San Juan Chamula

A community of Tzotzil-Maya Indians, the name of which means “Thick Water”, it has become well-known because of the participation of its inhabitants (“Chamulas”) in syncretistic rituals with singular devotion and solemnity. It is important not to take photos within the village, though one may outside of it, but never of the religious authorities. If one takes pictures of the townspeople, one must do so with respect and with their permission.

Zinacantán

The Tzotzil name means “Place of Bats”. The sacred spaces that make up this place are marked by hills that surround a small valley and the complex formed by the Church of San Lorenzo and the chapels dedicated to the Christ of Esquipulas and Saint Sebastian. The community museum Sna Jsotz’Lebetik (Home to Bats) is a traditional building made of mud and straw, where the cultural hoard of the natives of Zinacatán is presented in synthesis. Guides are provided for visitors, and local craftsmen demonstrate their way of working.