Sumidero Canyon National Park and San Juan Chamula from San Cristobal

At Sumidero Canyon you will enjoy a motor boat cruise through the middle of this spectacular canyon. The road descends more than 1500 meters and reaches the Grijalva River where the Sumidero Canyon has cliffs from 100 to 1000 meters high. In this national park, it is very often possible to see local wildlife such as crocodiles, spider monkeys, and white and gray herons.

San Juan Chamula, 10 km from San Cristobal de las Casas, is a town steeped in history, and yet also allows a look into the Mayas of today This is the largest Maya township in Chiapas with a population over 40,000 Tzotzil speakers, one of the 31 Mayan languages. This region is known for its agricultural and ceremonial lifestyles, which are a mixture of Catholic and Mayan beliefs. The Catholic Church of St. John the Baptist, in fact, is not part of any Diocese because residents desire the freedom to perform various types of rituals.

The indigenous people of Chiapas speak their own language (often in addition to Spanish), practice their own unique customs and can be identified by their traditional dress that varies by group. They continue to depend primarily on agriculture for their economic well-being; however, it’s not unusual for them to travel into San Cristobal to sell their handmade crafts and shop in the markets for everyday items to take back to their villages.