❖ Cañón del Sumidero
This majestic geological fault line through which the Río Grijalva flows as it leaves the center of Chiapas and descends towards the Gulf of Mexico is the state’s most emblematic geographic feature. It formed 36 million years ago, its cliff walls reach over 3,280 feet tall, and in some sections, the ravine stretches up to 1.2 miles wide.
The classic way of seeing the canyon is by covering its entire length on board a boat. It’s around 20 miles from Chiapa de Corzo all the way to the Presa Chicoasén dam wall, offering spectacular panoramic views all along. The jetties of Belisario Domínguez, Cahuaré, Unidad Deportiva and Chiapa de Corzo make this experience possible. Caves, runoffs down the canyon walls and unusual rock formations alternate with dense rainforest and sandbanks.
The canyon is also home to great curassow birds, spider monkeys and river crocodiles. If you’re lucky you might spot ant eaters, wild cats, as well as the occasional brocket and white-tailed deer. Red-tailed hawks, vultures and sparrow hawks fly above the rocky landscape. To appreciate it from above, like the birds, there are various viewpoints you can access from the road leading to Tuxtla Gutiérrez: La Ceiba, La Coyota, El Roblar, El Tepehuaje and Los Chiapa.
❖ La Pila
This emblematic fountain of Mudejar inspiration is made entirely of red brick and was completed in 1562. It is located in the Plaza de Armas, where its pochota (a thousand-year-old ceiba tree) has stood ever since before the arrival of the Spanish. Around the square you will find Los Portales, which ever since its construction in the 18th century have been filled with restaurants and stores, although most of these now sell handicrafts.
❖ Casa Museo de la Marimba Nandayapa
At the Marimba Nandayapa House Museum, the four Nandayapa Vargas siblings build and play the marimba. Through a didactic concert, they tell the story of their instruments. Five galleries, a marimba production workshop, and an audiovisual hall form part of this museum that houses the pieces that tell the story of their history and evolution.