Ocosingo

Introducing Ocosingo

A respite from both the steamy lowland jungle and the chilly highlands, the bustling regional market town of Ocosingo sits in a gorgeous and broad temperate valley midway between San Cristóbal and Palenque. The impressive Maya ruins of Toniná are just a few kilometers away.

The market area along Av 2 Sur Ote, three to five blocks east (downhill) from the central plaza, is the busiest part of town. The Tianguis Campesino (Peasants’ Market; cnr Av 2 Sur Ote & Calle 5 Sur Ote; 6am-5pm) is for the area’s small-scale food producers to sell their goods direct; only women are allowed to trade here, and it’s a colorful sight, with most of the traders in traditional dress.

The valleys known as Las Cañadas de Ocosingo, between Ocosingo and the Reserva de la Biosfera Montes Azules to the east, form one of the strongest bastions of support for the Zapatistas, and Ocosingo saw the bloodiest fighting during the 1994 uprising, with about 50 rebels killed here by the Mexican army. The town has been calm since, and the Zapatistas have consolidated their support in the region, despite the presence of a large Mexican army garrison near the Toniná ruins.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009