Chiapas

Mexico's southernmost mountain state, weaving together Indigenous culture, the Maya ruins of Palenque, and canyons and waterfalls.

Chiapas lies at the southernmost tip of Mexico, bordering Guatemala, with varied highlands, jungle and canyon landscapes and a strong Indigenous culture. The Maya city of Palenque is hidden in the rainforest and is a World Heritage Site; the highland town of San Cristóbal de las Casas preserves its colonial streets, and you can visit nearby Tzotzil villages. You can tour Sumidero Canyon by boat, the Agua Azul waterfalls and the Montebello Lakes are enchantingly colourful, and the Lacandon Jungle also holds sites such as Yaxchilán and Bonampak. The dry season from November to April is best. The gateway is Tuxtla Gutiérrez Airport, and Palenque also has an airport.

Destinations

• Palenque
• San Cristóbal de las Casas

Itineraries

• Chiapas Highlands & Palenque – Explore Sumidero Canyon and the highland villages of San Cristóbal, then take a safe detour route to the Palenque ruins.
• Southern Mexico: Mexico City to Mérida – Journey from the capital through Puebla, Oaxaca, and Chiapas to Yucatán, utilizing buses, flights, and the Maya Train.
• Tren Maya: Cancún to Palenque – Skip the driving and ride the Tren Maya from the Caribbean coast all the way west to the Chiapas rainforest ruins.