San Cristóbal de las Casas

A highland colonial city in the mountains of Chiapas at roughly 2,200 meters elevation, San Cristóbal de las Casas preserves a compact historic center of colorful 16th-century churches and cobblestone streets. The city serves as a market hub for the Tzotzil and Tzeltal Maya communities of surrounding highlands, whose woven textiles and traditional dress are visible in the Mercado Artesanal and at the church steps of Santo Domingo. Morning mist and afternoon fog rolling over terracotta rooftops characterize the atmospheric highland climate.