The terrain of Chiapas ranges from the Pacific coastal
plain, backed by the peaks of the Sierra Madre de Chiapas, through
the mainly agricultural Central Depression, irrigated by the Río
Grijalva, rising again to the highlands, Los Altos de
Chiapas . Beyond the highlands the land falls away again: in
the north to the Gulf coast plain of Tabasco, while to the east a
series of great rivers, separated by the jungle-covered ridges of
the Lacandón rainforest , flow into the Río Usumacinta,
which forms the border with Guatemala. The climate , too,
can vary enormously. In one theoretical day you could be basking on
the beach at Puerto Arista in the morning, and spending a chilly
night by a fireside in the old colonial capital of San Cristóbal
de las Casas . Generally the lowlands can be almost unbearably
hot and humid, with heavy afternoon rainfall in summer, making a
dip in the sea or river (or pool) a daily necessity. Days in the
highlands can also be hot, and you'll need to carry water if you're
hiking, but by evening you may need a sweater.
For its size Chiapas has the greatest biological
diversity in North America. A visit to the zoo in the
state capital of Tuxtla Gutiérrez , which houses only
animals native to the state, will whet your appetite for the
region's natural wonders. In the huge Montes Azules Biosphere
Reserve , reached from Palenque, a section of the largest
remaining rainforest in North America has been preserved. This is
also the home of the Lacandón Maya , who retreated into the
forest when the Spanish arrived, and shunned contact until fifty
years ago. There's cloudforest in the south, protected in
the El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve and, far easier to visit,
the beautiful lakes and hills of the Lagos de Montebello
National Park .
The Classic-period Maya site of Palenque , on the
northern edge of the highlands, is one of Mexico's finest ancient
sites and has been the focus of much recent restoration work. The
limestone hills in this area are pierced by crystal-clear rivers,
creating exquisite waterfalls - most spectacularly at Agua
Azul . Palenque is also the best starting point for a trip down
the Usumacinta valley , to visit the remote ruins of
Bonampak and Yaxchilán and you can stay nearby in the
Lacandón village of Lacanjá . The newly paved Frontier
Highway pushes on south beyond these sites, through the growing
town of Benemérito, where you can get a boat to Guatemala ,
or visit Ixcán , on the Río Lacantún , where some new
tourist accommodation (sponsored by the state government to
encourage economic development) enables you to visit the southern
edge of the Monte Azules Reserve. The highway is now served by
buses day and night, enabling you to travel on to the Lagos de
Montebello and back to San Cristóbal; passing frequent army
checkpoints along the route.
Travelling around Chiapas is not difficult: the main cities are
connected by a network of good, all-weather roads and the
Pan-American Highway passes from west to east through some
of the most spectacular scenery in the state. In the south the
coastal highway offers a speedy route from Arriaga , near
the Oaxaca border, to Tapachula , almost on the frontier
with Guatemala. In the out-of-the-way places, particularly in the
jungle, travel is by dirt roads, which, though generally well
maintained, can cause problems in the rainy season. These more
remote places are also fairly well served by public transport,
though it's more likely to be combis and trucks taking
people and produce to and from markets, than the comfortable buses
of the main roads.