Arriving into San Cristobal De Las Casas is like arriving into a sanctuary. One with nice hostels and great food and wi-fi. And it’s a cheap sanctuary, too; easily the cheapest place we’ve stayed so far, and not even the worst, not by a mile.
We thought we were just there for the proximity to Palenque ruins, but this is the kind of place where you might end up staying for days on end. The people are so sweet and friendly, the buildings are beautiful and simple, and this is a proper backpacker town. In a good way! The vast amount of tourists trooping through here has upped the food standards and convenience of the place, and they are, so far, the kind of tourists who only mean well by the local people and at most want to share the delights of dreadlocks and juggling.
We went on a trip to Sumidero Canyon, a spectacular place along the bottom of which you zoom in a speedboat. The scenery is absolutely stunning, with sheer rock faces towering over you on both sides the whole way, the colours in the strata amazingly bold. The birdlife here is astonishing too; herons and other large birds glide next to the boat, absolutely effortlessly. The new highway to the embarkation point is in full use now, so it’s only 45 minutes drive from San Cristobal, through misty mountain passes. Fantastic.
Sophie Carville
