Tzimol

Tzimol is a town of 6,441 people (2020 census) at 1,366 metres, in the San Vicente river basin a few kilometres from Comitán. The name comes from Tojolabal ts'i', dog. Its people trace their roots to the old inhabitants of Escuintenango, a vanished village on the upper Grijalva, and some researchers say families from Comitán (Gordillo, Abadía, Pinto and Guillén) founded hamlets in the area that later blended with Tojolabal people.

Life centres on the main park and the churches of Santo Domingo, Guadalupe, El Rosario and San Cristobalito. About 3 km away by dirt road, passable for ordinary cars, is the Ojo de Agua park, where the spring that feeds the San Vicente river rises: huge sabino trees, natural pools, palapas with grills and a small chapel to the Holy Cross. Since 2023 it has a zip line, a short one for children aged 4 to 12 and a 120 m line, 8 m high, for teenagers and adults. On 3 May, Holy Cross day, pilgrims from nearby villages come for the religious fair at Ojo de Agua. Close by is La Rejoya, with palapas by the river and the old bridge.

The area makes panela (raw cane sugar) and cane spirit in cane fields you can tour, and weaves petate mats and royal-palm crafts. Tours leave from Tzimol for Las Tres Tzimoleras, waterfalls on private land, and the turn-off to the El Chiflón falls, which has its own page. Beds are at Hotel Tzimol, Canto del Agua or El Dorado, and meals at La Palapa de Modin.