Ocosingo

Ocosingo is a city of 48,000 people (2020) in Chiapas. Ocosingo is also known as the "Gateway to the Lacandon Jungle", and has several archaeological sites.

Understand
The city of Ocosingo, an important scene of recent history, is surrounded by a cattle region with forests and river landscapes such as those on the shore of Alto Jataté. It preserves the colonial era in its historic center, Los Portales and the church of San Jacinto de Polonia

Get in

 * Colectivo from San Cristobal de las Casas - 2-hour journey, M$120
 * Colectivo from Comitan via Altamirano - 2-hour journey, US$4
 * Colectivo from Palenque

Get around
There are urban colectivos, but the city is small enough that it is best to walk.

See

 * Ocosingo is mainly a jumping off point for Laguna Miramar or Toniná
 * In the center of the city you can visit the church of San Jacinto De Polonia, with neoclassical baroque architecture, built in 1569.
 * The Pila de Agua made in 1890
 * There are around 70 archaeological zones in the municipality, among which Yaxchilán, Bonampak and Toniná stand out. Others include Landeros, Anaité, Plan De Ayala, El Planchón, Agua Escondida, Tzendales, and Lacanjá.

Do
The municipality has exuberant jungle rich in flora and fauna and aquifers, the beautiful lakes Miramar Ocotal and Najá. At 19.6 km is the Santa Clara waterfall or also known as Las Golondrinas of 35 min. The journey by car is one of the hidden places in the municipality of Ocosingo. Although lately, it has become a very unsafe place for women and tourists.

The Fiesta de La Candelaria, celebrated on February 2, is the most deeply rooted festival. It coincides with the purchase and sale of coffee and therefore there is more money to buy the family's requirements. There is a fairground with mechanical games.
 * The August Fair in honor of Saint Hyacinth of Poland, patron saint of the city, held on August 17. It takes place in one of the rainiest months of the year and when there are no extra economic resources, so they are festivals of smaller size and brilliance.

Buy
There are Automatic Teller Machines (ATM) in Ocosingo. Before heading into Laguna Miramar you should pull out any needed cash here.


 * Mercado Etnia Tzeltal A Campesino Market where countryside woman sell their products. Worth to see even if you don't want to buy anything. Has a flair of village life. Between 2a Av. Sur Ote and 3a Av. Sur Ote four blocks east (downhill) from the plaza.

Eat
Ocosingo is famous for the production of cheeses (Queso de Bola de Ocosingo and Queso Chiapas), possessing genuine styles that place them in the category of highly aged artisan cheeses and others considered fresh.

In the municipality, dishes made of venison, wild boar, fish, beef, lamb, tepezcuintle, a great variety of creams and cheeses are used; fruit sweets from the region such as yucca, papaya, sweet potato, and pumpkin; pozol and chicha drinks. Cradle of the Chiapaneco Tamale.

Sleep
There are a number of decent hotels off of the main plaza that are priced under US$30.


 * Hotel La Casona, south side of the plaza, double rooms M$300, also rented as single rooms M$250 if not too crowded. Clean big rooms with private bathroom an TV. Free WiFi and drinking water.

Go next

 * Palenque
 * Chiapa de Corzo
 * Toniná
 * Laguna Miramar
 * San Cristobal de las Casas
 * Comitan