You’re sure to want at least three days in San Cristóbal, and most travelers would have no trouble staying twice that long, or more. Take a day or two to hit the city’s “obvious” sights, including museums, churches, plazas, and markets, which are numerous and fascinating. Spend another day or two visiting the outlying indigenous villages; San Juan Chamula and Zinacantán are must-sees, but a visit to one or more of the lesser-known communities has its own, often more sublime, reward.

And be sure to budget some time to simply soak up San Cristóbal’s atmosphere, whether lounging in the central plaza, writing postcards at a coffee house, catching a documentary at an art-house theater, or enjoying live music and a drink at a local bar.

San Cristóbal’s main pedestrian walkway, known as el andador, runs though the heart of downtown, with the zócalo and cathedral in the middle, and Santo Domingo church and the Templo Carmen archway on its northern and southern ends. Almost 10 blocks long, the walkway is lined with shops and restaurants, and is always pleasantly busy. (Note: The northern section is technically Avenida 20 de Noviembre, and the southern section is Av Miguel Hidalgo, though few people refer to either as such.)

The first three blocks of Real de Guadalupe (extending east from the zócalo) are also a pedestrian walkway, though el andador always refers to the original.