The Best Things to do in Tuxtla Gutiérrez

If you’ve looked into traveling to Chiapas you’ve probably heard about the ancient ruins of Palenque or the colonial villages like San Cristobal. You’ve heard that it’s tropical, lush, perhaps a little mysterious, and different from the rest of Mexico. All of this is true, but what often gets left out is that Chiapas has a sprawling capital city that is busy, vibrant, a little bit gritty, and definitely worth seeing. This is a great city for family travel because there are so many things to do in Tuxtla Gutierrez!

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Why You Should Not Miss Tuxtla

When I started researching our family trip to Tuxtla Gutiérrez, I read several travel blogs and forums that suggested we shouldn’t bother stopping in Tuxtla when traveling to Chiapas. They suggested we just fly in and move on to our next destination! Whether it’s the ruins, the coast or the indigenous mountain towns, according to many travel writers, Chiapas has much better places to offer than the capital. Well, since my husband is from Tuxtla, we were definitely spending time there, so I decided to prove those writers wrong. I didn’t have to try very hard – there’s an abundance of cultural, historical and family-friendly things to do in Tuxtla Gutiérrez.

On our family vacation to Tuxtla, we brought our three daughters and our niece, so we were a family of 6, with kids ranging in age from 9 to 17. Everyone had a fantastic time. We boated down a crocodile-laden river at the bottom of a canyon, we danced to live Marimba bands in the city plaza, and we ate giant ants on pizza! Tuxtla Gutierrez is not to be missed, and here is everything you need to plan a fantastic family trip.

Quick Tips

• Rent a car. You can use public transportation, but it will be so much easier and less time consuming with a car. Not all attractions are centrally located. We used National, right down the street from our hotel.
• Learn some Spanish or get a good phrase book. People are friendly and helpful, but many (most) do not speak English.
• Don’t leave your hotel without sunscreen, water and bug spray.

Things to do in Tuxtla Gutierrez

The Zoo

The Tuxtla zoo is phenomenal and it was one of our favorite things to do in Tuxtla Gutierrez! Zoológico Miguel Alvarez del Toro (ZooMAT) is dedicated to the conservation of local wildlife, and the enclosures are very natural. All the animals are indigenous to the state of Chiapas, so you will not see giraffes and elephants. You’ll see coatimundis and tapirs and jaguars.

Our favorite experience was when the howler monkeys started bellowing to each other across the trees of the canopy. It was surreal and so loud that everyone stopped in their tracks to listen.  There are some smaller animals that are allowed to roam around freely, which adds to the authentic feel of this zoo. A bonus in the summer is that the natural shade offers some relief from the heat.

• Recommended time:  2-3 hours
• Cost:  20 pesos for adults, 10 for children (free on Tuesdays)
• Hours: Daily, 8:30 – 4:30, closed on Mondays.

The Regional Museum of Chiapas

The state Chiapas has one of the highest indigenous populations in Mexico. This rich history is showcased in the Museo Regional de Antropología e Historia, where you will find exhibits starting with the ancient Maya and Zoque civilizations through the Spanish conquest to the present day. Kids will enjoy the artifacts ranging from colorful murals to prehistoric stone statues to suits of armor.

• Recommended time:  2 hours
• Cost:  60 pesos for adults, free for children under 13, free on Sundays
• Hours: Daily 9:00 – 6:00, closed on Mondays.

The Marimba Museum

The Marimba is a very important instrument and a traditional style of music in Chiapas. The Museo de la Marimba is dedicated to preserving the music, along with teaching new generations how to build and play the marimba. Museo de la Marimba is made up of several small galleries so it won’t take you very long to go through it, but it is worth stopping by. It exhibits the evolution of the Marimba, with antique instruments and the history of the music.

There are sections dedicated to famous marimba artists and bands, with listening stations so patrons can hear examples. There’s also a workshop where they build and play instruments. We were treated to a live music demonstration by some of the experts at the museum and they even let us try playing the marimba ourselves! This museum definitely topped our list as one of our favorite things to do in Tuxtla Gutierrez!

• Recommended time: 1.5 – 2 hours
• Cost: 20 pesos, free on Sundays.
• Hours: Daily, 10:00 – 9:00, closed on Monday

Marimba Park

You haven’t experienced an evening in Chiapas until you’ve danced the night away at the Parque de la Marimba. This spacious park has a central gazebo where various Marimba bands offer free music every night. You read that right… free music every night! This is absolutely a family-friendly affair; you will find everything from grandparents dancing with babies, to young couples out for a romantic evening.

The park is full of locals – we saw very few tourists – but don’t let that intimidate you when it comes to dancing! This really is a fun evening activity and we felt welcomed and included in the festivities. There are vendors selling food and souvenirs, and there are plenty of places around the park to grab a drink or some ice cream to cool off after. There is street parking, but you may have to walk a bit. This is a well-traveled area and we felt very safe parking a few blocks away.

• Recommended time: Until the music stops!
• Cost: FREE
• Hours: Daily starting around 6 pm

The Botanical Garden

Step a few feet into this garden oasis in the middle of Tuxtla and you will forget that there’s a city around you. The Jardín Botánico Faustino Miranda is the oldest botanical garden in Mexico. It is dense and vast, so you will feel like you are deep in a tropical wonderland as you walk over bridges, duck under branches and learn about all the plants indigenous to the state. Our kids had a great time and appreciated the shade on a hot Tuxtla day. Tip: Wear LOTS of bug spray.

• Recommended time: 1-2 hours
• Cost: FREE
• Hours: 9 – 3:30, Closed Mondays

Cañon del Sumidero/Chiapa de Corzo (day trip):

This river inside a deep-walled canyon is a unique experience that you shouldn’t miss while visiting Tuxtla. It’s located in Chiapa de Corzo, the first Spanish colonial town in Chiapas (although it’s been inhabited much longer than that.) This is a popular destination, but we didn’t encounter crowds and we experienced few tourists from outside of Mexico while we were there.

Chiapa de Corzo is about a 45-minute drive (or less) from Tuxtla. If you didn’t rent a car, you can take one of the ‘colectivo’ buses or a taxi. Once there, tour tickets are available right at the river where the boats leave. You can also take an organized tour from Tuxtla, your hotel should be able to help you book this.  You will marvel at the natural beauty of this canyon. Its walls are thousands of feet high and the river banks are flush with wildlife. The boat operators will pull right up near the crocodiles, so be ready! The boat tour lasts a couple hours so be prepared to bring sunscreen and water.

After your river tour, walk through the streets of Chiapa de Corzo, visit the plaza and the church and get a bite to eat. Make sure to shop the markets before you leave.

Where to Eat in Tuxtla Gutiérrez

           Local Chiapanecan cuisine is really unlike a lot of other Mexican food. There are plenty of ‘familiar’ restaurants in Tuxtla – hamburger joints, American pizza franchises, high end steak houses and the like. They are easy to find, so the only restaurants I’ve included are restaurants that our family took us to, which were not touristy at all. Wherever you go, make sure to try tamales de Chipilín! Chipilín is a local leafy green used in Southern Mexican and Central American foods and the tamales are delicious. If you’re super adventurous, find some Nucú. These large ants are eaten toasted, in tacos, or even on pizza!

Las Pampas

This multi-location restaurant specializes in grilled meats. We went to the location at the Parque Bicentenario. It’s a great location because it’s high on a hill with a nighttime view of Tuxtla. The food is high quality and well-priced. They have a variety of meats, tacos and quesadillas. A selling point is that there’s also a play area for the kids.

Las Pichanchas

For traditional Chiapanecan food in a beautiful courtyard setting with live Marimba music, head to Las Pichanchas downtown. There’s a vast menu, including a four-course tasting menu, seating for large groups and an enclosed play area for kids. Try the Pozol – a local (non-alcoholic) sweet drink made of corn dough and cocoa – served cold. We also ordered the Plato de Botana – an appetizer sampler of local delicacies. If you are there at night, there’s also traditional dancing.

La Palapa del Amado

This seafood restaurant has a large indoor and outdoor seating area with a playground attached. The service is fantastic and the food even better. We enjoyed whole fried fish, grilled octopus, garlic shrimp and more. There are also plain fish fillets with rice for the less adventurous eaters. This restaurant is not very centrally located, so you would need to drive.

Where to Stay in Tuxtla Gutiérrez

We only stayed in one hotel, the Best Western Palmareca, so I don’t have a variety of choices to offer. However, we had a wonderful experience, so I would highly recommend our hotel and I would definitely stay there again. You can book this hotel here.

Best Western Palmareca

Since there were 6 of us, we needed a suite. Our two-room suite slept all of us comfortably. There are amenities like TV, air-conditioning, free parking, laundry service and 24-hour security. There’s also a business center with computers, wifi, etc. The hotel is in walking distance of a supermarket and a pharmacy. (In Mexico you can get prescription medicine at a pharmacy, and see a doctor if necessary.)

The grounds of the Hotel Palmareca are gorgeous, with fountains, grass and palm trees. There’s a pool and jacuzzi, with patio tables and a place to get drinks by the pool. But the absolute best feature of this hotel is the breakfast buffet.

Breakfast lasts from 7:30 to 1 pm every day, and it has everything you could possibly want for breakfast/brunch and more. There’s pan dulce and local coffee (which is amazing), but also juices, aguas frescas, and hot chocolate. There are regular breakfast foods like cereal and yogurt, an eggs-your-way/omelet station, and pancakes. Then there’s a buffet of local cuisine like tamales de chipilin and chilaquiles, along with full entrée dishes like roasted chicken, vegetables, pork or tongue in chile sauces, rice and beans. Honestly, we filled up every day at breakfast and didn’t eat again until dinner.

Bringing four kids, all with different tastes, to a new place is never easy when it comes to food but the hotel buffet has something for absolutely everyone. Lastly, you can’t beat the price. Our suite cost us less than $500 (USD) for the week. The buffet is not included, but we paid under $5 (USD) per person each day. Check availability or book here.

Tuxtla Gutiérrez surpassed our expectations for a family vacation. We can’t wait to return so that we can continue to explore Chiapas and all it has to offer!

More Mexico posts you might enjoy: 15 Awesome Things to Do in Mexico City with Kids