# Magical Mystery Tour



## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

First you must get from San Cristóbal de Las Casas to the Zapatista village of San Andres Larrainzar over nice, if rudimentary, roads, a distance of perhaps 30 kilometers and the journey becomes even more exotic from there. These back country roads through indescribably beautiful mountains, many with vertible cultivated fields tilled by what must be superhuman acrobats, are so spectacular and lush Green as to defy belief but I will suggest a route to see this other-worldly place anyway.

On this route, take the road out of Larrainzar and drive the short but spectacular distance to the village of Aldama - a village perched on sheer cliffs overlooking mountains and canyons that stretch the imagination. Then, you must return to Larrainzar and take the road to Puerto Cate and the nearly vertical and stunning village of El Bosque and then on to Simojovel, the place famous for its ambar mines if you are so inclined or head back toward the small town of Bochil which is a good place to find lodging if you find yourself in the wilderness with no place to go in a reasonable period of time. 

This countryside. mostly indigenous in charácter among its inhabitants, is extraordinarlly beautiful - mind-bogglingly so- and a road visit is a great adventure so, despite one´s anxiety at traipsing off into the seeming unknown among the Maya not always pleased to see you, this is the place to visit and not another tourist is to be seen for kilometers around.

Back-country Highland Chiapas must be seen to be believed


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

Hound Dog said:


> First you must get from San Cristóbal de Las Casas to the Zapatista village of San Andres Larrainzar over nice, if rudimentary, roads, a distance of perhaps 30 kilometers and the journey becomes even more exotic from there. These back country roads through indescribably beautiful mountains, many with vertible cultivated fields tilled by what must be superhuman acrobats, are so spectacular and lush Green as to defy belief but I will suggest a route to see this other-worldly place anyway.
> 
> On this route, take the road out of Larrainzar and drive the short but spectacular distance to the village of Aldama - a village perched on sheer cliffs overlooking mountains and canyons that stretch the imagination. Then, you must return to Larrainzar and take the road to Puerto Cate and the nearly vertical and stunning village of El Bosque and then on to Simojovel, the place famous for its ambar mines if you are so inclined or head back toward the small town of Bochil which is a good place to find lodging if you find yourself in the wilderness with no place to go in a reasonable period of time.
> 
> ...


Can one visit this magical part of Mexico if one doesn't have a car?


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

_


Isla Verde said:



Can one visit this magical part of Mexico if one doesn't have a car?

Click to expand...

_All of these places plus many more are served by collectivos in abundance at very reasonable prices.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

Hound Dog said:


> All of these places plus many more are served by collectivos in abundance at very reasonable prices.


Would it be safe for someone like me to go off on a trip like this alone?


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

yes it is safe, I have done it many times and never had any problems. In some towns you may feel like a fish out of water if you do not know anyone and there is not much to do or see outside of visiting the church but as long as you do not take pictures inside the church or of religious ceremoney, noone will say anything. Just make sure you have a taxi/ collectivo that will take you back before you leave.
For exemple to go to Aladama or Santa Marta you first need to take a collectivo from San Cristobal and the once in San Andres you can hire a cab to take you to Aldama or Santa Marta and wait for you or take you back or you can walk to the terminal for the Santa Marta or Aldama cars and some one from these towns will take you there. You need to make sure it will not be too late to come back or you may have to hire a car to take you back or may have to sleep on the side of the road...

For towns between San Cristobal and Simojovel you have collectivos going back and forth from San Cristobal so it is no problem either. You even have hotels there so no big deal if it is too late to go back.


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