Steeped in Mayan heritage, the countrys southernmost state is Mexico at its most unexpected.

Shyly, I poked my head inside the church.

The haze of copal incense smoke, flickering candlelight, and the low hum of prayer drew me in.

Two photos showing a waterfall near Palenque, Mexico, and a ceviche dish

From left: The 115-foot-tall Misol Ha waterfall, in Salto de Agua, near Palenque; sea bass and shrimp ceviche at Tierra y Cielo, in San Cristóbal de Las Casas.Credit: Joaquin Trujillo

At first, the religious cues felt familiar enough.

Worshippers knelt amid thousands of candles as rays of morning light streaked through windows into the cavernous space.

But as my eyes adjusted to the dim glow, I realized everything else was unfamiliar.

Sumidero Canyon and the Grijalva River, in Chiapas, Mexico

The walls of Sumidero Canyon rise 3,300 feet above the Grijalva River.Joaquin Trujillo

There were no pews, no formal mass, no crucifixes.

Instead, saints with the iconographic power of Mayan deities lined the walls.

It’s combined with a form of Catholicism that places John the Baptist above Christ.

Two photos from Chiapas, Mexico, one showing a colorful guest room at a hotel, one showing a man by a swimming pool in the jungle

From left: A suite at Hotel Bo, in San Cristóbal de Las Casas; the jungle-fringed swimming pool at Palenque’s Quinta Chanabnal.Joaquin Trujillo

Rocking back and forth, she took his pulse as his parents hovered, their eyes closed in prayer.

Nor did I encounter a single unreturned smile.

San Cristobal’s historic center, meanwhile, offers abundant shopping, eating, and cultural experiences.

A woman in a white dress walks past a mural of colorful flowers in Mexico

A mural on the street in San Cristóbal de Las Casas.Joaquin Trujillo

You’ll also want to make pilgrimages to the spectacular archaeological sites of Tonina and Palenque.

Here’s my suggested itinerary, broken down into regions.

In Chiapas, there’s nowhere else like it.

Two photos from Chiapas, Mexico, one showing an artist, and one showing Mayan ruins in the jungle

From left: French-born Anne-Sophie Guerinaud is an artist-in-residence at the Omorika workshop in San Cristóbal; the Mayan ruins of Yaxchilán, near the Mexico-Guatemala border.Joaquin Trujillo

At night, the streets, bars, and restaurants came to life with locals and tourists.

The truly spectacular Tonina is an archaeological site etched into a hillside.

Its temples and palaces were abandoned after the ninth century.

Two photos from Chiapas, Mexico. One shows a cocktail made with mezcal, and another shows chef Jorge Gordillo in front of a photograph in his restaurant

From left: The Maracuyá y Yerbabuena, a mezcal-based cocktail served at Hotel Bo; Jorge Gordillo, the chef at Tarumba, a restaurant in San Cristóbal.Joaquin Trujillo

After you’ve walked the site for a couple of hours, head to the parking lot.

You will find our favorite restaurants, hotels, and must-see things to do.

five-day trips from $2,000 per person.

Plates of food on a wooden table

Dishes from various stalls at Esquina San Agustín, a food hall in San Cristóbal’s historic center.Joaquin Trujillo