Customs of indigenous villages of Chiapas
Description
I grew up with the traditions and legends of indigenous and mestizo peoples of Chiapas, where I come from. I learned them from my grandparents, parents and later, during my university career, I delved into diferent historical and social aspects. I also lived a historical moment in my town, witnessing the armed revolution of the EZLN (Zapatistas). My passion for traditions and legends continues to be more and more alive and I enjoy sharing it with visitors from Chiapas. I have shared it for 10 years, receiving very positive comments. THIS TOUR CAN BE MODIFIED AND ADOPTED TO YOUR INTERESTS.
Tour Options
Itinerary
The church of Chamula is the main reason to visit the village: inside, you will enter the magic and sacred world of rituals of indigenous people of Chamula that you will not see anywhere else. your guide will explain you the symboism and significance of the rituals so you can understand the magic of what you see.
The guide will tell you about the tradition of the Day of the Dead in the Mexican culture and beliefs of this Tzotzil people of Chamula and its Mayan origins.
Art Tex Independent Art Gallery run by a local painter, Tex Lopez. We will see painings of local artists inspired in their daily life and festivities. We'll stop for a breakfast (not included) with a beautifull view of the surrounding highland.
The guide will give you explanations about the fusion of prehispanic religion with the catholic, symbolism and significance of this indigenous culture of Azteca origins. Don;t miss the legend of a Jaguar!
We will visit a local family of artisans where you can try on the traditional costume and learn about textile production.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(82)
Best tour i’ve ever had. You have to spend some money, but its worth it. No doubt. This was different then all other tours I’ve had. There were a few people and the groups wont get too big (Ruby takes the more personal approach, which you will feel. Its very pleasent). We ran out in time quite a bit and it was no problem. He will answer all questions and wont rush. What i like to stress is that Ruby does the things from the heart. He will explain, gives his own opinion and you will feel comfortable and happy to learn. Also the information shared is just cool. I feel like there is so much more good to wrote About the tour. Thanks Ruby!
I contacted Rudy because I wanted to have a deeper understanding of the indigenous communities and the Zapatista movement that generic group tours can offer. Rudy proposed a personalized itinerary that worked for me with my deep anthropological interest, my partner, who is interested in Mexico in general, as well as our seven-year-old daughter. Being from the region, Rudy has so much knowledge about the history of the place, about the indigenous communities that he has worked with and talks about with great respect, and just stories about aspects of everyday life in Chiapas that helped us as tourists to understand the local context. He is a great storyteller, really brilliant in offering custom-made tours that fit a demanding anthropologist and a 7-year-old at the same time, and just a really lovely person to spend a day with. We visited San Andrés Larrainzar, where Rudy took us to Cecilia's weaving cooperative (@tulantextiles). Cecilia introduced us to different plants that she uses for dyeing her yarns, as well as the techniques of dyeing and weaving. This was very exciting for all of us, but especially my daughter. Ceci also told us what it was like to grow up in a Zapatista community, about finding her calling in collecting, preserving and teaching the iconography in Mayan textiles, as well as her cooperative. She sent us off with some beautiful textiles and fresh mint! Rudy took us to the church in Chamula that we had visited during a big procession a few days earlier. Now that the church was calmer, he explained the rituals with great detail, with respect and not judging the fact that things are done differently here than in traditional Catholic churches. We also enjoyed visiting the gallery of Tex Lopez (@texlopez-pintor) in Chamula, with inspiring art and the gallery cafe with beautiful views and carefully crafted cardamom pox. We finished our tour at the Museo Jtatik Samuel, where Rudy explained about the role of the church and the liberation theology for the Chiapatista movement. The tour with Rudy was one of the highlights of our 7-day trip to Chiapas, and we will definitely do another tour with him when visiting Chiapas!
Rudy is an exceptional and rare guide whose background, expertise, friendliness, and style takes this tour well beyond what would normally be possible. As an example, any background and research that allows you to offer ideas for your tour will be well rewarded. My friends and wife agree that Rudy deserves our strongest recommendation.
This tour was brilliant. We got such a wonderful insight into the Chamula and Zincanten villages and Rudy was so full of knowledge and passion for these communities. Thanks so much for a great day!
One of the best tours we’ve ever had. Rudy was incredible and gave us a lot of historical and cultural background regarding the indigenous villages and their traditions. Definitely recommend this tour!
Our guide, Rudy was excellent in explaining about the rituals and history of the place and people. We were lucky to have experienced a festival also that was happening that day! Amazing experience! Thanks Rudy!
Our guide Rudy was exceptionally knowledgeable with a professional demeanor. We all learned so much about the indigenous community of Chumula and saw truly unique cultural customs. He was on time to pick us up and we found him very personable.
Rudy made this such a special day that we immediately changed our plans to do an additional tour with him the following week! He’s full of information, passionate about sharing his culture and history, and doesn’t make you feel like he’s done it all a million times. He’ll take you to spots you’d certainly miss with the bigger groups. Thank you, Rudy!
We have spent a great day with Rodolfo. His knowledge about the area and local habets is very impressive and his English is excellent. It was also very nice to discuss other things in general and learn from Rodolfo about Mexican society in the past and nowadays. We thought it was a very well balanced day with a lot of flexibility. The visit to the family who showed us their beautiful handicraft and their home-made lunch was one of the highlights. It makes a big difference to have somebody so knowledgeable with you. We really enjoyed it.Thank you Rodolfo.
Amazing tour, very powerful. The guide has shared comprehensive knowledge about the culture and surrounding. He speaks fluent English. He took us to an authentic house where they walked us through the textile making process and we ate a delicious fresh breakfast. Chamula was very powerful.
