Parachicos in the Fiesta Grande

Chiapa de Corzo is a small city in the southern Mexico state of Chiapas. It's a really cool small town with a lot of 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

Parachicos Parachicos are costumed, masked characters from Chiapa de Corzo who dance during the town's annual Fiesta Grande. Local legends say that the parachico tradition began when locals would dress up and try to cheer up a sick boy. Whatever the origins of the festival, the parachicos tradition has been named by UNESCO as part of the "intangible culture of humanity."

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.

Get in

By plane

The nearest airport with commercial service is Tuxtla Gutierrez International Airport (TGZ ^IATA), 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.

See

Fuente Chiapa de Corzo, in the Zocalo

• Plaza de Armas (Zocalo). A zocalo is a town square, and in Chiapa de Corzo, locals boast that their zocalo is bigger than the famous square in downtown Mexico City. A water fountain called La Pila is the centerpiece of the Fuente. 

Santo Domingo Church

• 1 Templo Santo Domingo (The Big Church), Av. Capitán Vicente López s/n. Moorish design church built in the late 16th century. The church includes three naves and an altar of gilded cedar. A tour of the monastery includes climbing up into the bell tower (supposedly the largest bell in Chiapas) and enjoying spectacular views of the historic centro. The former monastery also houses the Museo de Laca (described separately). 
• 2 Zona Arqueologico Chiapa de Corzo (Archaeological site), Benito Juarez, ☏ +52 961 613 4554. Small site, generally unknown to tourists so you are likely to have the place to yourself. Relics found here date to 1400 BC and are associated with the Olmec culture, which thrived here until about 100 AD, after which it was later occupied by the Zoque indigenous people. The oldest tomb ever discovered in Mesoamerica was found at this site. M$30. 
• 3 Museo de la Laca Armando Duvalier (Ex-convento de Santo Domingo), Av. Mexicanidad Chiapaneca 10, Centro, ☏ +52 961 616 00 55. Tu-Su 10:00 - 17:00 (closed M). Cultural museum established in 1952, a former monastery now houses a museum with five galleries showcasing lacquerware. Lacquer items are a form of artesanias characterized by smooth, brilliantly polished black surfaces. Commonly serving platters and similar tableware, Mexican artisans are also known for their black lacquer furniture. 
• 4 Casa Museo de la Marimba Nandayapa, Av. de la Independencia 182, San Jacintoo, ☏ +52 961 151 92 59. by appointment. Small cultural museum with five galleries explaining the history, manufacture, and cultural traditions surrounding the marimba. You'll also be able to hear the marimba side-by-side with a xylophone and will never again think they're the same thing! Marimbas are a fascinating instrument, popular throughout central and southern Mexico, where Mayan musicians have adapted their own versions of the instrument since 1680. A must for any seriously curious musicians! M$60. 
• 5 Templo de San Sebastian, Franco Lázaro Gómez 12. The ruins of a 17th-century church nearly destroyed by an earthquake in 1911. The church has undergone some renovation to stabilize it and is open for public visits (though it's still a ruins, not an active church). Set atop a hill known as San Gregorio. 

Do

Tour boats at the Embarcadero Chiapa de Corzo

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. Tour boats leave from two docks:

• 1 Embarcadero Cahuare Cañon del Sumidero, Embarcadero 100. Docks where you can take a tour boat on the Rio Grijalve through the Sumidero Canyon. 
• 2 Embarcadero Chiapa de Corzo. 09:00 - 16:30. Main docks for town, short walk to town square. You can take a tour boat from here through the Sumidero Canyon. Boats leave when full and no need for reservations or to buy a tour from local touts. 

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.

Buy

• 1 Mercado Municipal (Town Marketplace), Capitán Vicente López s/n, Calle Mexicanidad de Chiapas 1, Centro. 05:00 - 18:00. Traditional marketplace with aisles of fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, spices, cheeses, plus a lot of vendors selling regional artesanias. Fans of street food and regional Mexican cooking will find local prepared dishes for sale on the ground floor. 

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.

• 1 Jardines de Chiapa, Francisco Madero 395, ☏ +52 961 616 16 75. 09:00 - 18:00. Beautiful place to eat bland, non-authentic food from a buffet. M$200. (updated Jul 2023)
• 2 Cocina de la Tia, Esquina Calle Benito Juárez y Capitán Vicente López, ☏ +52 961 332 3583. 09:00 - 18:00. Cozy eco-friendly restaurant with regional cuisine prepared with locally sourced ingredients. M$200. (updated Jul 2023)
• 3 D'Avellino, Calz. Victorico Grajales 1157, ☏ +52 961 153 07 33. 13:00 - 00:00. Popular family-friendly Italian restaurant serving pizza and pasta. M$200. (updated Jul 2023)
• 4 El Arbolon, Villa Real, Morelos. 12:00 - 19:00. Grab-and-go seafood. Shrimp cocktails, fish tacos, etc. M$100. (updated Jul 2023)
• 5 Los Ladrillos, Carr. Internacional 1104, Nandambua 1a. Secc, Francisco I. Madero, ☏ +52 961 616 14 32. 12:00 - 19:00. Family-friendly casual restaurant serving basic Mexican food. Live music. M$200. (updated Jul 2023)

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.

• 1 iKáapeh, 5 de Febrero 211, ☏ +52 961 339 31 42. 09:00 - 17:00. Hot and cold freshly made coffee drinks as well as pozol and other drinks. (updated Jul 2023)

Sleep

• 1 La Ceiba, Av, Domingo Ruiz 300, ☏ +52 961 616 03 89. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Beautiful traditional hotel with gardens and outdoor swimming pool. Rooms are somewhat basic, small with no TV. Parking area across street. Pet friendly. M$800. (updated Jul 2023)
• 2 Yaxche, Av, Domingo Ruiz 300, Centro, ☏ +52 961 616 07 73. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Cozy, traditional hotel close to city center. Swimming pool, off-street parking, and on-site restaurant. M$1000. (updated Jul 2023)
• 3 Hotel de Santiago, Av, Capitán Vicente López s/n, San Jacinto, ☏ +52 961 153 10 49. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Cozy hotel in the city center, rooms are a bit dated but has TV and cold AC. M$950. (updated Jul 2023)
• 4 Las Haditas, Rumbo a, Carr. al Puente Viejo 89, Ribera Cahuaré. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. Upscale hotel with riverfront location, modern rooms, good service. M$1500. (updated Jul 2023)
• 5 Hacienda San Francisco, Carretera internacional, Sta. Cecilia Km. 1103, ☏ +52 961 153 15 81. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 12:00. Comfortable modern hotel outside the bustle of the town, elegant on-site restaurant. Rooms are spacious and clean. M$1000. (updated Jul 2023)

Go next

• Tuxtla Gutierrez
• San Cristobal de las Casas
• Ocosingo