San Cristóbal de Las Casas - Market Mercado

The Mercado (market) lies near the church of San Domingo. Indios from the nearby villages gather here daily. Some years ago part of the market was replaced by a modern market hall. This has resulted in the loss of much of the character of San Cristóbal's original unique market. Members of the two peoples of the Maya group can be seen here: the Tzotzil (about 110,000 members; Chamula, Zinacantán, Larrainzar, Huixtán and Chenal-hó) and the Tzeltal (approximately 100,000 members; Tenejapa, Carranza, Amatenango del Valle, Oxchuc and Cancuc). They wear costumes which vary from village to village. The most striking are those of the Chamula and of the Indians from Tenejapa and Zinacantán.