Birdwatching from our Porch
After the Tehuantepec, as tame as it was, I was content to rest a bit at Marina Chiapas. It’s a peaceful setting surrounded by mangroves, with few boats going in and out, no obnoxious jet skis or early fishing pangas rocking our boat with their wake. I woke up naturally with the sun here and enjoyed many cups of coffee, watching the birds take flight. Left to my own lazy devices I may have whiled away all my time hibernating on the boat in this fashion before departing for El Salvador. But alas, our energetic traveling friends shook Michael & I out of our stupor reminding us that we would likely never travel this way again. So, we set aside our best-laid budget and packed a suitcase. Touring around the state of Chiapas was indeed– to quote our friend Bob on Paradisea– an OLTE (a Once in a LifeTime Experience).
Meet Our Tour Guides
Miguel and our driver Manuel
To see the sites in this mountainous state, we hired a tour guide who quickly became our friend. Miguel Angel Alvarez Davila operates Tours Discover Chiapas. He and his knowledgable crew took our group (Footloose, Paradisea and Sonamara) on some safe and gorgeous adventures.
Quick Tour to Nearby Chocolate Town and Izapa
We first did a day tour to nearby Chocolate Town and the Izapa Ruins. Chocolate Town is aptly named as it’s the home to generations of chocolate makers. We met Josefina who famously won an international chocolate competition in Italy or France. Quite an honor. She demonstrated her techniques, which she learned from her grandmother and mother. Sadly, her children have other ambitions, but her granddaughter sat watching nearby, so perhaps the tradition will not be lost!
Izapa Ruins are only an hour drive. Miguel and our other guide, Favio, are amateur historians with a great interest in Maya Culture, so their insights were invaluable.
Five-Day Tour to Palenque and San Cristóbal de las Casas
Palenque, Maya Archeological Site
Next, we took a 5-day tour to visit Palenque and San Cristóbal de las Casas. The drive itself was spectacular — winding around the majestic Sierra Madres, mango tree orchards, hillside towns, and more. It was a long drive, about 12 hours to Palenque from the Marina on our first day. We did stop for lunch in Villa Hermosa for fantastic Grilled Chicken at a roadside stop. A feast for 80 pesos. And the rewards for enduring the long drive in a van with 9 people are evident in these photos. We were all taken in by this historic place.
The city of Palenque is home to this major Mayan Archeological Site and National Park. This Maya city state flourished in the 7th Century. Archeologists continue with excavations at this site with only a small percentage of buildings yet uncovered from the surrounding rain forest. goose bumps.
After climbing all those steps we enjoyed dinner and a night’s rest in town. But not before a stop at the Aluxes Wildlife Park.
San Cristóbal de las Casas
Santo Domingo Cathedral, San Cristobal de las Casas
Day three, off to San Cristóbal de las Casas, considered the cultural capital of Chiapas. We arrived just in time for dinner and sleep. The next day was full of walks, museums (including Casa Na Bolom) and exploring this magical hillside city. Many people from around the world have found their home here. It’s got a good blend of folk with exiled hippies mingling with indigenous people, some hipsters, artists and tourists.
And now for the long drive back to our boats on day five, with a stop for a hike and spectacular view of El Chiflon Waterfalls.
Cascadas El Chiflon
El Chiflon features five waterfalls at different levels. Great hike and even a zip line for those so inclined.
Some Takeaways from the Tour
Tour guides are worth it: Before arriving in Chiapas we were warned about robberies along the tourist route. Miguel explained that along the road from San Cristóbal to Palenque, there are some indigenous people that are angry and misguided. On occasion they have thrown up road blocks and robbed some tour buses. With Miguel’s local knowledge he knew to take us on a different route, though longer, Safe.
Best New Road Snack: Plantain Chips with Valentina’s Hot Sauce
Best posed question and sure way to make a tour guide blush: What are “Auto Hotels‘?- A place to pull in for a secret romantic afternoon. Basically a garage with a bed and bathroom you can pull in to and no one sees the lady in question…
A popular & plentiful business in these parts: Vulcanizadora – a tire fixing place. Luckily we didn’t blow a tire.
Timely: Seeing segments of the “caravan” underway. Miguel explained that Mexico too, does not want them to enter Illegally; however, once here, the towns (and country) do what they can to help them. We saw medical teams set up at check points. Trucks picking up families with children to drive them for a distance. Food and supplies, shelter, good will. Federales are on the look out for MS13 members.
Most Astounding Mystery: Why did the Mayan people abandon this flourishing empire? Since it was re-discovered in 1567, a huge number of inscriptions and sculptures have been the key to unlocking historical secrets, although opinion is still divided on why Palenque was abandoned. Was it famine? Invasion from a neighboring state? A calendar mix-up?
and lastly, thanks again to our friend, Captain Bob on Paradisea, for a new defining motto, “OLTE” — never pass one up!
Fair winds everyone-
Lisa and Michael