The tropical region of Soconusco, in the state of Chiapas, offers tourists a majestic landscape formed by a patchwork of coffee, cocoa, banana, mango, citrus and avocado plantations.

Whether travelling for business or pleasure, Tapachula is the perfect place to admire the natural beauty that fills southern Mexico and is ideal for visiting the Rosario Izapa archeological zone and the coffee plantations, known as fincas, on the slopes of the sierra filled with silent lagoons, marshes and sandbars.

This city, located in Chiapas and bordering Guatemala, still bears traces of the peoples that settled here more than nine thousand years ago.

The region was inhabited by the Tapacholts; it was not until the end of the sixteenth century that the modern-day inhabitants arrived.

Today, visitors may observe a city that is at once commercial and agricultural, where in addition to coffee and cocoa, there is thriving cotton and dairy product production.

The area has preserved its typical provincial flavor, and its many attractions include the colonial-style San Augustine Cathedral, the Templo de Buena Esperanza (Church of Good Hope) and the Archeological Museum, which displays artifacts found in the area.

Many residents produce beautiful handcrafted objects such as baskets, objects made from vegetable fiber, jewelry and precious metalwork.

Area stores are a good source of woven palm hats and guayaberas, which are men’s short or long sleeved shirts with vertical embroidery down the front. In the local San Juan market, visitors may also find crafts made by Chiapaneco and Guatemalan indigenous communities.   

During the month of March, the city hosts the International Fair of Tapachula, an extravaganza filled with agricultural, livestock, commercial and handicraft exhibitions.