DAY OF THE SOULS IN CHIAPAS
Dates to be defined
SACRED HILLS
ARTISAN WORKSHOPS
COLONIAL CITY
ALTARS
LIVE AN AUTHENTIC ENCOUNTER WITH THE DEEP SOUL OF CHIAPAS
Day of the Dead is one of Mexico’s most profound and moving celebrations. In the Highlands of Chiapas, this sacred time takes on a special glow: Indigenous communities experience it as a reunion between worlds, where life and death converse, embrace, and recognize one another as part of the same living weave.
We invite you to live this experience from within, through a conscious and transformative journey that honors the spiritual roots of Chiapas’ Indigenous communities, while also connecting you with your own cycles of life, death, and rebirth.
For six days, we will immerse ourselves in Tzotzil and Tzeltal cosmovision, sharing time with local families and participating in—and learning from—their living rituals.
Through clay, embroidery, coffee, earth, and silence, we will weave bridges between the visible and the invisible, between the present moment and ancestral memory.
ITINERARY
Day 1 - Welcome to San Cristóbal de Las Casas
We arrive in San Cristóbal, the cultural heart of the Chiapas Highlands.
The fresh mountain air welcomes us, along with a warm home where we settle in.
At sunset, we gather as a group, light the first fire of the circle, and share a Chiapanecan welcome dinner. Together, we begin this journey of senses, memory, and soul.
Day 2 - Coffee, Textiles & Market Day in Tenejapa
We travel to the Tzeltal town of Tenejapa, nestled among coffee plantations and mountains. We visit a community cooperative and learn about the sacred cycles of coffee, from the earth to the cup.
It is market day, and amid aromas, colors, and voices, we gather together the elements that will nourish our altar.
Later, we discover the ancestral textile art of local weavers and visit a pomponera family, guardians of a vibrant tradition.
We close the day with a silent walk, allowing the forest to speak.
Day 3 – Clay & Embroidery in Amatenango del Vallelle
We travel to Amatenango del Valle, the cradle of women potters. Here, with our own hands, we shape clay in an experiential workshop that connects creation, earth, and tradition.
We share lunch with a local family and witness the preparations for the Day of the Souls: homes transform, cemeteries awaken.
In the afternoon, in Aguacatenango, we embroider flowers onto fabric in an intimate workshop that honors patience and color.
We close the day with a moment of landscape contemplation, where water and mountain hold a quiet conversation.
Day 4 – Sk’inal ch’ulelaletik: The Light of the Soul in the Chiapas Highlands
Early in the morning, we travel to the sacred hill of El Romerillo, where Chamula families gather to honor their deceased with candles, flowers, pine branches, fruit, incense, and posh, the ceremonial corn liquor. The atmosphere vibrates with chants, offerings, and living memory.
Afterwards, we visit the Indigenous cemetery of Zinacantán, guided by a Tzotzil family who later welcomes us into their home for a lovingly prepared lunch and shares with us the art of backstrap loom weaving.
Free afternoon to integrate the experience, wander through the city, or simply rest.
Day 5 – Macario and Altar Ritual
We dedicate our final day to a symbolic journey inspired by Macario, the short story by B. Traven brought to film by Roberto Gavaldón.
The Historic Center and the San Cristóbal Cemetery become both stage and mirror: we walk among altars, candles, and flavors, guided by literature, cinema, and Mexican popular culture.
We conclude with a collective ritual:
We light the altar we have been nourishing for days, share pan de muerto and sweet pumpkin, and allow cinema to close the circle.
Day 6 - Return Home
We say goodbye to Chiapas with hearts full of memories, learnings, and sweet aromas.
We have honored death, celebrated life, and carry with us the certainty that another way of traveling—more conscious, more human, more sacred—is possible.
Who you’re travelling with
ABOUT GABY
Historian · Certified Guide · Experience Designer · Birdwatcher
Since 2003, she has lived in San Cristóbal de las Casas, where she cultivates her passion for history, art, and Indigenous peoples. As a historian, she has researched pre-Hispanic art and Mayan iconography, discovering their living presence in contemporary traditions.
Gaby guides not only routes, but journeys into the cultural heart of Chiapas.