Catedral

San Cristóbal de las Casas

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On the north side of the plaza, the candy-colored cathedral was begun in 1528 but wasn't completed until 1815 because of several natural disasters. Sure enough, new earthquakes struck in 1816 and also 1847, causing considerable damage, but it was restored again from 1920 to 1922. The gold-leaf interior has lots of incense smoke and candlelight as well as five gilded altarpieces featuring 18th-century paintings by Miguel Cabrera.

The cathedral was closed at time of research due to damage sustained from the 2017 earthquake.

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Nearby San Cristóbal de las Casas attractions

1. Plaza 31 de Marzo

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The leafy main plaza is a fine place to take in San Cristóbal’s unhurried highland atmosphere. Shoe-shiners, newspaper sellers and ambulantes (mobile…

2. Hotel Santa Clara

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The Hotel Santa Clara was built by Diego de Mazariegos, the Spanish conqueror of Chiapas. His coat of arms is engraved above the main portal. The house is…

3. Café Museo Café

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This combined cafe and coffee museum is a venture of Coopcafé, a grouping of more than 17,000 small-scale, mainly indigenous, Chiapas coffee growers. The…

4. Museo del Cacao

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This chocolate museum runs along an open upstairs balcony of a cafe. Learn about the history of chocolate and how it was used by the Maya. Also on display…

5. Templo de San Francisco

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Founded by the Franciscans in 1577, this fairly plain little church contains baroque altarpieces and pulpit.

6. Templo de la Caridad

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Built in 1712, the Templo (or Iglesia) de la Caridad has an imposing facade consisting of Tuscan columns and a central bell tower, decorated in the…

7. Centro Cultural El Carmen

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This ex-convent, just east of the Arco del Carmen, is a wonderful colonial building, with a large, peaceful garden. It’s now the Centro Cultural El Carmen…

8. Arco del Carmen

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The Arco del Carmen, at the southern end of the Andador Turístico on Hidalgo, dates from the late 17th century and was once the city’s gateway.