Chiapa De Corzo

Chiapa de Corzo combines living traditions with distinctive buildings and special experiences in the surrounding natural landscape. The Fiesta Grande, marimba music and the town’s history give your trip several different points of focus. When choosing your holiday apartment, it may therefore be important to consider whether you mainly want to experience the town’s culture or also explore the nature around it.

Fiesta Grande and Living Craft Traditions

The traditional Fiesta Grande de Chiapa de Corzo takes place every year from 4 to 23 January. During the festival, the Parachicos process through the entire town, carrying images of saints and visiting various places of worship. The Fiesta is therefore not confined to a single location: the processions described pass through the town and connect the images of saints with visits to different religious sites. If you would like to experience this tradition, the dates in January are an important point to consider when planning your trip.

Crafts also tell a story of knowledge passed down through generations. The technique for making Parachico masks is handed down from one generation to the next. The Casa Escuela de Tradiciones focuses on teaching local crafts and offers workshops in lacquer art and embroidery. These insights add practical craft techniques and two different forms of expression to the picture of the Fiesta. You can therefore plan your stay not only around the festival dates, but also around the craft topics that interest you most.

Marimba, Cultural Centre and Architecture

At the Museo de la Marimba, a workshop tour offers the chance to follow the step-by-step process of turning wood into a marimba. At the same museum, the Nandayapa family gives a presentation on the origins and development of the instrument. The workshop tour and presentation focus on different aspects: one explores how the material is processed, while the other looks at the history of the marimba. The Museo de la Laca Armando Duvalier is located in the historic Centro Cultural Ex Convento Santo Domingo, which dates to around 1554. The former convent is now a cultural centre.

Several buildings illustrate different historical forms. The Templo y Exconvento de Santo Domingo de Guzmán is a 16th-century Dominican monastery and is considered the best-preserved in the state. The Templo Santo Domingo is built in the Mudéjar style. La Pila is a brick structure built in the 16th century, featuring Mudéjar, Gothic and Renaissance elements. These examples showcase both individual styles and combinations of different design elements. Visitors interested in architecture will find several specific subjects to explore during a stay in Chiapa de Corzo.

Getting Your Bearings and Exploring Nearby Nature

Access to the Zona Arqueológica de Chiapa de Corzo is via Avenida Miguel Hidalgo, locally also known as the “Topada de la Flor” route. The Templo de San Sebastián offers a sweeping panoramic view over the city. These two landmarks offer different points of focus: the named access route is useful for reaching the archaeological zone, while the temple is associated with views over the city.

Nearby, El Chorreadero is a natural site covering about three hectares, with water, flora and fauna. An underground river emerges from a cave, forming a waterfall approximately 20 metres high and several natural pools below it. The approximate measurements give you an idea of the natural site without implying a particular length of visit. When choosing your holiday apartment, you can consider whether, in addition to the town’s cultural and craft attractions, this natural area is also among your travel interests.

If you would like to include other destinations in your travel plans, you can also find El Porvenir de Velasco Suárez, Puerto Arista, San Cristóbal De Las Casas, Bachajón, Las Rosas, Zinacantán, Ocosingo and Palenque here.

For the broader travel overview: Chiapas.