The Other Mexico: San Cristobal de las Casas

27 May 2011
Translate

In a recent series of articles, Gadling focused on Mexico's hidden travel gems, those that lie far from the crowded beaches and the much reported border towns. One article, The Other Mexico: San Cristobal de las Casas, featured the town that is hosting this year's Adventure Travel World Summit. San Cristobal is surrounded by areas rich with adventure travel opportunity and is also a cultural and historical hotspot. Gadling explains:

Enclosed by dense pine forests, and accessed only by serpentine mountain roads, San Cristobal is anything but an easy-to-reach destination for the time-pressed traveler.

But that is exactly why you should it seek out.

In light of its re-discovery by shoestringing backpackers in the 1970s, San Cristobal now boasts stately accommodations, swanky restaurants and an intoxicating bohemian chic. It is also home to a proud indigenous community.


The article delves into the details of the area's history, and notes that the area is quite safe to travelers:

[R]egional security is arguably stronger than it has ever been, which means that travelers need not fear the roads into San Cristobal. Instead of being on the lookout for bandits and checkpoints, you can focus on the densely jungled hillsides, the sweeping valleys full of agricultural bounty and the towering pine trees that herald your arrival in San Cristobal.

A small, compact city of no less than 140,000 souls, San Cristobal is perfectly suited to exploration on foot, particularly along the central pedestrian promenades. While there are only a few tourist attractions in the classic sense, the entire city is akin to a living museum.


For more detail on what San Cristobal has to offer, read the entire article on Gadling.

Comments