DAY OF THE DEAD IN CHIAPAS

In the morning we will visit the Museum and Park of La Venta, created in 1958 when oil exploration threatened this important ancient Olmec settlement. Archaeologists moved the most important artifacts from the site, including three colossal stone heads, to this park.

The Olmec culture flourished along the Gulf Coast of Mexico from about 1200 B.C. to 400 B.C. It had a great influence on later cultures, such as the Maya.

In the afternoon, we will enjoy exotic local food in Palenque. We will also visit an excellent Chol embroidery workshop.

We will visit one of the most elegant Mayan cities. Palenque is a medium-sized site, but it contains some of the finest architecture, sculpture, roof comb and bas-relief carvings that the Maya produced.

Much of Palenque’s history has been reconstructed by reading the hieroglyphic inscriptions on its many monuments.

On the way into the jungle we will have a nice dinner with a local Chol family and a refreshing swim in the turquoise waterfalls of Roberto Barrios.

In the morning we visit the small archeological site of Bonampak. The murals painted in three rooms feature near-perfectly preserved frescoes. A great source of evidence of ancient Mayan life. Afterwards we will prepare Mukbi’kash – a typical Lacandon lunch – with our host family.

In the afternoon we take a short walk in the jungle with a local guide. She knows a lot about the medicinal use of plants. Back home we have a workshop on Lacandoon handicrafts.

The archeological site of Yaxchilan is only reachable by a pleasant boat ride on the Usumacinta River on the border with Guatemala. 

It is the place where nature and man meet in harmony. The temples, plazas, and story-telling carvings and sculptures are swallowed by its jungle surroundings. 

When visiting Yaxchilan, you really feel like an 18th-century archeologist discovering the mysteries of this ancient Mayan site.

Back in the village on the river shore, we take a meal and leave for another Lacandoon community.

In the morning we will head to the small Lacandon community of Metzabok (which means “God of Thunder”). Here an expert local guide will take us on a cayuco (small indigenous canoe) ride on the crystal clear lagoon. On the shores of the lake we admire fascinating Mayan cave paintings.

We will also land on a trail that will take us to an amazing viewpoint where we can enjoy the splendor of the lagoon and the beautiful landscape that surrounds it.

In the afternoon we arrive at our hotel in the small colonial town of Ocosingo.

The pyramids of the ancient Mayan city of Tonina rise high above the valley of Ocosingo, but deep beneath the site’s most important pyramid is a crypt that sheds new light on the rites and rituals of death that allowed this civilization to live on after death.

In the afternoon we arrive in the colonial city of San Cristobal de Las Casas.

The colonial streets and alleys of San Cristóbal de Las Casas, lined with red roof tiles and whitewashed walls, invite you to wander around. The city is characterized by authentic colonial architecture and an artistic and bohemian flair.

We will visit the local market to purchase typical items for your altar, such as flowers and candles. In the afternoon, we will make a brief visit to the cemetery and church of San Juan Chamula, and then go to the home of a Tzotzil indigenous family in Zinacantan. Together we will prepare the altar and food for the Day of the Dead.

At night we will go to the village cemetery, where we will admire the beautiful floral arrangements and the people dressed in colorful flower embroidered clothes.

We leave early for the sacred burial hill of El Romerillo, where the Tzotsil Chamula people gather to honor their dead. Families gather around the graves, which are decorated with pine branches, flowers, fruit, and candles. They offer incense, soft drinks and locally brewed corn liquor to their loved ones and play traditional music. At the same time, it feels like a festival, with many food stalls and rides for the children.

Afterwards we go to Amatenango del Valle, a small Tseltal village. At 1:30 pm we stop for lunch in Teopisca. In Amatenango the atmosphere is much more solemn on the Day of the Dead. After visiting the burial mound, we will visit a family for a little pottery demonstration.

In the morning we will visit the cemetery of San Cristóbal. Afterwards we’ll have a workshop to learn how to prepare the bread for the Day of the Dead. 

The afternoon is free for shopping and relaxing.

Today it’s time to go home.

But before we say goodbye at the airport of Tuxtla Gutierrez, we have a spectacular boat tour through the Sumidero Canyon. The cliffs of the great canyon along the Grijalva River rise about 900 meters above sea level.