Tuxtla Gutierrez (capital city)

Location: Chiapas State, southern Mexico
Distance from Mexico City: 611 miles southeast
Population: 450,000
Closest major airport: Tuxtla Gutierrez International Airport (TGZ)
Time Zone: Central Standard Time

Tuxtla Gutierrez, the state capital, is a modern city with a unique mixture of Mexican and Central American traditions. Founded by the Zoque Indians in a lush valley, the city is formerly known as Coyatoc, meaning land of rabbits. Between 1486 and 1505, the Aztecs invaded the region and called it Tochtlan, a Nahuatl word meaning the same as Coyatoc. The Spaniards later changed the city’s name to Tuxtla and in 1848, Gutierrez was added in honor of the military man and politician who supported its independence.

Some of the city’s most interesting monuments include the Cathedral of San Marcos, built in the mid-16th century, and the Mudejar fountain, featuring brick arches and a spiral staircase.

Tuxtla´s museums are also worth visiting. The Regional Museum of Chiapas showcases prehispanic and pre-Classic paintings, as well as steel work and Mayan buildings. The Handicrafts Museum displays craftwork produced by the indigenous groups who inhabited the Chiapas region and stocks a wide range of local articles. Shopping for handicrafts is also available in the downtown area, craft markets and the Chiapa de Corzo jetty.

The city’s surroundings also offer a variety of sights to see. The Sumidero Canyon, eight miles away from the city, as well as the Plaza Civica and the Miguel Alvarez del Toro Zoo, regarded as one of the finest in Latin America, are some of the major nearby attractions.

The forests, animal and plant species, savannas, canyons and magnificent rivers surrounding the city make the area home to one of the greatest biodiversities in the world. El Chorreadero Waterfall, with naturally formed pools and dense forests, is one of the most breathtaking natural sites to visit. Other sites include the La Venta Canyon, a nearly 50-mile-long geological formation, and Laguna Verde, 40 miles outside Tuxtla, ideal for the eco-tourists and offering horseback riding, swimming, boat rides and sports fishing.