Chasing Waterfalls through Chiapas
Date of Trip: May 2021
The southernmost state of Mexico bordering Guatemala, Chiapas is becoming a popular backpacker destination with its affordability and gorgeous landscapes.
Also, many people continue on to Guatemala from here by bus so it makes for a great gateway point if wanting to continue on through Central America.
Transportation
After spending a few days in Mexico City, I flew into Tuxtla Guitierrez which is about an hour flight from CDMX. I was staying in San Cristobal de las Casas which is about a 1-2 hour drive from the airport depending on traffic.
Tip: Many people are going to San Cristobal from the airport, so if you do not want to pay for a taxi for yourself (it was $900 MXN when I was there or roughly $45 USD), I grouped up with four other travelers also going to San Cristobal and we split a shuttle for $250 MXN each (roughly $12 USD). Also, it was a random, but great way to meet other people as the drive took about 1 1/2 hours.
Getting around San Cristobal, taxis are readily available and affordable with most rides around town costing around 40 pesos (~$2 USD).
Accommodation
I stayed at Puerta Vieja hostel which was one of the better hostels I’ve ever stayed in. This hostel really had everything from free cocktail nights, coworking space, breakfast and dinner included, and great tour offerings, everything I needed for my stay was taken care of.
I “splurged” for a private room that had its own ensuite bathroom for $490 MXN (~$25 USD) per night and with meals included this was a steal. I believe dorms were around $200MXN per night and many people staying there were there long term and I can see why. I spent 5 nights and it felt like 2; I could have definitely stayed another week or two.
San Cristobal de las Casas
This city is very walkable with a lot of great, cheap places to eat and drink. With the hostel including so much, the last couple days of my stay I made sure to get out of the hostel bubble and explore the city more.
Real de Guadalupe is a street lined with bars, restaurants, and shopping and cannot go wrong with choices here. I love wine and La Viña de Bacco has a great wine selection, very affordable, and good tapas to pair with.
Miguel Hidalgo is another street with great restaurants and street vendors and I enjoyed a meal at Cafe Bar 500 Noches that had live music as well.
Walking around this city takes you to beautiful viewpoints and churches and while typically I feel I only need to visit a place one, I could definitely return here and stay long term.
Palenque
I had visited other ruins while in Mexico (Chichen Itza, Izamal, Teotihuacan, Tulum), but I think Palenque were my favorite. I felt like Indiana Jones roaming through the site even with certain areas being closed due to Covid.
Since I was shorter on time, I took a day trip from San Cristobal which is a bit of a gruelling journey. I booked a tour through the hostel for Palenque, Misol Ha and Agua Azul and they pick you up at 4 am since it takes about 5-6 hours to get to Palenque and we returned around 9pm. I believe it cost about $850 MXN (or about $40 USD) which is definitely affordable given the tour is over 15 hours. I think it was worth it, but the much better choice is to stay in Palenque when coming or going to either Villahermosa or Quintana Roo. I backtracked my trip to Chiapas since I heard so many great things about it, but if I could redo my itinerary I would have continued on from Bacalar to Palenque, then to San Cristobal, and then to Puerto Escondido.
While this waterfall is great, it really pales in comparison to some of the other waterfalls in Chiapas. I understood why we spent such a short time here because it makes sense to see since it is in between the Palenque ruins and Agua Azul, but definitely are not the best Chiapas has to offer.
Agua Azul
These waterfalls were some of the best I have ever seen. As I continued walking up and up and up, there were just more and more waterfalls and gorgeous sites. I could’ve spent forever here and was definitely one of the highlights of my time in Chiapas
This was another day trip booked through the hostel. After driving and stopping at the viewpoints we boarded a boat for a tour through the canyon. Note the tour is in Spanish, but I felt I understood most of what the guide was saying despite not being anywhere near fluent.
After the tour, we ended in the town of Chiapa de Corzo and spent some time for dinner and shopping before heading back to San Cristobal.
What I Missed
This state really is the land of waterfalls and I also heard amazing things about Cascada el Chiflon, Roberto Barrios, El Arcotete and hiking the Tacana Volcano. Another reason why I can see myself coming back because time really flew since I met so many great people and did not want to rush through sightseeing.
Chiapas is a state I had not heard anything about before travelling and am so glad I made the time to visit. Chiapas and Oaxaca were my favorite states in Mexico and if not for talking to other travelers I would not have had the chance to experience. Remaining flexible and open is one of the best things you can do when exploring a new place and cannot wait to come back to this part of the country!