Tapachula turns out to be a Mexican version of, say, Laredo in Texas. Illegal immigration is a problem, with the illegals coming from the south. The Guatemalan tourists come to shop and frolic at the nearby beaches.
Now travelers from other climes are discovering Tapachula, too.
Cruise ships have begun arriving at nearby Puerto Chiapas and 12,000 passengers are expected to disembark during the winter season. True, they spend only a few hours on shore, but local optimists predict that these travelers will be so enchanted with the area that they will return. Already the descendants of Germans who established plantations along what is known as the Chiapas coffee route have opened boutique hotels on their estates and are marketing the region to Europeans.
There is much more than coffee along the Coffee Route in Chiapas. You get to see jungles that would have daunted Tarzan and relax in chalets fit for dukes and duchesses. Declining international coffee prices supposedly led the owners of the coffee plantations (fincas) to turn to tourism as another source of income.
Along with coffee, decorative tropical plants are cultivated for export. “And now we have opened this small hotel,” said Sike Wirth, who manages tourism operations at the Finca Argovia near Nueva Alemania. Accommodations verge on the luxurious, although there is no television in the rooms. “That may be one of our attractions,” said the young Frau Wirth.
The Finca Hamburgo also is now in the boutique hotel business and at least one other finca plans to join in. Cuisine at both the Argovia and Hamburgo is better than most found in Tapachula. Guests learn all about the art of growing coffee, walk along jungle trails and watch the birds. More than 150 species live in the area. The area surrounding Tapachula itself is similar to Costa Rica, only better. Better, yet largely undiscovered. You have cloud forests to explore. Cloud forests, sun-drenched jungles, the biosphere reserve at El Triumfo, the manglares at La Crujicada and river rafting by the waterfalls at the Rio Cuilco. The adventurous can try climbing 4,000-meters-high Tacaná, the first of a stately chain of Central American volcanoes.
On the outskirts of Tapachula lie the Izapa archaeological zones, three of them. Izapa, guides explain, marked the transition from Olmec to Maya domination in the area. The ruins are more curious than impressive, especially stone thrones beneath stelas that probably related the triumphs of the various rulers Izapa had during its many centuries of existence. Each new leader seems to have attempted to erase the memory of his predecessor, starting what has become a Mexican tradition.
Tapachula itself is a bustling, if not exactly attractive city. Beggars are rarely seen, although there were plenty of police. They stroll about lugging fearsome weapons, yet nobody appears to be especially afraid. Those tattooed Mara thugs from Central America, however, were nowhere in sight.
Spend some time wandering about the Plaza de Armas, stopping in for lunch at one alfresco restaurant, later trying another once the sun has set. The meals were quite tasty and prices surprisingly low, as they were at the hotels.
One disappointment is the difficulty of making a quick trip across the border into Guatemala. While journeys by bus to Guatemala City, five hours away, can be arranged without difficulty, a quick trip across the boundary bridge can be complicated. The bridge is about 20 miles from downtown Tapachula, a long way by taxi, an uncomfortable ride in a bus. Border formalities getting into Guatemala and returning to Mexico are irksome and time consuming and, according to people in Tapachula, the nearest town of any size in Guatemala is as distant from the bridge as is Tapachula itself. It seems hardly worth the effort.
Getting there:
Aeromexico Connect and Mexicana offer a choice of daily flights to Tapachula.
Where to stay:
San Francisco, Avenida Centro-Sur No 94, Tel. (962) 620 1000, is the biggest hotel in Tapachula, close to everything and noted for its Veranda Restaurant and Chipaneco Bar.
The Plaza Inn at 4ª Avenida. Sur. No 157, Tel. (962) 628 63 30, reservaciones@plazainnexpress.com.mx, while not in the center of town, is handy to the Plaza Cristal, largest shopping center in Tapachula, has a popular restaurant and bar.
The Fénix, 4a. Avenida. Norte. No. 19 Tel: 52 (962) 628 9600 fenix@fenix.com.mx, although not exactly luxurious, might be called a boutique hotel and is close to everything.
The Tapachula, 9ª Calle Poniente No. 17, Tel. (962) 262 6060 has become a favorite with business travelers.
Where to dine:
Hotels are a good start, along with the many cafes close to the main plaza. Specialties include Oriental fare (Tapachula has a large Chinese-Mexican population) and seafood (the shore is quite close by).
Activities
The Archaeology Museum in the old Municipal Palace provides an excellent introduction to Izapa, the three archaeological zones about 30 minutes from town. Hotels can arrange tours. Fishing and rafting are among the appealing activities, while the hale and hearty enjoy climbing Tacaná, the volcano that sits on the Guatemala border; this is an overnight excursion, sleeping in cabins available about halfway up.
For further information:
The web page www.turismotapachula.com.mx has a wealth of information about the city. The municipal tourism office is located in the Municipal Palace on the main plaza.
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