Best Day Trips from San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico

In this blog post, you’ll find some of the best day trips you can take from San Cristobal de las Casas in Chiapas state, Mexico. The below list includes a lot of outdoor activities and colourful Pueblo Magicos.

Chiapas is a state that’s filled with pine-forested highlands, dense rainforest jungles, Mayan archaeological sites and Spanish colonial towns. It reminded us so much of the Huasteca Potosina region in Mexico, so it’s no wonder we truly enjoyed our stay in this area.

If you’d like to see our San Cristobal de las Casas adventures then make sure to watch our YouTube video by clicking here.  You can also check out our  Mexico Playlist for more adventures.

San Cristobal de las Casas Travel Tips – Read This Before Your Visit

If you’re looking for answers to common questions such as how to get to the city, where to stay, how to stay safe during your visit and what are the best things to do in San Cristobal de las Casas then make sure to check out the answers by clicking the relevant links below.

• How to get to San Cristobal de las Casas?
• Where to stay in San Cristobal de las Casas?
• Best tips for visiting San Cristobal de las Casas
• Best things to do in San Cristobal de las Casas

Best Day Trips from San Cristobal de las Casas

There are plenty of day trips you can take from San Cristobal de las Casas depending on your time, interests and budget. One thing’s for sure: each day trip will offer you something unique and unforgettable.

Click here for a guide to the best things to do in San Cristobal de las Casas.

1. El Chiflon Waterfalls

Probably some of the most beautiful waterfalls we’ve seen since visiting the Huasteca Potosina region in Mexico are the El Chiflon Waterfalls. 

The Eco-Park is located about 2.5 hours’ drive to the south-east of San Cristobal and has five stunning waterfalls. These waterfalls are connected via a hiking trail that you can follow all the way to the top. As you climb higher you’ll walk past the following waterfalls: Cascada el Suspiro, Cascada Ala de Angel, Cascada Velo de Novia, Cascada Arcoiris and Cascada Quinceanera. 

Cascada Velo de Novia (Bridal Veil Fall) is the main waterfall which has a drop of about 120m. It cascades into an aqua blue coloured pool providing you with a jaw-dropping sight. The powerful waterfall’s spray will reach you no matter how far you’re standing from it. 

Many people turn around after seeing the main waterfall, and therefore miss the last two that are located further up. If you have time and the energy make sure to carry on hiking up to the last two waterfalls.

Note – There are actually two different hiking trails running along both sides of the river. You need to pay two separate entries to walk along both trails. If you’re visiting with a tour, you’ll only have time to walk along one trail. Our tour walked along the northern aspect of the river. Whilst we had some great views of the waterfalls, I think the southern aspect is the most popular one offering slightly better angles of the waterfalls.

In addition you can also zip line on the way back. Zip lines are usually not included in your tour price and cost an additional 200MXN per person.

Click here to browse for tours to El Chiflon Waterfall.

2. Lagunas de Montebello National Park

Located right on the Guatemalan border, Lagunas de Montebello is another must do day trip from San Cristobal. 

Montebello Lakes is a massive national park that’s home to 59 multi-coloured lakes in a pine forest. The national park also has two Maya ruins. It was actually the first national park in Chiapas, and since 2009 it’s been designated as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO.

Did you know? – Only about 15 of the lakes are accessible by car or foot.

The main reason for the visit is to see the lakes that vary in colours due to the different minerals. On a clear and sunny day you can witness hues of green, blue or even reds and purples. Unfortunately, on the day of our visit it was pretty foggy so we were only rewarded with a quick peek of the lakes as the fog moved around.

You can do many fun outdoor activities in the area such as hiking, swimming, kayaking or go on a fun small wooden boat ride.

3. The Mexico-Guatemala Border

How does standing between two countries sound?

Lagunas de Montebello is located literally at the border between Mexico and Guatemala. One of the lakes is actually called Lago International because the border runs across it. As you walk up to the border from Mexico you’ll see a lot of vendors selling Mexican themed souvenirs and food. Once you cross the border, you can look around for some Guatemalan goods before hopping back to Mexico again.

Top Tip – If you’re visiting Lagunas de Montebello, then make sure to book a tour that includes a stop at the border. 

Whilst it’s a pretty touristy activity, I think it’s quite cool that you can actually hop over to Guatemala without your passport or visa. 

4. Sumidero Canyon National Park

Located just north of Tuxtla Gutierrez in Sumidero Canyon National Park is Sumidero Canyon itself.

The canyon was formed about 35 million years ago, apparently around the same time as the Grand Canyon in the USA. Today its vertical walls can reach about 1,000m high, although before they opened the Chicoasen hydroelectric dam the walls were even higher. The water level rose and became much calmer after the dam started operating which means that boats can now safely navigate along the river.

To best experience the canyon you’ll have to see it both from above and below. Both will offer you a different experience and we were happy that we saw the canyon through every possible angle.

The viewpoints will provide you with a bird’s eye view of the canyon which looks absolutely fantastic. However, cruising along the Río Grijalva will give you the chance to see some famous formations and wildlife such as crocodiles and spider monkeys.

Unfortunately, the urban areas are causing some serious pollution with over 5,000 tons of waste extracted from the river each year. It was very sad to see the amount of rubbish in the river in certain sections.

There are many tour operators organising day trips from San Cristobal. These tours normally include all transportation, stops at different view points and also a two-hour boat ride through the canyon.

I think visiting Sumidero Canyon as part of a tour is better as the boat tour is only a one-way trip so it’ll drop you off at the complete opposite part of the canyon. Your tour transportation will pick you up from the right place whereas you would need to take the boat back if you came with your own transport.

Click here to browse for tours to Sumidero Canyon.

5. Chiapa de Corzo

Located only about 15km from Tuxtla Gutierrez is the small city of Chiapa de Corzo. It was the first Spanish colonial city founded in Chiapas state in 1528.

You can walk around its main plaza where you can find some iconic buildings and structures such as the 16th century Moorish fountain. You can also visit the impressive red and white Santo Domingo Temple or its nearby archaeological site.

The town is also designated a Pueblo Magico or Magical Town. It’s one of the four Pueblo Magicos in Chiapas State. Click here to learn more about Pueblo Magicos. 

Many organised tours to Sumidero Canyon will also stop at Chiapa de Corzo, giving you some time to wander around its streets.

Final Thoughts on the Best Day Trips from San Cristobal de las Casas

Chiapas state is definitely an environmental gem and an area that should be on most people’s Mexico itinerary. I think basing ourselves in San Cristobal was a great idea, since many tours leave from this city. Whilst having our own transportation would’ve allowed us to see even more of the state, I think we definitely managed to see some places that left us speechless. It’s safe to say that we would love to return to Chiapas in the future and explore less visited places too.

Have you ever visited any of the above places or been to San Cristobal de las Casas before? If so, which one was your favourite? If not, would you visit any of these places? Let me know in the comments below.