scrumptious pizza at “The Point”. In the morning, go to Santo Domingo to buy or just to see crafts, just look around the market and take fresh fruits and vegetables, go to the french bakery and bring home a good bread. A thousand and one things to do and places to discover.
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