One of Mexico's oldest post-Colonial cities, San Cristobal de las Casas is located 37 miles east of Chiapas' capital, Tuxtla Gutierrez, in the heart of the Chiapas highlands. Peppered with unique examples of Mudejar, Baroque and Neoclassical architecture, this unique town, home to ethnically diverse populations, has been called Pueblo Magico ("Magical Town") due to its history and culture. This cultural richness has attracted an expatriate community, and meeting venues in San Cristobal reflect this internationality.
To get to San Cristobal by plane, groups fly into the Angel Albino Corzo International Airport (TGZ) located in Chiapa de Corzo, 43 miles from San Cristobal. The airport has direct flights from Houston, Monterrey, Guadalajara, Mexico City and Tapachula. The city is also accessible by car or bus via Mexico's well-maintained highway system. OCC, ADO, Aexa and Omnibus are all bus companies with service to and from San Cristobal.
Among the convention venues in San Cristobal is the Casa Mazariegos, which is one of Mexico's most original meeting spaces. Renovated in 2002, it is located in Diego de Mazariegos' 16th-century house and is a site for social and cultural events, business meetings, as well as academic and scientific conferences. This convention center can host up to 500 participants classroom-style, and has a total of 6,917 square feet of event space, housed in a traditional Chiapaneca Viceregal architectural style.
Special event venues in San Cristobal include the El Carmen Convention Center, two theaters, the law school auditorium, the city's two cultural centers, the Fine Arts hall, the Amber Museum and a park surrounded with arches. The Hotel Villa Mercedes is another great option for events and meetings, offering 67 guest rooms, and 6 different meeting and banquet rooms. With a combined events space totaling 5,060 square feet, the Villa Mercedes' hosting capacity ranges from 10 to 600 people.
Once the regional capital, the city was officially named San Cristobal de la Casas in 1934, in tribute to Bartolome de las Casas, Chiapas' first resident bishop, known for his advocacy work on behalf of New World Natives. The city's main appeal lies in its diverse architecture and plazas, examples of which include the Main Plaza, with its 20th-century gazebo, and the San Cristobal Cathedral, the construction of which began in 1528. The city boasts an array of former convents and churches, as well as a plethora of unique museums. The city's most notable museum, the Na Bolom Museum, houses a splendid collection of photographs, artisan crafts, archaeological artifacts and anthropological relics from the region's deeply rooted indigenous past.
Photo by Flickr user : jackbravo
