There are simple accommodations along Lago Tziscao and Lagunas de Colores. There’s not much atmosphere, but staying here does allow you to enjoy the lakes in the early morning and at dusk, free of day trippers from Comitán and San Cristóbal.

Right on Lago Tziscao, Restaurant y Cabañas Playa Escondida (tel. 963/634-9238, US$2.50 pp camping, US$6.75 pp room with shared bathroom, US$8.50 pp room with private bathroom) is by far the best place to stay in town. Renovated in 2007—and in some cases, constructed—most accommodations are in A-frame cabins that have gorgeous views of the lake. Rooms are clean, if spare, and have hot-water bathrooms and 24-hour electricity. The grounds are well tended, inviting guests to lounge about, with a rowboat or two at the ready (and free) for guests to explore the lake. There also is a decent restaurant (6 a.m.–9 p.m., US$2–5) on-site, serving classic Mexican meals, so no worries about finding good, affordable eats. Boat tours of the lake can be arranged.

A short distance further, Hotel Tziscao (tel. 963/633-5244, US$35 up to four people) has spectacularly bad service but the cabins are reasonably comfortable, making it an acceptable alternative if Playa Escondida is full. Tiny A-frame wood cabins have two queen beds and a plain bathroom; the little porch in front would be a lot nicer if the huge cinderblock restaurant weren’t plunked down right in front, blocking the view. (Somehow it’s not surprising though.)

A kilometer (0.6 mile) from the Lagunas de Colores parking lot, Cabañas Bosque Azul (aka Cabañas de Doña Josefa, tel. 963/632-5971, US$20 s/d with shared bathroom, US$29–37.50 s/d) has 20 wood-plank cabins, most with lofts and private bathrooms (hot water until 8 p.m. only). Beds are on the saggy side, and the bare bulbs and cement floors don’t help the matter, but the rooms are reasonably clean and the lake is just steps away. Pedal boats are available for guests to rent (US$12.50/hr).

The lakes’ best grub is at a cluster of open-air eateries (8 a.m.–sunset daily, US$1.25–3) facing the Lagunas de Colores parking lot, each with a handful of plastic tables set up under a low shelter. Service varies from friendly to rough-and-tumble, but the offerings are virtually identical—empanadas and quesadillas with bean, squash flower, and other fillings—prepared on a comal (griddle) over an open flame.