Things to Do in San Cristóbal de las Casas Mexico: All the Tips!
San Cristóbal de las Casas in Mexico is, just like Oaxaca, a very charming town that’s perfect for a short stay. We arrived after an overnight bus ride and stayed for a day extra to recover from that ride. This gave us the chance to make a fun day tour as well. In this article, we’ll share all the things to do in San Cristóbal.
Information about San Cristóbal, Mexico
San Cristóbal de las Casas is located in the Chiapas region at an altitude of about 2,200 meters. Because of the elevation, evenings cool down nicely, and there are fewer mosquitoes compared to coastal towns. During a city tour, we learned that locals have very limited access to clean drinking water. The Coca-Cola factory nearby takes most of the good water sources, making it cheaper for locals to buy Coca-Cola than bottled water.
Accommodation in San Cristóbal
We stayed at hostel La Tequia, in a private room with a bathroom. The big plus: breakfast was included and freshly prepared every morning. You could choose from several different dishes, giving you the chance to try some local food as well. Everything was delicious!
Things to Do in San Cristóbal
Free Walking Tour San Cristóbal
We joined the Free Walking Tour, which was even better than the ones we took in Mexico City and Oaxaca. The guide shared a lot of insight about the city’s history and its link with Coca-Cola. At the end, we even got to try pox (pronounced posh), a local drink with an alcohol content of about 45%. The tour mostly takes you through the northern part of the city, where you can see colorful street art.
Check their official website for up-to-date information about the Free Walking Tour San Cristóbal.
Cañón del Sumidero
We took a day trip to Sumidero Canyon, just an hour from San Cristóbal. The tour included several viewpoints and a boat trip through the canyon. While parts felt a bit touristy (especially the obligatory lunch stop) the experience of cruising through the canyon and spotting wildlife was worth it. If you bring a zoom lens, you’ll get some amazing shots. The tour took much longer than expected, so plan for a full day.
We booked with Jaguar Negro Adventures and paid about €40 per person. You can walk into their office a day or two beforehand to reserve. While it’s possible to do the trip independently with a rental car, booking a tour is convenient since it includes park entry and the boat ride.
Internet & Connectivity in San Cristóbal
We used an Airalo eSIM, which worked okay but was unreliable in our accommodation. A local Telcel SIM card performed much better.
Final Thoughts on San Cristóbal, Mexico
San Cristóbal de las Casas is a wonderful stop for a few days while traveling through Mexico. The city feels similar to Oaxaca but is surrounded by even more nature. Just keep in mind that tap water is absolutely not drinkable. Locals also rely on bottled water. We didn’t even use our usual filtered travel bottle here.
Tip: Looking for a reliable water filter bottle for the rest of your Mexico trip? The Water-to-Go bottle comes with a replaceable filter. Use the code wetraveloutdoor for a discount.
