Town 8 km northwest of San Cristóbal de Las Casas
A Tzotzil Maya town whose candlelit church, carpeted in pine needles, holds rituals found nowhere else. No photos inside.
San Juan Chamula is a Tzotzil Maya town in the hills about ten kilometers northwest of San Cristóbal, and the side trip almost every visitor makes. Nearly everyone here speaks Tzotzil, the town runs its own affairs with its own authorities and police, and its religious life mixes Catholic saints with Maya belief in a way you will not see anywhere else in Mexico.
The heart of the visit is the white church of San Juan Bautista on the main square. Inside there are no pews: the floor is covered in fresh pine needles, the air is thick with copal smoke, and families kneel among hundreds of lit candles stuck to the floor. Healers lead prayers in Tzotzil, sometimes with eggs, live chickens, pox (a local cane liquor) or soft drinks, whose burps are believed to push out bad spirits. The saints line the walls in glass cases, dressed in mirrors and cloth.
Photography inside the church and of ceremonies is strictly forbidden, and people have had cameras taken or been fined and sent out of town for ignoring it. Ask before photographing anyone, even outside, and many will say no. Go with respect and a quiet voice, and Chamula is one of the most moving places in Chiapas.
What to see and do
Visit the church of San Juan Bautista; buy your entry ticket first at the office on the square, and leave your camera away.
Come on a Sunday, when the market fills the square and families come in from the outlying villages.
Take a guided tour from San Cristóbal if you want someone to explain the rituals and the town's system of authorities.
Time your trip for Carnival, held in the days before Lent, if you want to see Chamula at its liveliest.
Getting there
Chamula is about 20 minutes from San Cristóbal by car or taxi. Shared vans (colectivos) leave from the streets around the municipal market in San Cristóbal and drop you near the square. Many agencies in San Cristóbal sell half-day tours that combine Chamula and Zinacantán with a guide. The church charges a small entry fee for visitors.
8 km northwest of San Cristóbal de Las Casas
Directions from San Cristóbal de Las Casas on Google Maps
Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.
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Weather cool
San Juan Chamula shares the climate of San Cristóbal de Las Casas, 8 km away. The best months to visit are Jan, Feb, Mar, Dec.
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Make San Cristóbal de Las Casas your base
San Juan Chamula is an easy trip from San Cristóbal de Las Casas, a Pueblo Mágico with places to stay, food, and more to see.
More around San Cristóbal de Las Casas
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Romerillo
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Grutas de Rancho Nuevo
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Zinacantán
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A Tzotzil town of flower greenhouses and back-strap weavers, famous for clothing embroidered with bright flowers. -
Tenejapa
· Town · 17 km away
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Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.