Mexico Guide
Chiapas and Tabasco
Chiapas
The state of Chiapas rises from the Pacific coastal plain, backed by the peaks of the Sierra Madre de Chiapas, through the mainly agricultural Central Depression, irrigated by the Río Grijalva, up to the highlands, Los Altos de Chiapas. Beyond the highlands, to the north the mountains drop down to the Gulf coast of Tabasco, while to the east a series of great rivers, separated by the jungle-covered ridges of the Lacandón rainforest, flow into the Río Usumacinta, which forms the border with Guatemala. The climate, like the land, varies enormously. You could spend the morning basking on the beach at Puerto Arista, and then a chilly night in the old colonial capital of San Cristóbal de las Casas. As a rule, the lowlands are hot and humid, with heavy afternoon rainfall in summer, and while days in the highlands can also be hot, by evening you may need a sweater.