Chiapa de Corzo

The town of Chiapa de Corzo was one of these places where you stop at random and where you end up staying much longer than initially anticipated. At first glance, the town is just another friendly town without too much to see... However, once a year, there is the 'Great Festival of January' to honour the local patron saints; our Lord of Esquipulas, Anthony the Great, and Saint Sebastian.

Luck was on my side since I arrived the day before the start of this wonderful festival, one of the biggest in Chiapas and even all of Mexico. For a week, the central plaza becomes an annual fair and the streets are overrun with processions with people in brightly coloured outfits. The festival is part of the UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

The procession concludes in this small temple.

The parachicos are a highlight of the festival.

Fair at the central plaza