Excited to visit the beautiful state of Chiapas but maybe you’re wondering…
…When is the best time to visit San Cristobal de las Casas?
That’s a valid question (and sometimes too underrated). San Cristobal de las Casas is unlike any other Mexican town we’ve been to. We spent 2.5 months in this quaint “Pueblo Magico” or magic town and enjoyed every minute of it! The only thing is…
…We didn’t take in the weather of San Cristobal de las Casas to affect us so much. As it is a mountain town with an elevation of 2,200m – it can get chilly. Very chilly!
If you know us through our blog, Two Tickets Anywhere, or anywhere on social media, you will know that we don’t do well in cold weather! As digital nomads, we try to make sure we escape winter every time and head where it’s warm! Funny enough, we moved from being tropical and warm Playa del Carmen digital nomads to cold and windy San Cristobal digital nomads. We literally arrived during winter in San Cristobal de las Casas (facepalm)!
There’s a reason we did this though – we moved from living in Playa del Carmen to San Cristobal de las Casas just before Christmas time. So we didn’t mind a bit of chilly weather because it made it feel more like Christmas to us!
In this blog post, you’ll learn how to choose the best time to visit San Cristobal de las Casas, which are the best (and worst) months to go and when it’s the cheapest time to visit.
Quick Answer: The best time to San Cristobal de las Casas is March, April and May. These are warm months reaching temperatures of 28°C and you’ll get more sunshine if you visit during these months.
Key Factors to Consider When Choosing the Best Time to Visit San Cristobal de las Casas
Let me just say this again for all the people in the back – San Cristobal de las Casas is a mountain town in Chiapas with an elevation of 2,200 meters (7,200 feet). Why does this matter?
When you arrive at Tuxtla Gutierrez, you’ll feel the warmth but then you take a taxi to San Cristobal de las Casas and start climbing the mountain. You’d be surprised how different the temperature changes at the top. Many factors go into choosing the best time to visit San Cristobal de las Casas (more than just the cool weather).
Here are some things to consider:
- Cold weather
- Rainy season (it can get intense here)
- Number of sunshine days
- Prices
- Crowds and
- Events
The best time to visit San Cristobal de las Casas depends on your preference! You can choose this based on how you like to travel or if you’re like us – you want to experience cold weather for holidays like Christmas!
Matthew and I usually prefer visiting destinations when there are fewer tourists, better prices (or chances of deals) and we’re happy to sacrifice a few days of bad weather for this! As digital nomads who slow travel full-time, we have the luxury to choose when we visit different digital nomad cities and we try to take advantage of this.
If the cold is too much for you to take, consider simply taking a weekend trip instead or just coming during the summer months and just dealing with the crowds of tourists – but at least you’ll get sunshine!
Here are some questions to help you decide the best time to visit San Cristobal de las Casas.
- Does the cold bother you?
- Do you care about huge crowds of tourists?
- Do you like the mountains?
- How much does the rain affect your travels?
- Do you have some winter gear to make it through the cold?
While it never gets freezing, a winter jacket does help especially if you plan on roaming the beautiful cobblestone streets. San Cristobal de las Casas is still a truly magical place and it’s worth a visit if you’re ever in Mexico – no matter the weather!
When Is The Best Time To Visit San Cristobal de las Casas?
The best time to visit San Cristobal de las Casas is March, April and May. While the maximum temperature rarely gets to 31°C (87°F) in San Cristobal de las Casas, the best chances of sunshine are during these months. If you hate crowds – try to avoid visiting during holidays like Christmas, Semana Santa (Holy Week) and other Mexican holidays.
The average temperature is 26°C to 28°C (78°F to 82°F) during these months and the chance of precipitation is much less than if you visit during months like June. The best time to visit San Cristobal de las Casas is March, April and May because you have more opportunities to go out and explore the charming town.
Stats on San Cristobal de las Casas Weather & Seasons
- Warmest month in the San Cristobal de las Casas: May (28°C or 82°F)
- Coolest month in San Cristobal de las Casas: January (15°C or 59 °F)
- Rainiest month in San Cristobal de las Casas: June (28 days of rain)
- Driest month in San Cristobal de las Casas: February
- Most crowded months in San Cristobal de las Casas: December, April
- Least crowded months in San Cristobal de las Casas: February, March
San Cristobal de las Casas Weather: The Best Months To Visit
The best months to visit San Cristobal de las Casas are March, April and May if you want some sunshine, less chance of precipitation and can withstand the crowds. We wish we went during these months because our experience might have been different.
In April, there’s a Mexican holiday called “Semana Santa” which can attract huge crowds of tourists – both domestic and international. The celebration goes for about a week and while it would be cool to be there at the time – the crowds might be too much for you.
The hottest month in San Cristobal de las Casas is May with temperatures reaching 28°C (82°F) and above. While you get the warmest weather – you do have to watch out for the crowds during these months because well…they’ve also decided it’s the best time to visit San Cristobal de las Casas.
The prices also tend to go up during these months, so if you plan on renting here – I suggest you come 1 month early to secure the cheapest rental prices and then you still get to enjoy the summer months after.
San Cristobal de las Casas Weather: The Worst Months To Visit
The worst months to visit San Cristobal de las Casas are December, January and June.
The coldest month is January and while the temperature during the day isn’t so bad for winter i.e. 15C (), the temperature really drops at night time. We felt this every single night – our fireplace couldn’t even heat up our Airbnb apartment.
In December, the cool climate is much more bearable but it’s still one of the coldest months to visit San Cristobal de las Casas. You’ll get fewer crowds around and if you’re there during Christmas they have cool decorations all around the beautiful town. Even more, if you stay in San Cristobal de las Casas over New Year’s Eve – they are known to have some of the best fireworks displays across all of Mexico. We had a great time celebrating New Year’s with friends, hitting the piñatas and counting down the New Year with probably the most amount of fireworks we’ve seen!
If you visit in June – expect a lot of rainfall. This is the wettest month of the year, averaging around 28 out of 30 days of rain. That’s a LOT! This is probably the worst month to visit San Cristobal de las Casas because the rain can affect any sightseeing and/or day trips to nearby destinations like Lagos de Montebello, Cañon del Sumidero, San Juan Chamula or any of the wonderful indigenous towns.
What Is The Cheapest Month To Visit San Cristobal de las Casas?
The cheapest months to visit San Cristobal de las Casas is December, January and June.
Yes…that is also one of the worst times to visit BUT you do get to take advantage of good deals across housing rentals, car rentals and more. Again, if you’re really strapped for cash – take 1 month’s rent in January to lock in the deals then you can enjoy the weather in the months after!
Temperature Year-Round in San Cristobal de las Casas
The average temperature year-round in San Cristobal de las Casas is 25°C (77°F).
The rainfall is usually during the summer months and the driest months are during the winter months. A lot of people will leave during winter and come back during summer.
Precipitation Year-Round in San Cristobal de las Casas
The precipitation year-round in San Cristobal de las Casas is pretty high! This colonial town receives around 1,491 millimeters (58.7 inches) of rainfall each year.
There are only about 94 dry days in a calendar year or 365 which means it rains in San Cristobal…A LOT! June is the wettest and rainiest month of the year with around 28 days of rain and 2 dry days out of the month. Crazy!
Sunshine Year-Round in San Cristobal de las Casas
The sunshine year-round in San Cristobal de las Casas varies from month to month.
February and March are the months with the most days of pure sunshine, averaging around 13 days of sunshine throughout each month. June is the least likely month to get any sunshine (because of the rain).
The 2 San Cristobal de las Casas Weather Seasons: Wet & Dry
The colonial city has about 2 different types of seasons: the wet season and the dry season. The wet season means you’ll get higher chances of precipitation and some rain showers. The dry season means you won’t have much rain at all and have clear skies throughout.
Wet Season in San Cristobal de las Casas
The wet season in San Cristobal de las Casas starts in June till October. I remember them having a really long rainy season which was another reason we couldn’t be San Cristobal de las Casas digital nomads for very long.
Best things to do in San Cristobal de las Casas during the wet season:
- Eat at the best restaurants in San Cristobal de las Casa (there’s so many!)
- Tour around the Casa Na-Bolom museum
- Take a cooking class and learn how to make traditional dishes from Chiapas
- Visit the fascinating church all around the town e.g. Guadalupe Church
Pros of visiting San Cristobal de las Casas during the wet season:
- Fewer crowds of tourists to bump into
- The popular tourist attractions won’t be as busy
- Cheaper prices for rent, flights and hotels
Cons of visiting San Cristobal de las Casas during the wet season:
- High chances of rain (and it can really pour in San Cris)
- Fewer outdoor activities you can visit due to the rain
Dry Season in San Cristobal de las Casas
The dry season in San Cristobal de las Casas starts from November to May. These months are the driest months of the year and the days of precipitation are way less! You’ll get more daylight and sunshine to do all the day trips or excursions you want to do.
Best things to do in San Cristobal de las Casas during the dry season:
- Take a boat trip along the Sumidero Canyon
- Feel the beautiful Misol-Ha Waterfall splash on your skin
- Explore the walking street – Real de Guadalupe
- Day trip to the natural beauty of the Montebello Lakes (aka Lagos Montebello)
- Visit the indigenous villages of San Juan de Chamula and Zinacantan
Pros of visiting San Cristobal de las Casas during the dry season:
- Beautiful walks along the pedestrian street
- Less likelihood of rain ruining your day
- Most activities are open
- Lots of events happening in the town
Cons of visiting San Cristobal de las Casas during the dry season:
- Battling crowds of domestic and international tourists
- Prices might be higher for rent, flights and hotels
- Top attractions could be crowded and busy
When Is The Best Time To Visit Chiapas?
The best time to visit Chiapas is from November to May. You can soak in all the wonderful excursions and outdoor activities this beautiful state of Mexico has to offer. The natural wonders found in Chiapas are unlike any other you’d find in the other states of Mexico.
The landscape varies from mountain views to lake views and everything in between. If you are trying to find the best time to visit Chiapas and take advantage of what they have to offer – plan your trip around the months with the least rain. The last thing you want is to arrive in Chiapas and it is rainy, moody and an overall disappointment because the best things to do in Chiapas are mostly outdoor activities.
The Best Time To Visit San Cristobal de las Casas In Our Opinion Is…
We think the best time to visit San Cristobal de las Casas is the end of February to mid-May. You’ll be able to make the most of the sunshine and longer daylight hours without being too cold!
We typically like to visit top digital nomad cities during the ‘shoulder seasons’ because we don’t like to deal with the swarm of tourists but San Cristobal de las Casas is a special case. The warmest months are March to May and we would rather have the warmth than endure the cold climate again!
