San Juan Chamula and Zinacantan Tour: Explore Indigenous Communities and Traditions
4.5
4 Ratings
San Juan Chamula
Immerse yourself in the rich indigenous cultures of San Juan Chamula and Zinacantan on this tour. Explore traditional churches, learn about religious traditions, and experience the art of making typical clothing and tasting traditional cuisine.
Duration:
6 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- San Juan Chamula - After the Pickup at the indicated hotel, we will begin our transfer to the indigenous community of San Juan Chamula where we will get to know the Church and its religious traditions, and we will visit the traditional pantheon.
- Church of St. Juan Bautista - For a small fee, tourists can visit the church, a very peculiar place whose interior cannot be photographed due to the same beliefs of the inhabitants. The architecture of the temple is colonial in style, however, both the interior and exterior are painted white and the stone of the original construction has been completely covered. Inside there are no traditional benches to sit and pray, as the inhabitants kneel and pray. They create a very special mystical atmosphere by performing rituals that are the product of the mixture of the evangelization of the 16th century with the pre-Hispanic Mayan religious beliefs. Believers pray in front of multicolored candles of different sizes, there are usually rows of candles attached to the ground. Also the floor is almost completely covered with the branch of a pine, since the Chamula beliefs consider it a sacred tree and with the objective of being in front of God, they come closer through the pine and the candlelight
- Cementerio de San Juan Chamula - The cemetery is a peculiar place, where the tombs have no headstones and the crosses are of multiple colors.
- Iglesia de San Lorenzo - The temple of San Lorenzo Mártir, in Zinacantán, is one of the architectural jewels of Mexico and the world. The church of colonial origin, remodeled at the beginning of the 20th century, is an essential part of the economic life of the area, due to the tourist influx that visits it.
- Zinacantan - Then we visit a family from the community to learn how they make their typical clothes on a backstrap loom, and savor a bite in their traditional cuisine.
What's Included
- Climate-controlled vehicle for comfort
- All-inclusive pricing with fees and taxes
What's Not Included
- Food and drinks
- Entrance to the Church in San Juan Chamula, additional cost of Mx 50.00
Additional Information
This tour the pick up starts at 9:00 am, he went to pick you up at your hotel. The duration of the collection lasts 30 min. Tour in Spanish and English.
After Pickup at the indicated hotel, we will start our transfer to the indigenous community of San Juan Chamula where we will get to know the Church and its religious traditions, and visit the traditional pantheon. Later we will move to Zinacantán to appreciate the church and then visit a community family to learn how to make their typical clothing on a backstrap loom and enjoy their traditional cuisine. The tour ends in the center of San Cristóbal de las Casas.
Location
San Juan Chamula
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.5
(4 Ratings)
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1 star
Paul_n
Apr 10, 2022
Not worth it except for church - San Juan church is only thing worth seeing. Rest of tour could have been missed. In hindsight Uber there and back to the church would have been better.
Review provided by Viator
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