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I confess I have a thing for markets. However, this one has really earned its way into my heart. This market simply has EVERYTHING you've ever seen and wanted in Mexico. Period. And also at the probably cheapest price you'll find. So no wonder that I flipped a little and bought one or two little things here. I actually once made a stopover in San Cristóbal just because I wanted to get something in San Cristóbal and visit my absolute favourite bakery in entire Mexico one last time. So a) I really think a lot of San Cristóbal and b) I really like this market. When I say you can get everything at the market, I mean it. T-shirts, dresses, jumpers, hoodies, shorts and long trousers, shoes, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, bags, rucksacks, scarves, purses.... Basically everything a woman's heart - or mine at least - desires. :D I can't tell you how many times I strolled around this market and looked at everything in detail to find the perfect item. And then, of course, I haggled :D At one point it was pouring down and plastic tarpaulins were stretched over the stands and market path ways everywhere. That was something.... I've never seen the market so empty.... Well, the main point is this: the market is really great, colourful, cheap and has everything you can imagine in terms of souvenirs or simply cool Mexico style stuff. And if you're looking for a little something for your loved ones at home, this is also your place to be. I could definitely spend hours strolling around the market and getting lost in all the stuff there. Apart from that, the market is damn big! And unfortunately not very well structured. So going with a "system".... You can try, but it's not easy :D Go or not? Personally, I think you should have visited this market if you've been to San Cristóbal. Obviously not necessarily to buy something, but rather to have absorbed the vibe. Just strolling through this market and soaking up the Mexican culture is something special. Because yes, you see this stuff everywhere. And no, it's not just touristy stuff here, but also clothes that people in Mexico actually wear in everyday life. You just have to pay attention. So don't miss out on this market! 😊

Moxviquil is a kind of botanical orchid garden. It is quite small and has - if I remember correctly - two greenhouses. The rest of the plants are outside and thrive happily there. To be honest, I'm not really a big fan of flowers, so I would never have made it to Moxviquil without my travel buddy. And between us, it felt like we got lost three times and took forever to get there - even though it doesn't seem that far away on the map. Moxviquil is a simple area that combines plant nature and orchids. I tbh had expected a magnificent garden full of elegant orchids - today I wonder how I could have come up with this idea, knowing where I was. Therfore I'll admit that I was a little disappointed in the moment. As we arrived in the middle of the day and I was feeling pretty dehydrated and was already afraid of getting sunburnt, I quickly went inside and fled into the shade. Inside there was a cute path, two greenhouses with orchids, a pond with a turtle, a bridge full of bottle caps and a bit of space to scurry around and get lost. I was through quite quickly. My travel buddy, on the other hand, took a lot more time. But I'm also just not into plants or flowers, so...:D Go or not? If you love plants, you can go for it. If not, just let it be. 😊 😉

The Cathedral of San Cristóbal is special for two reasons. It's yellow and it has a really long and quite steep staircase that leads up to it and honestly looks and feels like it's part of the church itself. I know that sounds crazy, but if you look at the pictures or have ever been there, you'll know what I mean. To be honest, my first thought was ‘Are you serious?’ when I saw the cathedral for the first time. Mainly because I saw the stairs first, got curious and only then saw the cathedral at the top of the stairs hidden between the trees on the hill. The staircase is lined with trees, which makes it difficult to see the cathedral. And to be honest, the cathedral doesn't look particularly large from below. However, as I always take a look at the main cathedral of every place I visit and, to be honest, the photographer in me wanted to know what the perspective from the top of the steps looking down was like, I went up the steps. The thing is actually bigger than you'd expect. However, there isn't really much going on at the top. There is a kind of small mini-park, a cross with a black Jesus and, if you walk around the cathedral, a view of what lies behind the church - here you can also see that the cathedral is on a hill that ends behind the cathedral. Go or not? The cathedral is nothing really special, but the place is perfect for a few cool photos. Especially because of the stairs. It just has something 😊

When it's a public holiday or an event is taking place in San Cristóbal, you can always tell very quickly because everything is beautifully decorated and there's always something special set up in the centre - once there even was a bouncy castle and this bungee jumping for kids. I've probably been to San Cristóbal about 5 or 6 times in total. Sometime it was the city's anniversary, sometime there was a food festival and sometime it was just another public holiday. What you can say is that there is always something going on in San Cristóbal. Of course, it can happen that there is nothing going on, but even then, many streets in the centre are usually decorated with colourful flags. One time, there were colourful umbrellas hanging over the alleyways in a few streets - and yes, that looked very cool. Extremely instagrammable 😉 Apart from that, I think the most beautiful decoration was the flower arches at the beginning of each street at a festival. Like real wooden arches at the beginning of each street, decorated with flowers etc. It just looked beautiful and you were enchanted anew at every corner. I also remember the food pavilion in the large square, where all kinds of Mexican delicacies were sold or when they celebrated the existence of the city with a mariachi band playing a few songs. Basically, the entire centre always becomes a ‘festival zone’. In short: San Cris is worth a visit anyway and maybe you'll be lucky enough to find something happening when you're there. I certainly hope so 😊

Chiapa de Corzo is a village - more precisely, it belongs to the group of ‘Pueblos Mágicos’ - which, to be honest, I don't really remember. Don't get me wrong, I thought it was sweet and cute there and I also bought one of my absolute favourite bracelets at the market there because they had a very special one that I really wanted to have in blue - my favourite colour. Quite a rarity tbh. But that's just a side note. I then researched Chiapa de Corzo and found out that I had apparently missed the actual sights of Chiapa de Corzo. Aka some kind of pentagon building and a cathedral. Too bad, but honestly... not the hugest deal in the world. So the following plan: I wouldn't travel to Chiapa de Corzo. Unless you have the time and really want to go. However, if it's included in a tour, for example, or the speed boat trip solo from Chiapa de Corzo is cheaper, it would be a shame not to have a look around, wouldn't it? Therefore: not extra, but if it's on the way anyway, why not? :D

The view of Canyon Sumidero from the top is really beautiful. You get an idea of how high and how big the canyon actually is. It's really cool. Apart from that, you can see the motorboats going by below - the ones you were just sitting in. I was there on a tour. The viewpoint was our second stop and the stop directly after our speedboat ride to the famous point where the rocks rise up so beautifully. I don't know if you can get to this viewpoint on your own. However, I suspect that something is driving along there as it's next to a road. However, I don't know how long the journey takes or how much it costs. So unfortunately I can't tell you whether it would be worth travelling there without a tour or not. But I can tell you one thing: The boat tour on the canyon is an absolute must. The viewpoint is a very nice on top. But I would only go there if it's not too much trouble or with a tour.

To my personal surprise, Canon Sumidero was just as cool or cooler than expected. Why? Because this ‘crevice’, the place where you stop by boat to see the famous part of the canyon, is really something. But from the beginning: For this particular experience, I would actually check the prices for a tour and see if it's worth it. I was there with a tour at the time. Means: I was driven to the place where the boat departs from and after a bit of a wait, I was loaded onto the boat. We passed all sorts of things on the journey: Monkeys, a crocodile, a waterfall that was currently dry (I was there in the dry season), a church in the canyon - nothing too fancy, but really cool - and a few houseboats and the canyon itself. We also came across other speedboats and tours on their way back, which gave us an idea of how our tour would turn out. When we finally reached the spot in question, I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised. I basically already knew what to expect, but the way this canyon towers up in front of you and how mighty this crevice - which is actually a twist in the canyon - looks is really impressive. So I had little stars in my eyes, took a few photos and then I was on my way. The funny thing is: as you drive towards this famous spot, it gets more and more deformed and eventually becomes a normal piece of canyon again :D Behind it, however, there is a beautiful lake with a very nice view, a few tin canisters hanging together and serving as a barrier, I assume, and you are given time to take in and enjoy the landscape. On the way back, you get to see the same spot again. But you have to turn round and look back. There or not? I think so. The canyon, or rather the meander, is really impressive and simply beautiful. Apart from that, you see a crocodile, monkeys, a canyon, a rather unusual church and a speedboat. Sounds like a good deal, doesn't it? :D Oh, and then you'll go to a really cool view - but more on that in the next post 😊 PS: If you don't want to book a tour - for which I fully understand - ask around and find out whether you can get to the place from where the boats leave. And whether the places on the boats are all booked in advance. It may well take some time to get there if all the boats are full, but I can't imagine that the whole thing can't be done without a tour. Of course it's a bit more complicated and involves more research and possibly planning and waiting, but with a tour you always have to wait a bit and you're on top of it all. That's why I would simply enquire. I would have done the same back then if I hadn't been travelling with a group who were all on a team tour :D

San Cristóbal is one of my favourite places in entire Mexico. This small town, which is also the tourist hotspot of Chiapas, manages to have the flair of being local despite all the tourists. It is also one of the few small towns that are incredibly lively despite its size and simply enchants everyone with its charm. If you take a walk through the park in the centre of San Cirstóbal, for example, you'll come across shoeshine boys, newspaper stands, Mexicans strolling along, Mexicans chilling on a bench taking in the surroundings and tourists strolling past and/or taking a photo or two like me. It's a totally relaxed yet lively atmosphere. And there are cars driving around, all sorts of things being sold and a few tourists mingling in between. And that's how San Cristóbal is. The locals go about their daily lives, sell things to tourists (including many Latinos) and at the same time just let their city be enchanting by itself. Just give it a try and chill out in the park for a while. And please don't be surprised if you are offered something to buy. That's just part of life in San Cristóbal :D