Chiapas: San Juan Chamula - Zinacantán
ID: GYG694006-1138592
Category:
Country: Mexico
Duration:
05:00 hours
Description
Explore the rich cultural heritage of Chiapas on this half-day tour, visiting the fascinating towns of San Juan Chamula and Zinacantán.
We begin our tour in Chiapas at 9:30 in the morning, picking you up at your respective Hotel in San Cristóbal, and then taking the San Cristobal highway in the highlands of Chiapas, which is half an hour; visiting first: SAN JUAN CHAMULA CHIAPAS, where we will learn about its history and customs, such as religious syncretism, in which you can see healers healing their people with candles, chickens, eggs and ‘posh’ (regional alcoholic beverage). We will also see their typical Chiapas customs made of sheep wool. The sheep is considered another member of the family, because thanks to its wool they cover themselves from the cold and in gratitude, when the sheep dies, they bury it. Something that is very interesting is that it is a 100% Catholic town, there is no other religion other than Catholic. It is also a town where polygamy is practiced by custom. The language they speak is Tzotzil. In Chiapas, it is one of the most recognized ethnic groups for their deep-rooted customs and how united they are.
At the end of our visit in the town of San Juan Chamula, we will move to ZINACANTÁN, another town of the Tzotzil ethnic group, which is located 10 km from the city of San Cristobal de las Casas. The road along which you drive passes through the Labor de Esquipulas, a beautiful example of the rural architecture of the Highlands of Chiapas. Later, bordering the foots of the ‘Huitepec’ hill, where an ecological reserve with trails has been established, to appreciate the flora and fauna of the temperate regions of Chiapas, we will have the opportunity to visit a Zinacanteca family, to see how they make their typical costumes and how they use the backstrap loom technique. We will go to the kitchen to taste some handmade tortillas, made by themselves. There, you can take photos and talk with them to learn a little more about their customs.
The sacred spaces are marked by the hills that surround the small valley and the complex formed by the church of San Lorenzo.
Highlights
- Visit the church of San Lorenzo in Zinacantán
- Observe traditional textile crafts
- Take photographs in Zinacantán
Guiding languages
When should I book?
To guarantee availability book as soon as possible. Early booking is worth consideration especially if you planning the trip during high season like public holidays or weekends.
Cancellations
This excursion you can cancel with no cost up to 24 hours before the start of the trip. If you cancel it after 24 hours or not show up on the excursion you will still be charged the full price of the activity. Being late on pick-up or departure will be considered as not showing up.