The Sumidero Canyon (Cañón del Sumidero) in the state of Chiapas was, up to that point of our trip, the attraction we liked most in Mexico – and we still recommend it as one of the best places in the country. Words can’t describe it; you have to see it. On 3 November 2023, while staying in San Cristóbal de las Casas, we went there on a day trip: first three viewpoints above the canyon, then a two-hour speedboat ride between cliffs up to 1200 metres high, and finally the colonial town of Chiapa de Corzo.
Table of contents
- Viewpoints above the canyon
- A speedboat ride through the canyon
- Crocodiles and the canyon’s wildlife
- Chiapa de Corzo and a michelada
- Practical information
Viewpoints above the canyon
The trip started on the side of the city of Tuxtla Gutiérrez, with three viewpoints (miradores) on the rim of the canyon. From above you can best see how deeply the river has cut into the rock. On our own we would probably have skipped them, but it is worth seeing the canyon both from above and from below – the two perspectives are completely different.
A speedboat ride through the canyon
At the landing in Osumacinta we switched to a speedboat. The ride takes about two hours and follows the river from the dam of the Manuel Moreno Torres hydroelectric power station (Chicoasén) to Chiapa de Corzo – you can also go the other way. For most of the way you sail along vertical cliffs up to 1200 metres high.
We went fast, so every now and then we got splashed – at about 30°C and with plenty of sunshine nobody minded; it was a nice change after chilly San Cristóbal. Whenever the guide had something to tell us or we passed an interesting spot, the boat slowed down.
The most impressive part is the middle section of the canyon, where the walls come close together and the river flows through a narrow gorge between them. The sun was sometimes at an awkward angle for photos, but in person the views are incredible.
Parts of the slopes are covered with moss, ferns and dense vegetation growing straight out of the rock walls.
The whole trip – from the viewpoints to Chiapa de Corzo – is shown in this video:
6:51Crocodiles and the canyon’s wildlife
The canyon is a national park (Parque Nacional Cañón del Sumidero) and home to many animals – among others crocodiles, jaguarundis, ocelots and curassows live here. During the ride you can admire both the landscape and the wildlife. We managed to spot two crocodiles – a small one and a big one, both almost completely submerged. They were the first crocodiles I had ever seen in the wild – leaving me wanting a little more, because they were hard to see.
Chiapa de Corzo and a michelada
The boat ride ends in Chiapa de Corzo – a colonial riverside town with Pueblo Mágico (“magical town”) status. We had a little under two hours here. Most of the group went to a restaurant, while we went for a short walk: there is a pretty square, Plaza de Armas Ángel Albino Corzo, the church of Santo Domingo de Guzmán and lots of little bars by the water.
In one of them we tried a michelada for the first time – a drink made of beer, lime juice, various sauces, spices and chilli peppers (there are many variations; ours was supposedly a mango and tamarind version, though we couldn’t really taste those additions). A litre cost 150 MXN (about €8), and we disliked the taste so much that it put us off trying another one for quite a while.
The next day we went with the same agency to the El Chiflón waterfalls and the Montebello lakes.
Practical information
- Organised tour or on your own? – We explored Mexico independently, but here we chose an organised tour for the first time (in 65 days in Mexico there were only two of them), because it was cheaper and, above all, faster. We paid 450 MXN (about €24) per person, while the entrance fees alone would have cost 343 MXN – the speedboat ride 285 MXN and the viewpoints 58 MXN – plus the transport, about 2 hours each way.
- Tour operator – we went with the agency Explorando Chiapas, which worked with our hostel in San Cristóbal; at other agencies the same tour cost 500 MXN (prices from November 2023).
- Time – the whole trip from San Cristóbal takes about 8 hours and covers about 200 km. In our opinion the timing was just right and we wouldn’t change a thing.
- What to bring – it is much warmer in the canyon than in San Cristóbal (about 30°C when we were there), so a hat and sunscreen will come in handy; on the speedboat you regularly get splashed.
Photo gallery
