Cañon de Sumidero is in my top 10 places I've been in Mexico! Literally right outside the city of Tuxtla Guitierrez, this canyon is so accessible and will take your breath away with its 1,000 meter walls. In fact, it was even nominated as a natural wonder of the world!
ALL ABOUT CHIAPAS
Chiapas is the most marginalized state in Mexico and the southernmost as it borders with Guatemala. It has some incredibly rich history, kind and hardworking people, and some of the best nature that Mexico has to offer. Considering all these factors, it is very important to travel respectfully and mindfully through this region.
The more popular tourist destinations in the state are the town of San Cristobal de las Casas, Canon de Sumidero, Palenque and its archaeological site, and other cool daytrips to waterfalls, lakes, and Mayan ruins. Overall, the region is huge and you could spend months and months exploring. I only had a brief 5 days and 4 nights to see what we could!
** In 2024, there were several political happenings going on that made Chiapas a more vulnerable area. For one, the influx of migrants means that there are more transient people passing through from South and Central America and police checks for your documentation. Also, disputes between indigenous communities and the government means that road closings- - or even whole archaeological sites closing -- are not uncommon. Additionally, hotspots like San Cristobal are quickly being subjected to gentrification because of its affordability to foreigners. **
Keeping all this in mind, try to travel with local guides and tour companies when possible both to be safe and to support the local economy!!
HOW TO GET THERE
Here's the thing about the state of Chiapas, Mexico. It's so far isolated from the rest of other tourist spots that it often makes sense to fly there. You fly into the non-touristic city of Tuxtla, but you probably want to promptly land and take a 1.5 hour ride to the city of San Cristobal de las Casas.
Alternatively, you could take a long, long bus to San Cristobal from Oaxaca City (12 hours -- ideally overnight) or from Villahermosa or Ciudad del Carmen. Although the state of Chiapas and the Yucatan are just neighbors on the map, the distances are immense and I wouldn't recommend taking these long long roads in. The Tren Maya is a tourist train currently in the works that will connect the Yucatan peninsula to Chiapas, but it is very delayed and not yet a viable means to getting around.
If you choose to rent a car, this can be a more flexible way to see the region, but I wouldn't recommend it as roads throughout Chiapas' forests and jungles are often closed down to a number of local and political conflicts. We ourselves had to cancel out a visit to the site of Yaxchitlan in late 2023 due to conflicts there.
GETTING TO CANON DE SUMIDERO
To see the infamous Cañon de Sumidero, I would book a tour from either Tuxtla or San Cristobal. This is the one I booked super last minute and it was perfect!
For 36 USD, I got several hours of transportation in a sprinter van with a group of travelers, get to see the miradores (the viewpoints of the canyon), get on a 1.5 hour boat ride through the canyon, and get to see the pueblo magico of Chiapa de Corzo. All in all, the experience was about 9 hours from pick up to drop off. No food was included, in fact I think I made it through the day just snacking at opportune times.
You can also go on your own if you start at Chiapa de Corzo pueblo magico and take the boat from there. But frankly, I think it would be the same cost and you would see less, which is why I strongly recommend a tour for this one.
Here were all the highlights of the day tour:
SEEING THE MIRADORES
First things first, it was a long drive from San Cristobal to see the miradores. After about an 1.5 hours of driving, we entered the national park and all got wristbands (already included in our tour cost). From there, the driver probably went 30 minutes on windy roads along the cliffs of the canyon until we arrived at the first of several viewpoints.
Seeing the canyon from above took my breath away! Although it is not nearly as deep as America's Grand Canyon, its the sheer vertical drop off of 1000 meters that I could barely believe.
Altogether, the portion of seeing the miradores probably took 90 minutes and then we had to get back in the van to drive all the way to the tippy top of the river gorge for another 60 minutes on the road.
If you go with a tour, make sure they are also heading up to the miradores (if that's what you're interested in), because many local tours skip this step and I loved how we got to see it from above!
RIDING THE BOAT
If you decide to do this experience on your own with public transport, your best bet is just showing up at the docks for this experience. From the docks, there are big, 40 person boats leaving all the time. I believe the majority of the boats go one-way through the canyon, although the roundtrip journey might be necessary if you come in a car.
My tour group was piled on a boat on the northern end of the canyon and we planned to reconnect with the van driver on the other side. There were opportunities to buy a last chance water or hat before boarding the boats, and once on the boats we were even taken to a floating bar on the water where locals had one more chance to sell us pricey snacks!
In the few minutes from the boat undocking before entering the canyon, we observed migratory birds in the thousands. We started the 13km journey and the first moments in the canyon were truly a once in a lifetime experience.
The boat driver also served as a guide, stopping at interesting points throughout the canyon, showing us wildlife, sharing facts, and showing us cool features on the rock walls. We saw crocodiles, searched for monkeys in the trees, and passed by waterfalls and amazing flora.
In total, the journey through the canyon took about 2 hours on the boat, with some moments moving fast and others going very slowly through the waters. I was very glad about all the snacks, water, and sun protection that I brought to stay comfortable throughout the journey!
We arrived to the docks of Chiapa de Corzo, a pueblo on the southern end of the canyon. Here is where I saw other boats heading the opposite direction.
VISITING CHIAPA DE CORZO PUEBLO MAGICO
I loved getting off in this beautiful town and seeing it for about 90 minutes. I would have loved to stay at least 3 more hours time, but the van gave us a time limit.
There are plenty of cool things to see in this town, from an archaeological site, the pretty malecón along the water, various churches, markets, and the Exconvent of Santo Domingo, a free building with gorgeous architecture and regional history. The main attraction is in the town plaza, a photogenic brick structure and a great place for community gathering.
In terms of shopping, you'll find great prices on Chiapas handicrafts, such as woven bags and floral blouses, and they also sell delicious Chiapas coffee. I was so enamored by the traditional dresses and workshops that make them, as I have danced to Chiapas music my whole life.
Fun fact: Las Chiapanecas is the first song I learned to dance, back when I started ballet folklorico at 4 years old :,) Much of the music from here is based on the marimba, so get ready to get grooving!
Chiapa de Corzo makes a perfect half day trip but I probably wouldn't spend the night here personally. Instead, the tour brought us back to San Cristobal by dark.
All in all, this was an action-packed day with the perfect mix of nature and culture. Chiapas is truly one of a kind and it contributes so much unique beauty and pride to Mexico as a nation. I had lots of fun taking along my Canon DSLR camera, hope you enjoyed the photos!
Comment below if you have any thoughts or questions about these destinations :)
