Surrounded by magnificent pine-covered peaks, San Cristobal accepts its beauty with the naïveté of a child. Simple homes in a range of bight colours line cobblestone streets, and even the hordes of foreign backpackers don’t diminish the city’s cozy, exotic appeal.

If you want to learn more about native weaving and culture, visit the Museo Sergio Castro. Art historian Sergio Castro gives nightly lectures and slide shows about local weaving and shows his considerable collection.

Another home-turned-museum is Na Blom. Long-time Chiapas residents Swiss photojournalist Trudy Blom and her husband, Danish archaeologist Franz Blom, for decades welcomed students, researches, and Lacandon Indians into their home. Tours provide insight into this unique guesthouse, restaurant, botanical garden, and research library.