Tobasco and Chiapas Overview

The Yucatán Peninsula technically ends at Campeche, but the peninsula’s culture and history extend past its boarders, into Tabasco and on to Chiapas. Just visit the ruins at Palenque and you’ll see that Mayan culture and brilliance is well and alive in this part of the country. Head to Villahermosa, Tabasco’s capital, to get away from your fellow tourists and enjoy a cup of pozol with the locals.

If Villahermosa’s noise and bustle are beginning to wear on you, visit Chiapas’ charming San Cristóbal de las Casas, a significant city in its own right, with excellent dining, friendly locals, and plenty of backpackers and budget accommodations. Chiapas is the poorest state in Mexico, and has been wrought with political turmoil since 1994 when the Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional (Zapatista National Liberation Army) rebelled against the Mexican government on New Year’s Day. The Mexican government restrained them, but in 2000 they renewed their resistance and declared their territory an independent and autonomous government from Mexico. The region now is fairly stable: the zapatistas’ actions are primarily nonviolent—they often focus on building schools and health facilities in the area—and they have lost much of their local support. Even with this unrest, the region as a whole remains a cultural capital.