A days bus ride from Mexico City and you’ll find yourself in the refreshingly cool highlands of Chiapas, one of my favorite Mexican destinations and a place that I will return to time and time again. My two favorite destinations, highlighted in this article, are San Cristobal de las Casas and the Mayan ruins at Palenque.

San Cristobal de las Casas made headlines around the world when the local farmers, mainly Mayan, held an uprising on New Years day in 1994, just a few weeks after my ex wife and I were there. No amount of coaxing would convince her to go back to check it out. At the time I was an young idealist writing the occasional article for a union newspaper on solidarity and human rights in Latin America. I returned in 2004 and not much had changed. The town was still charming and colourful with a flavour reminiscent of a European village with its cobble stoned streets and quaint coffee shops.

Where Mexico City might be the type of place where you would need a map and a plan, San Cristobal is just the opposite. It’s a great place to just lay low for a couple of days. That’s not to say there’s nothing to do here, on the contrary, it’s just that the town lends itself to walking around and poking your nose down alleyways looking for that special restaurant or book store that you’ll want to write home about. A few expats have setup shop here so it’s a good place for english books if you’re running low. The climate is also refreshing and, in the evening, can be quite cold depending on the time of year. I was quite ill the last time I arrived but after a day in the fresh air I was feeling right as rain again.

One of the first places you’ll notice is the cathedral in the city zocalo with it’s Moorish wood work and bright colours. The zocalo is surrounded by coffee shops and park benches and makes a great place to just sit and people watch. Another church that should not be overlooked is the Templo de Santo Domingo located to the north of the zocalo.

If churches aren’t your thing then take in the Museum of Mayan Medicine which has an on site herbal pharmacy to cure any of those travelers blues that you might have. San Cristobal is also home to a wonderful orchid garden at Periferico #4 called Orquídeas Moxviquil.There’s a small gift shop and cafe located here where you could spend hours reading a book and taking the beauty in.

No visit to San Cristobal would be complete without stopping in at Na Balom. While Na Balom is a hotel, restaurant and gift shop it is most commonly known as a museum highlighting the explorations of Frans Blom and Gertrude Duby and their time spent in the jungle primarily with the Lacandone indians in the Selva Lacandona rain forest. When I first visited Na Balom in December of 1993 we saw a frail Gertrude Duby in a wheelchair in the courtyard of the museum. She passed away a few days later but her legacy remains at Casa Na Balom, now a research and conservationist center.

San Cristobal is refreshing and relaxed and for me was a nice respite after running around Mexico City. The air is fresh, the evenings cool and there is plenty to keep you busy and on your feet. Then again, you can find yourself a small cafe and just curl up with a good book.

Galleries associated with this article are located below.