Chiapa de Corzo

Chiapa de Corzo is a small city in the southern Mexico state of Chiapas. It's a small town with some colonial charm and a rich indigenous heritage dating back to 1400 BC. There's a small archaeological site in town, but it's nowhere near as impressive as the big city-state sites elsewhere in Chiapas. The town is just across the river from the much larger Tuxtla Gutierrez, close to a number of nature reserves (particularly the Sumidero Canyon), has some great festivals, and is one of Mexico's designated Pueblos Magicos.

Understand
The town has a fascinating and very long history. Nobody is sure exactly who or when the town was first settled, but there's evidence of the Olmec living here in 1400 BC, so suffice it to say "a long time ago..." The modern history of Chiapa de Corzo begins in 1528 when Diego de Mazariegos and his band of marauding conquistadors established the first Spanish settlement here as Chiapa de los Indios. The name Chiapa de Corzo is relatively recent, named for a 19th-century politician.

The largest indigenous group in the region is the Zoque.

The climate is very warm in Chiapas: expect hot weather during your stay in Chiapa de Corzo.

By plane
The nearest airport with commercial service is Tuxtla Gutierrez International Airport, officially known as Aeropuerto Internacional Ángel Albino Corzo (though never actually called that). The airport is about 35 km south of Chiapa de Corzo. Flights are available from Mexico City and other major Mexican airports.

By bus
OCC (Omnibus Cristobal Colon) buses leave San Cristobal de las Casas every 30 minutes to Tuxtla Gutierrez. Take that bus and tell the driver you want to be let off in Chiapa de Corzo. The bus will probably let you off close to the tourist embarcadero, which is where the bridge is to cross the Rio Grijalva. You can take a taxi or mototaxi from there to the main town, a few kilometers south.

Get around
You can walk around the core downtown area easily, otherwise buses, combis and taxis are readily available. Combis between Chiapa de Corzo and Tuxtla Gutierrez depart from the Zocalo (look for the van or bus that says "Tuxtla" in the windshield). A one way fare is typically M$10.

Do
The main things to do are to take boat trips on the Rio Grijalva through the magnificent Sumidero Canyon and to hike, climb, or mountain bike in the Sumidero Canyon National Park. The canyon's sheer walls are as high as 1,000 meters in places. Like many things in Chiapas, foreign travellers seldom know much about places like Sumidero, and as a result, miss out on many of Mexico's best experiences.

There are several different places to catch a speedboat tour, but as of April 2024 they all charge the same standardized price of M$320 per person "colectivo" style (shared with strangers, leaving only when full) for a 2+ hour tour through the whole canyon down to the dam at the far end and back. That doesn't include the nearly-mandatory tip for the boat driver, which they'll pressure you to give before taking you back to land (M$50 should be plenty). Prepare to wait up to an hour or two if there aren't a lot of visitors to fill up the boat. The boats generally include a Spanish-language tour guide, and usually can find wild crocodiles and spider monkeys along the edges of the canyon. There are also boats leaving from near the Tuxtla-San Cristóbal highway outside of town, but tour boats from within Chiapa de Corzo leave from two docks:

Festivals

 * Fiesta Grande - 8-23 January each year is the town's biggest celebration of the year and different events are held on different days. January 8 is when you'll see the chuntas dance and 21 January is when you'll see the mock naval battle on the Rio Grijalva. Other nights have regional dances, music, and fireworks. The celebration featuring parachico dancers allegedly has roots in regional Maya culture, though it began in the colonial era to venerate the Black Christ of Esquipulas, Saint Anthony Abbot, and Saint Sebastian. The first Fiesta Grande was in 1599 and was organized by Padre Pedro de Barrientos, pastor of the Santo Domingo church.


 * Fiesta de Señor de El Calvario - 7 October each year. It honors various saints and also features dances, cultural events, amusements, and fireworks.

Eat
Cheese is one of the town's unexpected treats. In Chiapas, they make a crumbly cheese that's like queso fresco but that's creamier, they call it crema doble. In the Mercado, you'll find several stalls selling cochito al horno, a regional dish of roast pork seasoned with ancho chile and other spices.

Drink
Try some of the local Chiapas-grown and roasted coffee. Chiapas coffee is almost always organic, grown with traditional methods, and roasted in small batches.

Go next

 * Tuxtla Gutierrez
 * San Cristobal de las Casas
 * Ocosingo