Day Tours from San Cristobal
There are four main tours to go on when in San Cristobal. If you check online it will look like a lot more but they are just variations of the same thing. A couple have an overnight option but all the ones I did were just one day. Scroll down to see them all or click the links below.
San Juan chamula
Outside the cemetery in Chamula
Starting the Day
I'll be honest, this is not one of the best trips to take in San Cristobal de las Casas but if you have the time available, it is worth doing but I wouldn't plan ahead for it. Not because of the normal reason I have for not going through the online sites, but for the fact it is not a very popular trip. If the tour groups don't get filled up they will cancel the trip. I took this tour on a Saturday, which should be their busiest day but I ended up taking this trip just with a guide in a car and one other person. If she didn't book it, I highly doubt the tour would have happened. But if you got the time while you're there, stop in to a tour office and see if you can get it booked for the next day. That way you will know if it already has some people lined up to go.
Chamula is interesting because it is an autonomous Tzotzil Mayan township. They have their own laws and rules and the Mexican police don't have authority there. Most of the women in town wear the colorful Mayan dresses and the men wear black.
These are Mayan crosses and they were all over the area. These will ALWAYS be on some sort of stand or pedestal unlike the traditional Christian crosses that can be put directly into the earth
Our tour started here at these crosses. The guide had a thermos full of some Mayan tea we got to taste and explained some of the history of the Spanish rule, then delved into the religion and what certain symbols meant.
The guide on our tour spoke English but not very well. It was kind of funny because the other passenger on the tour was from Israel and while she did speak English it was her second language and she couldn't understand a word he said. English is my only language but I had to "translate" the guide's English into "my English" which she could understand.
Templo de San Juan. Pictures are not allowed on the inside and this rule is heavily enforced
Cementerio San Juan Chamula, just a few blocks from the church
Templo de San Juan
I'm not a big coffee drinker but I did like theirs
We went into the church and it was kinda wild. Pictures weren't allowed. They would take your camera and you'd spend a night in jail, but not to worry, I'll use my words and paint you a picture better than any phone could take.
The church is almost five hundred years old and I don't see how it hasn't burned to the ground. I say that because there were hundreds of candles being burned directly on the ground. Also on the ground are tons of pine needles laid out like carpeting. There were so many candles it was noticeably hotter than outside. There also weren't any pews in the church. Families just gathered at any open area and lit candles. It wasn't like solemn prayer or anything. It was quite loud inside. Also they had special bags almost like purses designed to carry a chicken. They pray over a sick loved one and kind of hover the chicken around their whole body while choking it. Supposedly to move the sickness from the relative to a chicken. They didn't use a priest or anything like that, just another family member. I get different stuff for different cultures but I'm not really a fan of it when it involves killing animals.
Then a band came in and everyone broke out bottles of Pox (pronounced "poshe")and started passing shots around. At least I think it was liquor, it tasted like kerosene. They also passed out Cokes to the kids.
After that we went to an actual home and the family made us tortillas and served us coffee. They explained how they made it.
Afterwards they gave us a demonstration of the loom which was pretty neat watching her do it.
They also had a lot of "homemade" stuff for sale. I use the quotations because while I don't doubt their skills using the loom, I was kind of dubious that they made everything they had for sale.
After that we walked through the market a little bit. I love all of the Latin America mercados but don't go on the trip expecting much from that. The one in San Cristobal is much bigger and better.
We left around 9AM and were back in San Cristobal by 1PM. The guide sold coffee out of the trunk of his car. I didn't buy any but gave him a tip of 50 pesos ($3)
This demonstration was really impressive. The work and skill that goes into just setting this rig up. One side was tied to a pole and the other was attached to a belt around her waist to keep it taut and leave her hands free
This appeared to be the main room in the home. The front area which would be the living room was a shop and the back room is where the tortilla demonstration was
Seeing the Home of a Local
And that is really it for San Juan Chamula. The only reason I wouldn't recommend going on the tour is if you just simply don't have the time in your trip. Unlike a couple of other tours, it's really close so you don't have to spend hours in a vehicle, it's less than $20 and you're back by lunch. Click below to check out some of the other tours.
Click HERE to head back to San Cristobal or keep reading to see the other tours in the area.
Rancho Nuevo Caves and Arcotete
Starting the Day
If you take just one tour in San Cristobal this is the one I'd recommend. It leaves around 9AM and you're back by 3PM and not a lot of time is spent in the van. It's also pretty cheap.
For this tour, the driver only spoke Spanish as well as the guides in the cave. For the El Arcotete ecological park it doesn't matter at all because they just drop you off and let you run around for a couple hours. For the cave it matters a little because they point out some formations and tell some stories about what they are called and how they got their name.
Don't let that deter you in the slightest from taking the tour though. Even without the guide the cave is really cool.
I don't know what kind of lizard this is, but if you lick it I bet either some really cool shit will happen or some really bad shit will happen.
The main feature of El Arcotete. Rock climbers were scaling the wall on the right
El Arcotete
El Arcotete is the first place you will visit. It's not that big of an area but it does have some pretty steep climbs. It is a pretty self explanatory path along a small river, then a pretty steep climb around it.
Once you get to the top, there is a section of cave you can go into. There is a small fee to do that, but I can't remember how much. Something like 20 to 50 pesos. Do it. It is worth it, it's probably the best part of this park.
When you are in the caves in El Arcotete, you don't need a light but you will have to suck in your gut and watch your head. It's a pretty tight fit in some places.
They aren't in the pic but I saw some more rock climbers here
Rancho Nuevo Caves
When you get here you'll just follow the driver and he'll take you to the entrance and buy your ticket and then you'll join a guide and head inside. I believe the guide comes with the group, some sites will have guides that are optional and will take tourists who want them. I don't believe that is the case here, but I don't speak Spanish so who knows..
The caves have a long metal walkway, probably about 1000 feet (300 meters) long and it's decently lit. When you get to the end there is another section you can go in for an additional 50 pesos ($3) and it is almost pitch black but they give you miners helmets and you go in with another guide
It's a short trip but I think it's worth it.
After it is over there are a bunch of little restaurants where you'll have plenty of time to grab a bite to eat. They are a little overpriced but not by much. It's less than an hour ride back to town if you want to wait.
Sorry it isn't really that blue. That is just the LED spotlights on it.
The final pitch black section of the cave
You can see from the bottom corners of the image how dark it was. The only light was from our helmets.
It says "don't touch"
Click HERE to head back to San Cristobal or keep reading to see the other tours in the area.
Cascadas El Chiflon and Lagos Montebello
Getting Ready for the Day
If I had to pick, this would be my least favorite tour from San Cristobal. It is about 3.5 hours each way. And in my opinion there isn't MUCH difference between Agua Azul/Misol-Ha and Cascadas de Chiflon park.
Don't get me wrong, they are both unique, I'm just saying if you can only do either this or Misol-Ha, I'd do that.
This tour will pick you up around 7:30AM and while you don't stop to get breakfast, there is a bathroom break at a stop that has tons of vendors selling snacks and souvenirs. It was also another all Spanish group. They didn't have an English guide for this one, but it isn't a tour you need one.
I'd also recommend bringing a swimsuit and a change of clothes. You might get a little damp and most likely, pretty sweaty at El Chiflon so you may want a dry shirt and you will have the chance to go swimming at Montebello.
Cascadas El Chiflon
Arriving here is kind of cool after 3 hours stuck in a van. You can see the waterfall from a long way away when arriving. The water falling off the mountain really contrasts against the green jungle.
Chiflon comes from the Spanish word "chiflar" which means "to whistle". I guess maybe the waterfalls sound something like whistling maybe...but I would have spent a tad longer picking a name for the park when the time came, because "whistling" isn't the first thing that comes to mind.
You'll get about 2 hours here for a self guided tour. Being by myself I generally can go a little faster than a group and it was plenty of time for me, but I would be aware of the time as you are doing this.
The whole park is about 1.5 km hike, parallel to the river, most is up a gradual incline but there are some tough sections near the end.
You can also zip line back down if you want for an extra fee.
As you are walking up you see a couple smaller waterfalls like El Suspiro and Ala de Angel (The Sigh and Angel Wing) and while they are worth stopping for a pic, the main draw here is the Velo de Novia, Bridal Veil.
As you get closer it gets louder and louder and then you arrive in a large clearing and suddenly see all of her. There are plenty of areas to get a great photo, but there is a small platform not quite directly under her that you can climb for the best view. You will get wet here, but not drenched, just a heavy mist coming off the falls. Be very careful climbing the platform, it is not what I'd call safe in the slightest, the steps directly up will be caked in wet slippery mud and there is another set of steps before that doesn't have any handrails at all.
Once you have your photos and have cooled off just head back the same way you came and re-group with tour to head to the next site:
Lagos de Montebello National Park
This surprised me because at this point in my travels I hadn't really spent that much time looking at a map. This tour actually takes you all the way to the Guatemalan border and you can cross over and see a few shops. Don't worry, there is nothing special you need to do, you can walk freely in the area and all of the vendors on the Guatemalan side will accept pesos.
I was actually planning on flying back home after this stop and much to the chagrin of my parents, this is where I thought "well Guatemala is right there, might as well stop before I leave. And that delayed my home visit a couple months. Wouldn't be the last time it happened either. Hahaha I'm always "close" to a country and decide "just one more stop". I never really have a set itinerary.
Anyways...back to the lake. When you first arrive, you'll stop at an incredible look out and have the option to grab some food.
The picture to the right is where you will stop and right behind you will be a row of partially covered, simple "restaurants". They are really just a grill and couple tables at each spot. Can't go wrong with whatever you get to eat here. It's all good, filling and cheap. You can also try some Guatemalan beer here.
I hope I don't come off overly negative about this area. It is pretty, just nothing that really stands out except it being a border.
Next is Lake Tziscaso and the Guatemalan border. You'll see a small lake where the border cuts across. I think the boundary is mostly for show. There are no precautions you need to take or worries about being in the wrong place in this area.
Nothing really amazing here but I did try the ice cream being sold and it was pretty good.
I got bored here pretty quick, spent most of my time playing with a stray dog
The last stop on the tour is Lago Pojoj. You can ride these log rafts that take you out to an island in the center. I thought the island was cool, really small but it has a changing room and some small garden that I didn't know exactly what it was for. I did say "fuck it" and decided to jump in. I'm glad I did because everyone kind of seemed to want to but no one wanted to be first. It was cold as SHIT! Also really rocky, I just had tennis shoes and socks I had to take off; a pair of flip flops or water shoes would have been a godsend here.
Now this part isn't mandatory or anything but I did feel like it was kind of a bait and switch. No one selling the tour mentioned this, but it is 200 pesos ($12) to ride the raft and your options are either ride it or sit at the dock and wait for an hour.
And that is really all there is to this tour. You'll leave just as the sun is starting to set for a 3.5 hour ride back to San Cris.
The tour is worth the money, I just don't know if it is worth the time if you are only visiting for a week or so. I was in San Crist 9 weeks so I took a day to do it but if I had to rank the 4 tours, this one would be last.
You have to help paddle these. Man...some people don't know how to work an oar. I had to keep correcting the lady behind me because every time I turned around she was paddling the wrong way and no one else seemed to notice.
Cute garden on an island in the middle of the lake
Click HERE to head back to San Cristobal or keep reading to see the other tours in the area.
Palenque, Agua Azul and Misol-Ha
The Longest Day Ever.....
Not going to sugarcoat it. This is a brutally long day and a very rough ride. You get picked up around 3:30am and then have about a 4 hour ride to Agua Azul. Now I'm sure you're thinking "no problem" I'll just sleep. I wouldn't count on it. The ride is VERY bumpy for about the last 2 hours from San Cristobal to Agua Azul. To give you an idea, my Fitbit buzzes when I hit 10K steps for the day. Of course I started the day with hardly any, by 7:00AM it was buzzing congratulating me for 10K steps when it had just been entirely racked up by a bumpy van ride.
You do get a break to stop for breakfast and it was a pretty decent breakfast buffet but it wasn't included in the tour price so you gotta pay out of pocket, though it wasn't expensive.
For this trip, neither the guide nor any of the passengers spoke English so I was kind of on my own for this.
Agua Azul
To me, Agua Azul is the weakest part of this tour. Not saying it's bad, just that much cooler stuff is to come.
Agua Azul means "Blue Water" in Spanish but that only applies during the dry season. During the summer/fall rainy season it is brown. It is still pretty cool looking though. Plenty of falls and rapids.
The park is pretty much one strip that is a couple hundred yards long. The rapids and water on one side, shops and vendors on the other.
I think we actually got here TOO early. It was nice because our group was pretty much the only one there, very few vendors or restaurants were open. Normally I wouldn't mind that, but I felt we stayed way longer than we needed to. Probably about 90 minutes total here, when 30 would have been plenty.
Misol-Ha
This waterfall was really cool, but just realize you will get wet. This is a pretty short stop, and honestly I wouldn't have minded spending longer here, but don't worry, you still have plenty of time. This place is pretty straightforward, just one thing here.
You walk down a pretty steep path maybe 60 or 70 ft and then there is a small pool and giant 115 ft (35 m) waterfall. Fun Fact: It was used in the movie Predator. It is the one Arnie jumps off of at the end. They filmed some scenes at Agua Azul for the movie but I don't know the exact spots.
I did bring a change of clothes but honestly what is annoying is that the part that will get the wettest is your shoes. There is just mostly a spray from the falls that will dry quickly in the Mexican heat but to get to some cool photo ops, there are sections you have to walk through like 3 inches of water. Not much, just enough to soak your socks and leave you with squishy feet.
Totally worth it though. Don't miss exploring a single inch of this place.
A couple shots from under the waterfall. Besides a little mist, you stay mostly dry here but there are a few spots with a few inches of water on the ground
Palenque Ruins
This is an EXCELLENT ruin and probably next to Tulum, I'd guess it's the best in Mexico. It covers a lot of ground, it really is an ancient city. When you get there they have some tour guides that will give a sales pitch.
It was a little awkward when I did it, since I was the only English speaker on my tour, they had an English guide giving me his sales pitch alone and I had no intention of getting a guide. So I was in that area where you don't want to be rude and cut him off, but also not waste his time. I'm not saying I'd recommend against a guide but I generally don't like them, I like to explore at my own pace (there are plenty of informational boards). And there is nowhere a guide can go that you can't go here.
They were also insanely expensive here, but I assume there was room to negotiate. My guide was offering $60 to show me around or $80 for a more in depth tour. Again, I wouldn't have done it if it was free.
Be sure to bring a lot of water, it was damn hot here and a bit of a shock from San Cristobal because it was so cool there. I actually wore long pants because it was chilly in San Cris, and I was baking here.
I walked through at my own pace and saw everything in about 2 hours, and I was one of the first in my group done. Had time to get a beer while waiting for the guides to finish up.
Now from here it's time to start that brutal bumpy ass ride back home. There was an option to break this tour up in 2 days but I didn't do that so I'm not exactly sure if that offered extra sites to see or if it just gave your sore ass a break. A few people from our tour did get dropped off at a hotel on our way back. I imagine they had rides back with their tour already arranged.
Inside one of the Palenque ruins
Final Thoughts
So that was the last tour in San Cristobal de las Casas. It really is one of the best tours, but I hate, I mean HATE long ass car rides. I usually do end up toughing them out wherever I go but I always say, "fuck that, never again going on tour more than two hours away" and I always do.
But this was by far the longest day I've had on a day trip. You gotta make up your mind yourself though, but remember there is a 2 day option for this trip and if I was able to do it over again that is what I would have chosen. It is definitely worth the money and it is a bitchin' set of ruins, but in an 18-hour day, you are going to spend more than 12 in a vehicle on a bumpy, winding road.