Chiapa de Corzo
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◈ On the banks of the Río Grijalva, on the way up towards the mountains of Los Altos, is the town of Chiapa de Corzo. Once you are part of it, you will spend your life beneath the shade of the thousand-year-old ceiba tree; you will accompany the pozol vendors while you refresh yourself drinking some of this delicious drink; you will participate in the process of making laca handicrafts, and why not, you will meet the Nandayapa siblings and learn how to build and play the marimba.
- See the ruins of the San Sebastián church on top of the hill, el Cerro de San Gregorio.
- Walk around La Pila, the Mudejar-inspired fountain that town has been proud to boast since 1562.
- Try drinks made from maize in the market: pozol and tascalate.
- Go for a boat ride along the river, from Chiapa de Corzo all the way to the dam.
Go for a boat ride along the river, departing from Chiapa de Corzo and going all the way to Presa Chicoasén.
❖ 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.
❖ Walk Along the Corredor Artesanal
It would appear that in this Magical Town, its handicrafts revolve around the Fiesta Grande. Toles and pumpos laqueados (lacquered receptacles), flowery dresses and carved masks are prepared in advance for their role in this tradition that has UNESCO World Heritage status. Take a few hours to wander through the workshops that form the Handicrafts Corridor, where you will meet the masters in the art of lacquer, the expert embroiderers of the flower-covered dresses worn by women in Chiapas and the experienced wood carvers, who for generations have given shape to the masks used by Los Parachicos.
❖ Canyoneering in
Cañada Jaguar
Be audacious and give canyoneering a try in Cañada Jaguar, an activity that is the perfect combination of nature and adventure.
Activity’s Challenges
- Hiking
- Rappel
Zone: Juan del Grijalva, Chiapa de Corzo, Chiapas
Approximate duration: 6 hours
Time from meeting point to destination: 1 hour
Duration: 1 day
❖ Savor Some Pozol and Tascalate
Head towards the town market and try the region’s two emblematic drinks made from maize. The first is pozol, which contains ground cacao and other ingredients as well as cold water. Tascalate, as well as maize and cacao, has achiote (a spicy, nutty condiment) and cinnamon. Both drinks are delicious and very refreshing. Whether it be during your wanderings or after you walk through this Magical Town, enjoy them while sitting on one of the main plaza’s benches.
Image: Alejandra Mendoza Santillan
❖ Los Parachicos in the Fiesta Grande
Music, dance, handicrafts, gastronomy and religious ceremonies come together in this long festivity that takes place between the 4th and the 23rd of January in honor of the Señor de Esquipulas (15th January), San Antonio Abad (17th January), and especially San Sebastián (20th January). Few traditional festivals on the continent give off as much intense energy as this one does. The Fiesta Grande is a collective offering to the venerated saints. Its most spectacular part is Los Parachicos, an expression that describes a group of dancers as well as the type of dance they execute. Los Parachicos travel around the town with the saints’ images and visiting different holy places. But the party is also a banquet of collective meals (with local and delicious dishes) and the perfect occasion to sell handicrafts. It is also very much about socializing and the re-telling of the myths and traditions of this mestiza (mixed ethnicity) community.
❖ Fiesta de Corpus Christi
The Danza del Calalá takes place during Corpus Christi Festival, accompanied by indigenous music played with drums and reed flutes; this is one of Chiapas’ authentic religious and cultural expressions. Of pre-Hispanic origin, this dance was intended to scare away evil and ask the gods for a good harvest. Calalá comes from the Chiapaneco word Calaahlau, which means “where the deer come from”.
Image: Mariela Teco
❖ Baile de las Chuntáes
The Dance of the Chuntáes takes place during the Fiesta Grande de Chiapa de Corzo. With music, color and celebration, the parading of these characters starts in the afternoon on January 8th. They visit many churches, including San Jacinto, El Calvario, San Gregorio, and Santo Domingo, where they reveal their roots to the beat of the tambourine and reed flutes, taking their offering to San Sebastián Mártir.
The word Chunta has Chiapas origins, it means “servant” or “maid”. This tradition is an important part of the town’s history, and it involves hundreds of men dressed as women who represent, according to legend, the servants of a Spanish woman called María de Angulo, who during the colonial period helped the town emerge from famine.
