Chiapa de Corzo Town and La Pila

Chiapa de Corzo sits about 65 km from San Cristóbal de las Casas and just 15 km from Tuxtla Gutiérrez, reachable by a colectivo to Tuxtla followed by a short second colectivo or taxi, or by a direct shared van from San Cristóbal agencies, often paired with the Sumidero Canyon boat trip on the same day. On its own, the town makes a light half day of 3-4 hours round trip from San Cristóbal. The colonial centre is anchored by La Pila, a Mudéjar-brick fountain built in 1562 in a distinctive eight-pointed star shape, unlike anything else in the region and one of the oldest colonial structures in Chiapas. A short walk away, the Museo Regional de la Laca displays the pre-Hispanic lacquer technique still used today on the elaborately painted Parachico ceremonial masks worn during the town's January festival. From the plaza, the riverside malecón offers an easy, flat walk along the Grijalva River, a pleasant stretch to cover before or after boarding a Sumidero Canyon launch from the nearby embarcadero. Restaurants around the plaza serve the town's signature cochito horneado and fresh-pressed jugos, making an easy lunch stop between sights. Chiapa de Corzo is at its most vivid during the Fiesta Grande, held 8-23 January, when Parachico dancers in carved wooden masks and elaborate headdresses process nightly to flute and drum through streets closed to traffic; visitors planning around this window should book accommodation well ahead, since the town fills quickly. Outside the festival, the plaza, fountain and museum can be covered comfortably at any time of year in a couple of unhurried hours.