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San Cristobal de las Casas travel pictures

Impressions of San Cristobal de las Casas

 San Cristobal de las Casas is a city in the state Chiapas. The city has maintained its Spanish colonial city center and has also become a friendly welcome for tourists. It is not an enormous city and there are bigger ones in Mexico, but there is plenty to do and see.

What sets San Cristobal de las Casas apart from some of the other cities is that it is built on several hills meaning that you will need to climb a few stairs. The best example of this is the church of San Cristobal which requires many steps before you arrive there. The advantage is that once you reach the top you will be rewarded with a nice view of the town and the surrounding hills. The other church which is built on a hill is Guadalupe church which often has an improved look created by many decorations.

There is one street which is the main thoroughfare that runs through the city center which basically starts at the bus station continues to the central park and ends at the Santa Domingo church. The majority of the interesting sights are located close to the central park. This is where you will find the colorful cathedral and the white-washed town hall. Just explore some of the nearby streets and you will see some other sights such as the arch of Carmen and many charming buildings. All the buildings on even the smaller streets have been well maintained and traffic is relatively low which has resulted in a friendly and charming city center. There are plenty of small restaurants nearby to taste a local dish.

The best day trip out of town is a visit to Sumidero canyon where it is possible to hop on a boat and enjoy the ride on the river that flows through it. It has some steep high cliffs which create some amazing scenery. Usually there is a stop included at the town Chiapas de Corza to buy a few souvenirs and get something to eat.

San Cristobal has an airport, so it is possible to fly in directly. Alternatively, there is a bus station located in the city center which takes you to most places in Mexico. The town itself is small, so walking will get you almost everywhere. The temperature is remarkably stable throughout the whole year with almost every day being a nice summer day. There is a wet season which lasts from June until the end of September. 

San Cristobal de las Casas travel photo gallery

 



The stairs leading to the church of San Cristobal.

The stairs leading to the church of San Cristobal.

  



View over the surrounding hills.

View over the surrounding hills.

  
Looking down the stairs.

Looking down the stairs.
The photo albums of Mexico 
include: Agua Azul, Chichen Itza, 
Tulum and Uxmal.
 
The church of San Cristobal.

The church of San Cristobal.

  



Structure that provides some shades.

Structure that provides some shades.

  



The arch of Carmen.

The arch of Carmen.
 



16th of September street.

16th of September street.

  
The street leading to the arch.

The street leading to the arch.

  



Bright white building.

Bright white building.
 
Restaurant on the street.

Restaurant on the street.

  



The town hall on Plaza de los Arcos.

The town hall on Plaza de los Arcos.

  



Restored buildings which have been turned into shops.

Restored buildings which have been turned into shops.
 
The cathedral.

The cathedral.

  
The white-washed town hall.

The white-washed town hall.

  
Statue of Don Miguel Hidalgo Y Costilla.

Statue of Don Miguel Hidalgo Y Costilla.
 
Old building in need of some paint.

Old building in need of some paint.

  
Plaza Civica in front of the cathedral.

Plaza Civica in front of the cathedral.

  
Cafe Biomaya.

Cafe Biomaya.
 
The front facade of the cathedral.

The front facade of the cathedral.

  



The front of the town hall.

The front of the town hall.

  



Colonnade on central park.

Colonnade on central park.
 
Shopping street.

Shopping street.

  



Sierra de Ambar.

Sierra de Ambar.

  



Street with brightly colored restaurants and shops.

Street with brightly colored restaurants and shops.
 



Rooftops of a suburb.

Rooftops of a suburb.

  
The steps leading to Guadalupe church.

The steps leading to Guadalupe church.

  



View over the town and the hills which lie behind it.

View over the town and the hills which lie behind it.
 
Courtyard of Guadalupe church.

Courtyard of Guadalupe church.

  
Guadalupe church.

Guadalupe church.

  



Uplifting street scene.

Uplifting street scene.
 
Small flags that decorate the street.

Small flags that decorate the street.

  
Colorful street.

Colorful street.

  
Typical shopping street with some restaurants.

Typical shopping street with some restaurants.
 



Plaza del Cerrillo.

Plaza del Cerrillo.

  
Typical church.

Typical church.

  
Market near the church.

Market near the church.
 
The main street in the city center.

The main street in the city center.

  
Attractive brickwork around the windows.

Attractive brickwork around the windows.

  
One of the many hotels.

One of the many hotels.
 



Building supported by many columns.

Building supported by many columns.

  



The most recognizable building near the central park.

The most recognizable building near the central park.

  
Brownish colored church.

Brownish colored church.
 
Monument near Santa Lucia church.

Monument near Santa Lucia church.

  
The church of Santa Lucia.

The church of Santa Lucia.

  



The bell tower of Santa Lucia church.

The bell tower of Santa Lucia church.
 
Blue and orange painted building.

Blue and orange painted building.

  
Ironwork in front of the windows.

Ironwork in front of the windows.

  
Wooden balconies.

Wooden balconies.
 
Arcos del Carmen.

Arcos del Carmen.

  
The Carmen arch.

The Carmen arch.

  
Beer garden.

Beer garden.
 



Arches near the town hall.

Arches near the town hall.

  



The front facade of the town hall.

The front facade of the town hall.

  
One of the city's many churches.

One of the city's many churches.
 
Church facade.

Church facade.

  



Orange colored building.

Orange colored building.

  
The temple of Santa Domingo.

The temple of Santa Domingo.

Internet sites with travel information about San Cristobal de las Casas

General information about San Cristobal de las Casas can be found on Wikipedia and a majority of relevant travel info on Wikitravel. One of the main tourist websites is Visit Mexico which also contains some background information. The city has no airport of its own but the closest is Angel Albino Corzo airport. For many this means getting a bus for which the timetables can be found on Ticketbus. Alternatively there are travel guides with the Lonely Planet being the best known or have a look at the visitor reviews on Virtual tourist.

Suggested photo albums on Mad Planet Earth

Pictures of a boat trip through the Sumidero canyon. Photo album of the Petrified waterfalls, an unique geological rock formation located in an amazing valley. Photo album of Palenque, an Maya settlement located in the middle of the jungle. San Francisco photo gallery including the Golden gate bridge, Lombard street, China town, Fisherman's wharf and Coit Tower.

Last update: 11/08/2013