Experience the best of Tuxtla Gutiérrez

Tuxtla Gutiérrez lies in a hot valley in the Central Depression of Chiapas, in southern Mexico, and is the state capital and its largest city. Most of it is modern, but the main square has a cathedral with a tall tower, and the Parque de la Marimba hosts evening music, since the marimba is the instrument of Chiapas. ZooMAT, a zoo on a wooded hillside, shows only animals native to Chiapas, among them jaguars and tapirs.

The Sumidero Canyon, a short way to the north-east, has walls that rise up to a kilometre above the Grijalva River. Boats from Chiapa de Corzo or Cahuaré pass crocodiles, spider monkeys and birds, and a cliff with a waterfall shaped like a Christmas tree. Chiapa de Corzo, a colonial town, has a Moorish-style fountain, La Pila, and in January the Parachicos dancers. San Cristóbal de las Casas lies in the cool highlands to the east.

Cochito, roast pork in a dark sauce, chipilín, a leafy herb used in soups and tamales, and pozol, a cool drink of fermented maize, are the regional tastes, with Chiapas coffee and sweets of coconut and candied fruit. The valley is hot for most of the year, with rain from May to October.