Chiapa de Corzo, La Pila and the Museo Regional de la Laca

Chiapa de Corzo, founded in 1528, is the oldest Spanish town in Chiapas, and its central plaza is dominated by La Pila, a brick fountain built in 1562 on an octagonal, mudejar-style plan often read as a stylised representation of the Spanish crown; it is considered unique among colonial fountains in the Americas. Around the plaza stand the Templo de Santo Domingo, the ruined shell of the Templo de San Sebastian on the hill above town, and the former convent building that now houses the Museo Regional de la Laca, devoted to the lacquered gourds, boxes and furniture that remain the town's signature craft, produced using techniques with pre-Hispanic roots. Chiapa de Corzo is also the home of the Nandayapa marimba dynasty and of the Parachicos dance, performed each January and inscribed by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage in 2010. A visit covering the plaza, La Pila, the church and the lacquer museum takes two to three hours, with evenings adding the chance to hear marimba played live under the arcades. The town is quieter than San Cristobal and makes an easy half-day addition before or after the Sumidero Canyon boat trip, whose jetty sits a few minutes' walk from the plaza.