Indigenous Villages Chamula Zinacantan Leaving From Tuxtla.
Description
See the color and traditions as you visit the local indigenous communities of San Juan Chamula and Zinacantan where you will have plenty of time to wander around the local artisan markets and peek inside the beautifully preserved churches. Your tour includes transport, a professional guide, and a "mini-lunch" of beans, handmade tortillas, organic coffee, and a drink typical of the region.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Explore the Mayan traditions and costumes of San Juan Chamula base in its religious syncretism. The town of San Juan Chamula, situated 10 kilometers northeast of San Cristobal de Las Casas, is the home of about 2,000 inhabitants of direct Mayan descent, proud of their heritage.
The town of San Juan Chamula, situated 10 kilometers northeast of San Cristobal de Las Casas, is the home of about 2,000 inhabitants of direct Mayan descent, proud of their heritage. In Chamula, a local guide will explain to you the history of the region and you will be able to visit the Church of San Juan Bautista (St. John the Baptist) that has simple but incredibly beautiful ornamentation on the outer fascade. Once there, see the artistic beauty of the church on the inside and see the exceptional arrangement of its altars, with Catholic saints dressed according to indigenous traditional customs. You will find out about the native people and their customs. You can observe how ancient Mayan traditions are now intertwined with modern day Catholic practices.
This is another magical indigenous population very close to San Cristobal de las Casas, where you can admire the beauty of the Church of San Lorenzo (St. Lawrence) and see first hand the laborious handmade work of the weaver women, who, with a loom at their waists, make magnificent textile pieces such as 'Huipiles' (ponchos), tablecloths, bedspreads and cushion covers.
This is another magical indigenous population very close to San Cristobal de las Casas, where you can admire the beauty of the Church of San Lorenzo (St. Lawrence) and see first hand the laborious handmade work of the weaver women, who, with a loom at their waists, make magnificent textile pieces such as 'Huipiles' (ponchos), tablecloths, bedspreads and cushion covers. You will enjoy a mini traditional lunch (beans, organic coffee, hand made tortillas and drink typical of the region) with a local family where you can learn more about its customs and traditions. Zinacantán literally means "land of bats" and comes from the Nahuatl language. People in Zinacantán speak Tzotzil(a Mayan language) and they call their own land "Sots'leb", that is, "land of bats" in their own language.
You will have time take a lunch or walk around the Zocalo and surroundings and time to buy handicrafts.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
We pick up from any hotel in Tuxtla Gutiérrez
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- The duration of transfers are approximate, the exact duration will depend on the time of day and traffic conditions
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Note: It is forbidden to take pictures inside the church
- Museo Jtatik Samuel working everyday except Monday.
Reviews(2)
While the town is very nice and well organized downtown, the most fascinating is the growth of authority for the Mayans. While most cities in the Yucatan are run by a few Spanish and many mestizos, some of the cities in Chiapas have growing power and authority by Mayans. The nearby Indigenous Villages are entirely run by Mayans under their traditional practices from the post-900 A.D. years after the royalty was overthrown. Several former Catholic churches are now run by the Mayans with a blend of Mayan and Christianity. Lovely weaving and other skills are now made and sold to visitors and create a money basis to strengthen the trading systems in the mixed stores. My experience in mestizo areas was mostly without much smiling by the Indigenous people but they were open and frequent in the exclusive Chiapas Mayan cities. Their towns expect visitor courtesy and the following of their reasonable rules. Remembering it is their town made us greatly enjoy another culture.
San Juan Chamula is a Mayan town with it's OWN form of government so please make sure to abide by the local rules that any tour guide will give you. A visit into the San Juan Bautista Church will bring a sense of tranquility and calm to your soul as the church is filled with locals praying with a mix of past beliefs in animal offerings. There are no pews but the floor is covered in pine needles and the endless lit candles to a great variety of saints keep the church warm. Prayers are in the local dialect with saints names in Spanish. NO Pictures allowed. I was presented with a local 'Ilole" (shaman) who I accompanied to his home for a spiritual cleansing which lasted about 20 minutes. Whether it was the church, the town of the cleansing..... I left feeling lighter and better. Zinacatan is another Mayan town. Unfortunately there was a big wedding taking place so we were not allowed to enter the town square or church, but instead went to a local artisan house where the clothing was exceptional and fair prices.
