Impressive arcades frame three sides of the plaza, and a beefy tree called La Pochota buckles the sidewalk with its centuries-old roots. Venerated by the indigenous people who founded the town, it’s the oldest ceiba tree along the Río Grijalva. But the focal point of the plaza is La Pila (also called the Fuente Colonial), a handsome brick fountain completed in 1562 in Mudejar-Gothic style. It’s said to resemble the Spanish crown.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
25.76 MILES
An atmospheric museum-research center, Na Bolom for many years was the home of Swiss anthropologist and photographer Gertrude Duby-Blom (Trudy Blom; 1901…
7.77 MILES
To take your evening paseo (stroll) with the locals, stop by this leafy plaza, just eight blocks west of Plaza Cívica. The whole city seems to turn out…
22.39 MILES
Standing beside the main plaza, Chamula’s main church is a ghostly white, with a vividly painted arch of green and blue. Inside the darkened sanctuary,…
Zoológico Miguel Álvarez del Toro
5.25 MILES
Chiapas, with its huge range of natural environments, has the highest concentration of animal species in North America, including several varieties of big…
Jardín Botánico Dr Faustino Miranda
6.97 MILES
The lush oasis of the Jardín Botánico Dr Faustino Miranda is a gorgeous place to visit, as well as being a nice respite from the city heat. The collection…
Templo & Ex-Convento de Santo Domingo de Guzmán
25.26 MILES
Located just north of the center of town, the imposing 16th-century Templo de Santo Domingo is San Cristóbal’s most beautiful church, especially when its…
Museo de Sergio Arturo Castro Martínez
24.95 MILES
The story behind this extraordinary collection – that's overseen by an even more extraordinary person, Don Sergio – is as interesting as the museum itself…
9.99 MILES
The Sumidero Canyon is a spectacular fissure in the earth, found north of Tuxtla Gutiérrez. In 1981, the Chicoasén hydroelectric dam was completed at its…
Nearby Chiapas attractions
0.11 MILES
Not open at the time of research due to damage from the 2017 earthquake, when open, the Centro Cultural is home to the wood and lino prints of talented…
2. Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzmán
0.11 MILES
The large Templo de Santo Domingo de Guzmán, one block south of the main plaza, was built in the late 16th century by the Dominican order. Its adjoining …
3. Chiapa de Corzo Archaeological Site
0.95 MILES
On a trade route between the Pacific and the Gulf, the sprawling Chiapa de Corzo settlement had close ties to neighboring Maya and Olmec cultures. At its…
4. Zoológico Miguel Álvarez del Toro
5.25 MILES
Chiapas, with its huge range of natural environments, has the highest concentration of animal species in North America, including several varieties of big…
5. Centro de Convivencia Infantil
6.7 MILES
Parque Madero contains a children’s park, the Centro de Convivencia Infantil, with a minitrain, carnival games, pony rides and other diversions for the …
6.92 MILES
The Museo Regional de Chiapas, an imposing modern building constructed in 1982, was under much-needed renovation at the time of research (it's a fabulous…
7. Jardín Botánico Dr Faustino Miranda
6.97 MILES
The lush oasis of the Jardín Botánico Dr Faustino Miranda is a gorgeous place to visit, as well as being a nice respite from the city heat. The collection…
7.2 MILES
This small museum, housed inside an attractive colonial building, contains exhibits on the cultivation and processing of everyone's favorite bean. It's…