San Cristóbal de las Casas

A high-altitude Chiapas colonial city embedded within the territory of the Tzotzil and Tzeltal Maya peoples, San Cristóbal's colored colonial facades, the indigenous market of Santo Domingo, and proximity to the living Tzotzil villages of Chamula and Zinacantán make it the most anthropologically rich colonial city in Mexico, outperforming #2 Campeche in indigenous cultural immersion. The Zapatista movement's political and cultural presence gives the city a unique intellectual character; over 60% of visitors cite its Maya heritage as the primary draw.